On 27 November, in the splendid setting of Palazzo Crivelli, the historic home of Il Ponte Auction House, one of the most important watch auctions in Italy in 2013 was held in Milan. Il Ponte's Watch Department offered pieces from a number of prestigious Italian collections, presented in a richly illustrated catalogue. The number of lots sold amounted to 92%, while the total amount sold, including auction fees, reached the remarkable figure of €1,700,000. There were 167 lots in the catalogue, with the wrist as the protagonist: some vintage specimens delighted watch enthusiasts, such as one of the first examples of Vacheron Constantin for Bulgari with the very famous Tubogas bracelet, complete with its original case, which fetched €10,000 plus royalties, against an initial estimate of €3-4,000. During the course of the round, there was a succession of rare and important pieces, signed by names such as Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, De Bethune, A. Lange & Söhne, Breguet, Panerai, Rolex and Patek Philippe, all present with timepieces in practically mint condition. Many watches were produced in limited series, sometimes of very few pieces. An audience composed of both Italian and foreign buyers, merchants as well as private collectors, decreed the success of the sale: the first four top lots, all signed by Patek Philippe, reached important quotations, reported below. The catalogue is freely accessible online at: www.ponteonline.com. The price reported at the bottom of the card, after the evaluation of each piece, is the hammer price, to which it is necessary to add the 25% of auction fees.
Top lot:
Lot 479: Patek Philippe Célestial in white gold, ref. 5102. Valued at €75/85,000, sold at €116,250.
Lot 478: Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar in yellow gold, ref. 5020J. Valued at €50/60,000, sold at €100,000.
Lot 477: Patek Philippe chronograph, perpetual calendar and moon phases in pink gold, ref. 5970R. Valued at €40/45,000, sold at €82,500.
Lot 475: Patek Philippe white gold chronograph, ref. 5070. Valued at 28/32,000 euro, sold at 46,250 euro.
