On The Auction Block: Two Exceptionally-Rare Watches at Antiquorum’s May 11th Geneva Auction
Auction season in New York is right around the corner, but until then we have to point out some fascinating finds we have seen in Geneva that will be up for sale soon. If you visit Antiquorum's website, you’ll see the highlights of their upcoming auctions put into a slideshow. As I was clicking through the pictures, I noticed two pieces that stood out to me, two pieces I have never seen or even heard of in my life. The first was the Rolex Monometer reference 6202. At first glance, the watch appeared to be your more relatively standard James Bond Sub or some early turn-o-graph. When I took a second look, and actually read the caption, I was shocked beyond belief (in a good way). This rarely seen version of the original no-crown guard submariner has only been bought, and sold, four times in the world’s auction history. The production date of this watch is said to be 1953 and the case size is 36 millimeters, a fairly large size for any watch of that era. The watch sits on an original jubilee bracelet, again normal for early Rolex sports watches. The estimate on this wristwatch is between 30,000CHF-50,000CHF (34,000USD-57,00USD). If it sells in this range, you’re definitely not getting a bad deal for something of this caliber.
The next watch I found enticing was the Omega Seamaster reference 2767-6 SC, a wristwatch for the more aesthetically-driven man. Why do I say this? This watch features a cloisonné enamel dial. It’s okay, you’re not going crazy. All what you are reading is correct. The movement and everything else in and on the watch couldn’t be more basic, the case is not even gold—it’s plated! The sole reason for anyone to pay a premium for this watch is due to the dial. I’m quite the Omega enthusiast and do have to admit that if I had the spare cash, I’d buy this in a second. The estimate for this piece is 25,000CHF-45,000CHF (28,500USD-51,500USD).
Luke Rottman (Editor: thewatchadviser.com)