The watch collecting world is a small community. Let me explain.
Earlier this week I went to visit Phillips watches in Geneva – like I do several times a year. I know by now to expect the extraordinary when I visit Phillips – and this visit delivered in that respect once again. Remember the last PAK watch I wrote about – the elusive Patek Reverso Ref 106? Perhaps the most sought after Reverso in the world? It was quietly placed in front of me by Aurel Bacs.
I could literally not believe my eyes.
There was the very watch that just 8 days earlier had featured as my Fourth PAK watch! It was even more beautiful than I imagined (the Antiquorum picture after all was not very clear). In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful watches ever made by Patek. I can now begin to understand why a collector decided to pay an incredible CHF 330’000 ten years ago for a time only watch. Rather than go through what makes this watch so unique again – read my last PAK column for this – let us just enjoy the pictures of this superb timepiece.
The black dial with the white gold case just gives the watch a striking appearance.
Notice the engraving of the back of the watch which was likely engraved at the time of purchase by the original owner.
The case is as we thought signed by E Gübelin – something very rare and certainly adds to the collectability of this watch.
Let us look at one last picture of the front again. Simply breathtakingly beautiful in my opinion.
The watch collecting community never fails to surprise me. Indeed what were the chances that this elusive watch I had just written about – gets placed right under my nose? In theory the probability was extremely small. Then again if anybody could do it – it was bound to be Phillips watches.
And they did.
For more details on this watch please see our PAK or Past Auction Killer column here.
(NB: The watch is owned by a private collector and is not for sale. Special thank you to Aurel Bacs who arranged for me to view this watch in person after writing about it).
