One of the highlights in the upcoming Important Watches auction, this sublime Richard Mille RM-07 Ladies’ Watch in 18K White Gold will be offered for an estimated $50,000-$100,000. Richard Mille is one of the most desired and groundbreaking modern watch brands. Their watches are iconoclastic in design, use manufacture movements and are very desirable.
Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona is something of a legend in the watch community. Newman’s iconic wristwatch singlehandedly saved an entire series of Daytona watches, before setting records itself when it sold. In a high-profile auction, the 1968 Oyster Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman wore over the decades sold for $17.5 million, setting the record for the highest price ever recorded for a wristwatch.
Not only is the original watch Newman wore highly valuable, but it has also raised the value of similar models of Daytona watches. As an example, a watch of the same reference number as Newman’s Daytona recently sold for $275,000 at auction.
Paul Newman, the famous American actor and philanthropist, starred in classic films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Color of Money, The Sting and Cool Hand Luke. Many people know him for his movies, but he also put his stamp on history as a professional race car driver and getting a collection of Rolexes to carry his namesake.
The Cartier Crash is one of the most iconic watches made by the legendary jeweler. The original Crash was made by Cartier craftsmen in the UK after seeing a colleague’s watch that was badly melted in a car accident. The resulting Crash reminded many of Salvador Dali’s surrealist watches in one of his most well known works, “The Persistance of Memory,” and a legend was born that is associated with the “Swinging London” of the 1960s.
The Important Watches collection is led by an exceedingly rare and fresh-to-market Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” Ref. 6239, known amongst watch enthusiasts as the most desirable and valuable vintage sport watches. It will be offered for an estimate of $150,000–$250,000 at auction. Famously worn by the actor and race car enthusiast, the watch has become just as legendary as the man who it is associated with.
We here at Fortuna Auction are excited to present a special interview with Greg Selch and Eric Wind, both established watch collectors who have grown very successful in their hunt for vintage watches of significance. We hope that all collectors, new or experienced, will find their tips and tricks in finding the perfect vintage timepiece particularly insightful.
NEW YORK, NY—Fortuna’s highly anticipated three-part winter auction series took place on December 6-7, 2018, achieving a total sale revenue of around $4 million USD. The auctions offered an exemplary collection of jewelry and watches from the most prestigious makers in their craft, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Rolex, and Omega.
Highlighting Fortuna’s first sale of the season, Session One: Magnificent Jewels, was an exquisite 3.05ct Fancy Intense Blue diamond ring. Naturally occurring blue diamonds are found in less than 0.02% of all diamonds mined and are one of the rarest gemstones in the world. This particular blue diamond ring was consigned by an important Asian collector, and exhibited a gorgeous and vibrant blue hue that is rarely seen, even among blue diamonds. After a round of tense bidding that had the auction floor buzzing with excitement, the ring achieved $1,395,000, selling to a phone bidder.
In addition to colored diamonds, Magnificent Jewels also featured an exquisite assortment of rare estate jewels and signed pieces spanning many historical style periods. Of the many jewelry highlights, a stunning Art Deco Cartier sapphire and diamond bracelet truly evoked the classic glamour that is characteristic of the Roaring Twenties era. The piece achieved $76,800 USD against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000-$90,000.
On September 27 Fortuna held its second Important Watches auction in New York City, in which the sell-through rate exceeded 95% with a total sale value of $889,729. More than 600 registered bidders from 43 countries competed for 66 lots. The sale was lead by a Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona reference 6239 that sold for $275,000 including premium. Fortuna has taken yet another strong step forward in establishing itself as a serious player in the high-end watch space.
“There was a lot of fierce bidding and excitement in the auction room. We sold 63 of the 66 lots offered, with many of the watches far exceeding their pre-sale estimates. Our consignors and buyers were very pleased with the results and the quality of watches offered, and we already have a flood of consignments coming in for our December sales.” said Seth Holehouse, President of Fortuna.
A fresh-to-market Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” reference 6239 achieved $275,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $150,000-$250,000.
The Swiss brand performed very well at auction, with all 24 Rolex watches selling. The Rolex lots in the sale brought a total of $584,164, surpassing the combined pre-sale high estimates of $510,300.
Among the top performing Rolex watches were a “Four-Line” Daytona reference 16520 which brought $43,750 against a pre-sale estimate of $18,000–$28,000, a “Double-Red” Sea-Dweller reference 1665 which brought $31,250 against a pre-sale estimate of $14,000–$20,000, and an Explorer II reference 1655 which brought $21,250 against a pre-sale estimate of $12,000–$18,000.
BY ROBERT-JAN BROER, FRATELLO WATCHES
Fortuna is auctioning a number of interesting watches during their ‘Important Watches’ sale on September 27th. We would like to give you our highlights of that auction, but feel free to browse their catalogue anyways, as they have quite an interesting line-up of watches. The ‘Important Watches’ auction consists of 66 lots, with a fair share of Rolex watches, of course. But you will also find other interesting pieces, like the Gérald Genta Octagon Chronograph for example, or a beautiful desk clock from Jaeger-LeCoultre (Marina).
We picked a couple of highlights of this auction, that may interest you as well. Without further ado, let’s have a look.
BY ELIZABETH DOERR, FORBES
New York-based Fortuna Auction house debuts a new department focused on watches. Founded in 2012 and building a strong reputation in jewelry over many years, it held its first watch-only auction earlier in 2018. With a strong emphasis on transparency, a commitment to protecting sellers from unfortunate (but common) unethical practices in the industry, and a dedication to superior service, Fortuna aims to change an age-old industry. Fortuna’s second auction is set to take place on September 27, 2018 with a few examples of prime secondary market watches led by the following shortlist – mainly comprising Rolex and Patek Philippe, the auction world’s current darlings.
Lot 65, a Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Reference 6239: this is a circa 1967 example of the perhaps the most famous Rolex style currently available on the vintage market: the “Paul Newman” Daytona. The “Paul Newman” predicate is today used to denote a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Oyster with the reference numbers 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, or 6265. Additionally, the references must have one of four dial color combinations: a “panda” dial with black background and white chronograph totalizer subdials; inverse panda with white background and black chronograph totalizers; inverse panda with cream-colored background and black chronograph totalizers; anthracite-colored background with white chronograph totalizers.
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BY LOGAN BAKER, WATCHTIME
Back in June, we introduced you to Fortuna Auction House, a new presence in the watch auction sphere that distinguishes itself through a straightforward pricing strategy and a hands-on, no-risk approach to buying and selling vintage timepieces. After a successful summer sale, the seven-year-old, New York-based company has returned for its sophomore watch auction with a very impressive selection.
The 66-lot sale that goes down on Thursday, September 27, features a wide range of watches from vintage Rolex Submariners to a fresh-to-market Paul Newman Daytona that has one of the cleanest dials we’ve ever seen. All in all, it’s another strong sale for Fortuna as the house continues to solidify its place in the watch auction world.
Just as in previous sales, Fortuna has published the starting bid on all of its lots, a move that offers a level of transparency rarely seen in auctions of any kind. This allows the inexperienced buyer the opportunity to feel out how much money they want to commit to the sale without being intimidated.
Without further ado, here are our 13 highlight watches from Fortuna “Important Watches – Sale 1026.”
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