Those who know me well are aware of my passion for the world of horology, something shared between my father and I. In his young adult life my father met a Swiss-trained clock/ watchmaker named John Partridge and studied under him for years and subsequently became very skilled with servicing and repairing pieces purely as a hobby. He became a member of the British Horological Institute along with John and they would attend branch meetings around the region together.This influenced my decision to join the British Horological Institute as an associate member and embark on a distance learning course which enhances and compliments my working knowledge and skills. I can therefore speak with weight and authority on my specialist subject, share my experienced opinion and provide sound auction guidance to customers and clients, buyers and sellers. The global auction market for watches has experienced something of a boom in the last
decade with record prices seemingly made and broken in a continuous advancing cycle, especially with leading Swiss brands Patek Philippe, Rolex amongst others. If you are reading this you may be aware of some of the record prices achieved last year – Paul Newman’s very own unique Rolex Daytona grabbed the attention of the world’s watch enthusiasts when it was offered for sale by Phillips on October 26, 2017.While it was expected to fetch somewhere in the low millions (how much???! I hear you say to yourselves) due to its cultural impact and the impact it had on the world of watchmaking at the time of its production and following influence, the coveted timepiece made history with a final hammer price of $17.75million, setting a new record for the most expensive wristwatch ever to be sold at auction. the previous record had been held by a very, very rare Patek Philippe ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph in stainless steel, one of only four to have ever been produced by the prestigious manufacturer, achieved a price of £11.1million in November 2016.
These were once-in-a-lifetime pieces but i can still promise some choice lots on 5 April.
modern design c o n t a c t James Bassam
from the days in which it used to be held in conjunction with the weekly Antiques sale, it is now an established fixture in its own right.
s a t u rd ay 24 march