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Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune production difficult. Formerly, the pink gold timepiece was sold in the
Andy Warhol Collection, Part II auction back in December 1988 as part
A rare Patek Philippe of an array of the late artist’s personal belongings that ranged from
watch once owned by Aisin- collectibles, jewelry, and furniture to paintings.
Gioro Puyi, the last emperor
of the Qing Dynasty whose Audemars Piguet 5514BA
life was the basis for the
1987 film The Last Emperor, This beautiful 1954 Audemars
sold for a record $6.2 mil- Piguet Art Deco-inspired simple calen-
lion at a Phillips Hong Kong dar wristwatch with moon phase com-
auction in May. There are plication, ref. 5514BA, sold for over
only eight Patek Philippe $240,000 at the Monaco Legend
Reference 96 Quantieme Lune wristwatches known to exist. A global Auctions in April. This particular watch
team of researchers spent three years verifying the provenance of the is attributed to the first of two series,
86-year-old watch, which Puyi gave to his Russian interpreter sold between 1950-1959. With a pro-
Georgy Permyak while he was imprisoned in the Soviet Union after duction period that goes from 1945 to
World War II. 1960, scholars say that approximately
22 examples of this reference have
Rolex Yacht Master been produced and only 7 are known
in the market today. Only 12 of these
The one-of-one platinum Yacht watches with rectangular yellow-gold
Master owned by the late Rolex case and uncommon fancy teardrop
President, Patrick Heiniger, sold for an lugs were made. The significant dial
astounding $2.5 million this May at variation among produced examples
Monaco Legend Auctions. This special make each watch and configuration
prototype (ref.16620PT), ordered by essentially unique. Its deign aesthetic is a throwback to the brand’s
the Heiniger family, is made complete- historic tank watch design from the 1920s.
ly in platinum and is a special com-
memoration of the watch brand’s ten- Audemars Piguet Grand et Petite Sonnerie
millionth chronometer movement –
reflected in the dial’s “Dix Millionième A 1982 Audemars Piguet
Chronometre” stamping at the 6 o’clock position and the movement’s Grand et Petite Sonnerie by
rotor. Adding to the rarity of the watch is the tonal dial, sapphire and dia- Philippe Dufour sold for
mond indexes, and full platinum bracelet. approximately $1 million at
Phillips Geneva auction in May.
Rolex Milgauss 6541 A series of five grande sonnerie
pocket watches were created for
A Rolex Milgauss 6541, known as Audemars Piguet (AP) that he
the “the scientist’s watch” sold for began in the late 1970s and
$2.5 million at auction in May, just a completed in 1988. This pocket
few months after Rolex discontinued watch is the very first of the five,
the model. Oddly enough, Rolex was this being the Grande and Petite
the perceived buyer, and it is noticed Sonnerie Open-Faced Pocket
that they are purchasing their own Watch no. 1 by Philippe Dufour
vintage watches to help maintain for Audemars Piguet. Dufour
their own collection. Rolex intro- made each of the five watches by hand and showcased a stunningly
duced the Milgauss in 1954-55 and complex movement. This not only predates the Philippe Dufour brand,
from the beginning, advertising for the 6541 was placed in scientific jour- but the series of five watches made for AP was the impetus for him to
nals and periodicals, with Rolex touting its anti-magnetism and bezel strike out on his own.
for timing perfect for professionals. The 6541 is one of the rarest and
most mysterious watches in all of vintage Rolex. Examples of this watch Patek Philippe 2497
have appeared on the modern market, and all have case numbers
beginning with “412.” This leads collectors to believe that the total A pink gold Patek Philippe 2497 perpetual
production volume was extremely limited – probably to just a batch of calendar wristwatch (2497J) sold for approx.
a couple hundred watches. $1.35 million at Christie’s Geneva Sale in May.
This 2497J is the third example of Patek’s serially-

Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe 2526 produced perpetual calendar wristwatches made
from 1951 through 1964. Only 115 examples
Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe 2526, were made, and just 20 of those were encased in
produced sometime around 1955, sold pink gold, and only six are from the first series.
for $101,600 at Sotheby’s New York Fine Patek dials from this era are works of craftsman-
Watches auction in March. The time- ship: the calendar windows are cut by hand, and
piece, which features a first series enamel an engraver would first engrave the “Patek
dial, came with a pink gold case and is Philippe” signature, seconds scale, and calendar
double signed Serpico Y Laino – Patek before applying and heat-treating the hard enamel
Philippe’s exclusive retailer in Caracas, signature. Patek originally produced the Knoll
Venezuela. Nowadays, enamel dials are 2497 in 1953, but it sat unsold until 1970. Peter
reserved for special releases, due to their S. Knoll then bought the watch at auction in
costly and delicate nature which makes 1980 and engraved it “Peter S. Knoll, New York
City, 1980.”

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