Watches Led by Distinguished Makers and Iconic Designs

On Wednesday, October 25th at 10 am Eastern, Rago/Wright will present Watches, showcasing excellence in design from historic and luxurious makers. Particular standouts include two Patek Philippe ‘Nautilus’ gold wristwatches, Refs. 3700/1 and 3800/1, along with a gold watch that Patek created for Tiffany & Co., as well as a Rolex ‘Oyster Perpetual Turquoise’ stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 124300, and a Jaeger-LeCoultre ‘Reverso Duo’ gold wristwatch, Ref. 270.1.54. Among the other desirable watch brands featured in the auction are examples from Audemars Piguet, Zenith, Blancpain, Parmigiani Fleurier, Cartier, Franck Muller, Paul Picot, Omega, and Tag Heuer.

Another longstanding Swiss maker, Jaeger-LeCoultre, is represented with multiple watches in the auction, notably, two from the beloved Reverso line. The sale features both a ‘Reverso Duo’ gold wristwatch, Ref. 270.1.54 (est. $8,000-12,000) and a ‘Reverso Lady’ stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 260.8.08 (est. $2,000-3,000). As legend has it, the Reverso was originally conceived as the answer to a lofty question: could a watch be created to withstand the rigors of a polo match, in particular, played by British Army officers in India in the early 1930s? Jaeger-LeCoultre’s affirmative response came in the form of the Reverso, an Art Deco-style watch both elegant and sturdy, with a dial capable of being concealed by a reversible case. Over the years, the Reverso’s three signature gadroons on its face have given the design consistency, even while the watch has been embellished with jewels and other adornments, to produce an androgynous, glamorous, and robust overall impression.

Watches also has a selection of finely constructed and artfully rendered works by somewhat lesser-known but highly respected makers. Two notable examples are a Blancpain Anthony Quinn ‘Lady of Crete’ gold wristwatch (est. $6,000-8,000) and a Paul Picot ‘Firshire’ steel wristwatch, Ref. 4034 (est. $4,000-5,000). Other lots to consider are a Parmigiani Fleurier ‘Ionica’ 8 day power reserve white gold wristwatch, Ref. C 02060 (est. $4,000-6,000), a Franck Muller ‘Long Island Crazy Hours’ gold wristwatch, Ref. 1200 CH (est. $4,000-6,000), and a Chopard ‘Mille Miglia’ steel chronograph wristwatch, Ref. 8316 (est. $2,500-3,500).