Antiquorum’s summer sale of “ Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Pocket Watch & Clocks” on June 11th promises to be an exciting auction as it will include timepieces from twentieth century icons President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Steve McQueen in addition to an exceptional selection of wristwatches from every major brand. The auction will be held at Antiquorum’s US headquarters on Madison Avenue. Clients will have the opportunity to view these exquisite, and in some cases unique, timepieces all over the world including Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York.
The 14K gold Movado watch retailed by Tiffany and Co. that was given to President Roosevelt on the occasion of his 63rd and last birthday by his son-in-law, Col. John Boettiger on January 30, 1945 will most certainly be of interest to FDR fans and Movado aficionados alike. This timepiece is a unique and historically important Movado Ref. 44776 with triple date calendar, produced in 1944 accompanied by correspondence authenticating FDR’s memorabilia.
President Roosevelt, known as FDR, was the celebrated 32nd President of the US and the only President in US history to serve four terms (1933-1945). Recognized as one of the greatest American Presidents of all time, his Presidency spanned the Depression of the 1930’s and World War II. The watch was worn by FDR during the last two months of his life, including perhaps to the Yalta Conference in February, 1945 and he may have been wearing this watch when he died on April 12, 1945 at Warm Springs, Georgia. In 2008, the Movado-Tiffany watch was part of a Presidential display for the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors timepiece collection. Antiquorum experts estimate this fine and historically important timepiece at $ 50,000 – $ 60,000.
Of interest for the Frank Sinatra fan is the legendary crooner’s Gruen watch and gold chain necklace. This timepiece is a fine and very thin14K pink gold wristwatch with a pink gold-plated brick link bracelet and is accompanied by a 49 cm gold-plated necklace with 12 letter-links spelling “Frank Sinatra.”
The watch was sold by the estate of Al Silvani who received it as a gift from Frank Sinatra, his close personal friend. Silvani spent a lot of time with Sinatra’s Rat Pack and appeared in a number of his movies.Estimate: $ 10,000 – $ 15,000
Antiquorum is also delighted to offer fellow Rat Packer’s, Sammy Davis Jr.’s Cartier Pasha in the June sale. It was given to him by his best friend Frank Sinatra in the late 1980’s, and is inscribed, “Sammy I Luv Ya F.A.S.” The Cartier, “Pasha Quartz – Two-Time-Zone,” Ref. 0321 will be offered along with a 1990 People magazine celebrating the life of Sammy Davis and featuring him on the cover wearing the watch and a scrap book of Sammy Davis related news clippings from 1970 to 1973. The timepiece is a fine and rare, two-time-zone, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold quartz wristwatch with moon phases, day and date, produced in 1987. Estimate: $10,000 – $ 20,000
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Fans of the legendary actor, Steve McQueen and race car enthusiasts will also be very interested in the upcoming June sale as it will include the iconic Heuer “Monaco” wristwatch previously owned by Steve McQueen and worn by him during the filming of the 1971 movie “Le Mans”. Steve presented the watch to his financial advisor upon his return home from filming in appreciation for financially restructuring both himself personally and his company, Solar Productions Inc. The Monaco watch was originally launched by Heuer in 1969 in honor of the Monaco Grand Prix. The watch is a fine and unusual, square convex, water-resistant, stainless steel self-winding wristwatch with chronograph and date. Antiquorum Experts have placed a pre-sale estimate of $ 10,000 – $ 20,000.
In addition, Antiquorum experts will also be offering Steve McQueen’s Rolex, Ref. 5512 Submariner produced in 1967. The timepiece is a fine, center seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel diver’s wristwatch.
The watch was given by Steve McQueen to his good friend Jimmy Brucker in early 1980, to whom he also subsequently willed his airplane hangar at the Santa Paula Airport where he had stored his airplane, bikes and an extensive memorabilia collection. Most of the other items that had been given to Brucker have been auctioned, so this lot remains one of the few items that Jimmy Brucker received from Steve McQueen and kept. Estimate: $ 10,000 – $ 20,000
Also for the McQueen fan and motorcycle enthusiast, Antiquorum will be offering the ex-Steve McQueen, Von Dutch1929 Scott 596cc Super Squirrel Engine no. Y2373A. Produced by the Scott Motorcycle Company, the present motorcycle is not only a fine example of one of the most technologically advanced machines of its day, but it was restored, painted and pin striped in the 1970s by the legendary Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard. The bike features the infamous Von Dutch ‘flying eyeball’ logo affixed in cloisonné to the toolbox, while the Scott logos are all hand-painted and finished in gold leaf. A unique feature of the bike is that Von Dutch mistakenly lettered the date on the front number plate ‘1926’ instead of the correct ‘1929.’ Having recognized the historical and artistic significance of this motorcycle, prior to his death, Steve McQueen gifted the bike back to Von Dutch so that he may personally own his masterpiece. Following its sale by Von Dutch to a collector in California, the bike came full circle when it was purchased (and now consigned for sale in the present auction) by Tonny Sorensen, owner of the Von Dutch clothing company. Until recently the bike was on display at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as part of the “MotStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles” exhibit.
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Estimate: $80,000 – $120,000
For the Patek collector, there is the Patek Philippe Ref. 1436, produced in 1940 and sold on August 8th, 1941. It is an extremely fine and rare, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with square button, co-axial split-seconds chronograph, 30-minute register and tachometer.
Estimate: $ 180,000 -240,000
Another exceptional Patek offered is the Patek Philippe Ref. 3970EJ retailed by Tiffany & Co, produced circa 1995. It is a very fine and important, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, register, perpetual calendar, moon phases, leap year and 24-hour indication.
Estimate: $ 80,000 – $ 100,000
Also of interest for the Lange fan is the A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte I/SA., Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite,”, No. 78/150, Ref. 701.001, produced in a limited edition of 150 pieces in 1996. It is an extremely fine and very rare, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator and 36-hour power reserve.
Estimate: $100,000 -150,000.
For the Ulysse Nardin collector, there is a Ulysse Nardin, Le Locle, Suisse, “Répétition Minutes, Jaquemart Forgerons,” No. 1, Ref. 736-61, produced in 2006, sold on June 18, 2007. It is a very fine and rare, minute-repeating, water-resistant, 18K pink gold wristwatch with 3 automatons. Estimate: $ 90,000 – $ 120,000
Auction: June 11, 2009
First Session: 11 am
Second Session: 2pm
Antiquorum Auctioneers
The New York TimeZone
595 Madison Avenue, 5th fl.
New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: +1 212 750 1103
Preview Schedule:
Tokyo:
Antiquorum Tokyo
Aspa Nihonbashi, 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Hongoku-cho,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0021, JAPAN
TEL: +81-3-3516-2357
Thursday, May 28: 3pm – 7pm
Friday, May 29: 11 am – 7 pm
Hong Kong:
Antiquorum Auctioneers (HK) ltd.
Suite 1405, 9 Queen’s Rd. Central,
Hong Kong, China
Tel: + 852 2522 4168
Sunday, May 31: 11 am – 7pm
Bangkok:
Tuesday, June 2 & Wednesday, June 3: 11am -7pm
CP All Public Company Limited Building
119 TaraSathorn Building, 20/F
Soi Sathorn 5, Sathorn Road
Thungmahamek District
Bangkok, Thailand 10120
Tel: + 852 2522 4168
Los Angeles:
Hours Minutes Seconds
The Beverly Hilton
9876 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA
Tel: +1 310 274 4710
Friday, June 5
11 am – 7pm
New York:
Antiquorum Auctioneers
The New York TimeZone
595 Madison Avenue, 5th fl.
New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: +1 212 750 1103
Sunday, June 7: 2 pm – 7pm
Monday, June 8: 10 am – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, June 9: 10 am – 6: 30 pm
Wednesday, June 10: 10 am – 6:30 pm
Thursday, June 11: from 9 am
Next Antiquorum Auction – 2009:
Hong-Kong: Saturday, June 27
www.antiquorum.com
