Rolex’s first-ever Daytona Rainbow Cosmograph (pictured), ref. 16599, is expected to fetch more than $3.5 million in Phillips’ upcoming neo-vintage timepiece sale, Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999.
The watch auction is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Geneva. A statement attributed jointly to Alexandre Ghotbi, head of watches in Europe and the Middle East, and Tiffany To, head of sale, explains why Phillips is highlighting this period in timepiece history: “The 1980s–1990s was one of the most creative periods for watchmaking, with the rise of independent watchmakers, the birth of multi-complication wristwatches and the desire to create movements that had never been seen before.”
“The 1980s and 1990s were a period of intense change and experimentation. They were the decades of superstars and indie music, blockbusters, and experimental cinema, the dawn of the internet and the PC. The world was never quite the same after,” the statement said. “With the arrival of the quartz watches, mechanical horology was at a crossroads—change or die. But the watchmaking industry showed its resilience and innovative spirit…. The watch industry reinvented itself, laying the foundations for the luxury, precision, and craftsmanship we see today.”
In the ’90s, Rolex originally crafted the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow as a one-off design. The white gold watch was revolutionary for its time, featuring a bezel set with degradé-hued sapphires that mimic the shades of a rainbow. Today it’s one of the watchmaker’s (and world’s) most exclusive pieces, and Phillips has a presale estimate of 3 million Swiss francs (CHF) on it.
Another notable lot is the first wristwatch sold by François-Paul Journe, which quickly made F.P. Journe a must-know watchmaker. It features the hand-engraved ink inscription 15/93, representing its number in Journe’s production—it was the 15th timepiece he made—and the year (1993) it was created.
Also to be auctioned by Phillips is a pocket watch by Derek Pratt for Danish company Urban Jürgensen that’s a testament to the precision-driven watchmaking of the era. Pratt, technical director at Urban Jürgensen, handcrafted this piece with the direction of Kari Voutilainen
to honor the legacy of 18th-century watchmakers A-L Breguet and John Arnold through attention to detail.
Phillips has a previously unknown timepiece in the sale: a Philippe Dufour Duality watch from 1996 that rebuts the belief there were only nine of its kind made. A certificate of origin confirms this is the 10th, and it is offered by its original owner.
“Without the pioneering spirit of the time there would be no watchmaking as we know it today,” said the Phillips statement. “Reloaded will be one of the most exciting auctions—not just for the top lots, which we are incredibly thrilled about, but also for the meticulously curated selection, offering a diverse range of brands, styles, complications, and price points. This is truly a watch lover’s auction curated for other watch lovers.”
(Photos courtesy of Phillips)
Follow me on Instagram: @anniedavidsonwatson
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
