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Bonhams December 2024 Fine Watches sale: my highlights

On December 12, auction house Bonhams will host their annual December sale in London. We pick some suggestions.

Bonhams December 2024 Fine Watches sale: my highlights

On December 12, auction house Bonhams will host their annual December sale in London. We pick some suggestions.

Usually their catalogue is a healthy mix of collectible watches ranging in price from relatively affordable to somewhat a bit more expensive, to put it mildly. 

The catalogue offers 57 lots and the list is diverse. Yes, the regular Daytonas, Royal Oaks and variety of Pateks are included, but also a 1940’s Grana military watch, one of the “dirty dozen”, which due to its rarity is expected to fetch 10 to 15,000 UK pounds. And what about the quintessential high-end understatement of the late 1980’s, a 33mm Blancpain Minute repeater for 18 to 22,000? An iconic watch that made sure that the brand was kept alive throughout the roaring 1980’s.

Let me highlight 5 other interesting pieces in the catalogue.  

Lot 41- Patek Philippe ref. 5230G Kings’ Sign

Let’s start with an almost new Patek world timer, This 18K white gold 5230G-032 is a special edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kings Sign Co, the oldest operating watch retailer of Taiwan and long-term Patek AD. On the outside ring 24 world cities are displayed with Taipei marked in red, and the inner ring is finished in finely guilloched turquoise blue. A great piece and not many of the 50 will have ended up outside of Taiwan. The Patek is estimated to reach 40 to 60,000 UKP.

Lot 45- Patek Philippe ref. 5040 Perpetual

Next in line is a very nice late 1990’s Patek 5040 in a tonneau-shaped case. 35mm in size, this watch carries the typical 90’s vibe with that special typography and style. The 5040 was produced from 1992 until 2007, and the rarity makes this watch very collectable. It comes as a full set and includes a manufacture extract, so I could easily see this watch reach its estimate of 22,000 to 24,000 UKP.

Lot 46- Rolex Daytona ref. 116658

This Rolex Daytona is not one for the faint-hearted. Not only is this reference 116658 a full gold version, it is also diamond-set in the indices and the bezel. The watch is from 2000 and comes as a full set with recent service receipt. Factory diamond-set versions are quite rare and the estimate of 80 to 120,000 UKP seems justified.

Lot 50- Cartier Tortue ref. 2396 Monopoussoir

My top 5 list is placed in random order, but I have to admit that this Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir is my absolute favorite of the sale. It is dated 1999 and part of Collection Privee Cartier Paris, the brands special limited series celebrating the rich heritage of the brand. It combines my favorite Cartier design with one of the most attractive complications, and as an added bonus the calibre 045MC was developed by TH Ebauche, a brainchild of three independent watchmakers that would soon become horology rockstars: Denis Flageollet, Vianney Halter and Francois-Paul Journe. No doubt this watch will exceed the conservative 20 to 30,000 UKP estimate.

Lot 56- F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu

The Chronometre Bleu does not need any introduction. The tantalum-cased watch with the unique blue dial was once launched as an entry-level F.P. Journe but quickly became a collector darling, marking the start of the Journe hype around 2018. This example is from 2021 and has a full set. The estimate of 40-60,000 UKP reflects the current market, which has cooled off a bit since the 2020 peak.

Should you be interested, the whole catalogue can be found here

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