Two Historical Icons: Patek Philippe Ref.1436 Henry Graves Jr. Piguet & Capt. Amphora Form Watch

Two historical rarities will be offered in Christie’s Hong Kong Important Watches auction on 27 November: an extremely historically important Patek Philippe split-second chronograph Ref. 1436 in 18K yellow gold from 1946, ordered by and sold to Henry Graves Jr. (estimate: HK$11,500,000-23,500,000/ US$ 1,500,000-3,000,000), alongside a 18k gold and enamel, pearl-set musical, perfume flask and automaton amphora-form watch attributed to Piguet & Capt, a magnificent piece presented for the first time at auction (estimate: HK$ 2,400,000-7,200,000/ US$ 300,000-900,000).

HENRI GRAVES JR.’S MARVEL

Estimate: HK$11,500,000-23,500,000/ US$ 1,500,000-3,000,000

Henry Graves Jr., the legendary patron of Patek Philippe, ordered this 18k gold split second chronograph wristwatch with Breguet numerals in 1946 and acquired it in 1947.

Immensely mechanically complex, the split seconds chronograph is considered one of the three most challenging complications in the art of watchmaking.

Ref.1436 holds a cherished position in the eyes of collectors as Patek Philippe’s first split seconds chronograph wristwatch produced in series. The first generation, of which this watch is a part, was made until the late 1940s. Since its introduction to the market in 1938 and discontinued in 1971, only 140 examples are made during the 33 years production period.

As one of the finest examples to ever appear on the market, the present example features applied gold Breguet numerals, often considered the most attractive dial variation. It is also thought to be the least-commonly made dial for this reference, with most examples featuring baton or a combination of baton and Arabic numerals. To date, just over a dozen of Ref. 1436 models have surfaced featuring such a dial.

This extremely rare and historical timepiece is a true rarity as it last appeared at auction about ten years ago.

ONE TWIN MARVEL

Estimate: HK$ 2,400,000-7,200,000/ US$ 300,000-900,000

Attributed to Piguet & Capt., this 18k gold and enamel, pearl-set musical, perfume flask and automaton amphora-form watch is believed to be made for the Chinese imperial family, in circa 1805. It is known that its twin is stored and exhibited in the Patek Philippe museum.

In very good condition for its age, this marvel of rarity is absolutely fresh to the market and is being presented for the first time at auction. A truly magical object that reveals a splendor of mechanics and craftmanship and continues to capture the imagination of collectors.

The last amphora-form watch seen at auction was May 2021 at Christie’s Hong Kong ; attributed to Jean-François-Adam Hess, it was sold for HK$ 12,250,000/ US$ 1,584,735.

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About Christie’s

Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).

Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvador Mundi, 2017), for a single collection sale (the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, 2018), and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019).

Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.

Recent innovations at Christie’s include the groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple’s Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats. 

Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change.