We will certainly come back to the results of this auction, but I cannot resist to share with you my first impressions.
- First of all, I think we can say that it was a crazy night. A lot of people was attending the second session ( I couldn't be there for the afternoon session, sadly ), physically and through internet and the the phone, which generated some serious fights on some models.
- On 565 pieces, approximatively 220 were not sold, which was predictable.
- The Vintage went better than the moderns... We'll have to think about it and to try to explain why.
- The icons of the Manufacture reached some extraordinary levels. We can even say that some of them were awarded by world records!
- A lot of pieces went under the estimate,under the reserve price or just at the lower estimate.
It is logical when the pieces are in so so condition, it is a deception when they are in good condition and / or when they had a serious interest, which may be explained, in this last case, by the fact that the estimates were way too high, for them.
For those who didn't reach the reserve price, what will happen? You will have the answer at the end of this post...
BUT the prices weren't ridiculous, for the Vintage.
- We can say that we attended the birth of some stars, which reached some strong prices, even if they are not very well known, which leads me to think that more and more people has interest on Vintage JLC watches, and show some undisputable wisdom.
- The Heritage Gallery was here, and bidded on many pieces, but the fight was hard, and they didn't get all the watches, pocket watches and clocks they bidded on, by far.
Please note that ALL the prices I give are WITHOUT the buyer's premium, which means that you have to add 23 to 25 %!
I- The Vintage:
The brown chocolate dial of the E 855 ( Lot 411 ) I showed you ended at 2200 Euros ( estilmate: 3 / 5000 ).
The black E 855 ( Lot 387 ) went for 4 000 Euros ( estimate: 5 / 8000 ) when we saw that it could go much higher in perfect condition.
Why did the other black Memovox with its repainted dial do better, I can't tell you, this is a mystery to me...
The Memo Word Time Beau Brummel ( lot 397 ) has gone in a very nice house for 2500 Euros which corresponds to the low estimate.
The 2 Memovox Parkings went for 1800 ( lot 375 ) and 1400 Euros ( lot 378 ) when their estimate was 1500 / 2500.
Despite its small size ( 30 mm ) the Dolphin ( lot 337 ) has " done " a very nice 2200 Euros but the condition of this watch was excellent.
Same observation for the lot 339, which made an excellent price: 3200 Euros ( twice the upper estimate! ), even with its wrong hands. Jaeger Diving watch from the Seventies.
Honorable, also, the two Master Mariner Deep Sea ( 3400 Euros each ).
As we are on the Diving watches from JLC, the true stars were, without doubt, the Polaris and the Deep Sea Alarms.
Not yet the Polaris II, which went under the estimate ( 2700 Euros for the lot 335, 3200 Euros for the Red version, lot 336 ).
But the Polaris '65 ( lot 334 ) reached an excellent 20 000 Euros, beaten, which is a surprise, by the Polaris '68, much less rare, which made 23 000 Europs ( lot 338 ). The difference of condition, maybe?
The absolute winner is the Deep Sea Alarm Europe, which was sold for ... 38 000 Euros. A World Première, despite its condition. BUT a true rarity! ( Lot 330 ), while its sister, the american went for ... 33 000 Euros, which is just excellent ( lot 331 ).
The Chronographs made some excellent scores, even if lower than the estimate.
Lot 319: 12 000 Euros ( 12 / 15 000 ).
Lot 322: 12 000 Euros ( 13 / 18 000 ).
And one, a very nice 36 mm medical in stainless steel ( lot 321 ) did 6 000 Euros ( 5 / 8000 ).
The Chronometers knew som different fortunes.
The Cal 906 ( lot 363 and 364 ) went much above the estimate ( 3 / 5000 Euros ) with a hammer which fell at 2 000 and 1900 Euros.
Not bad for a not so known watch, though...
The deception was the lot 365, the very rare and interesting Master Mariner Chronometer, which did only 3600 Euros, while the reserve was at 4 000 Euros.
I still hope it will find a great home...
The condition of the dial, or the too optimistic estimate?
While the Geophysic with its poor dial went above the estimate with a hammer falling at 8500 Euros, the bidders fought hard on the yellow gold and rose gold versions, which ended at 20 000 Euros ( lot 366 ) and ... 31 000 Euros ( lot 369 ).
When the quality of the piece is at the rendez vous, there is no bad surprise with the outcome, indeed.
Congratulations to the Heritage Gallery for the Rose Gold Geophysic!
Another mystery is that the Geophysic Lot 367 went for 14 500 Euros.... With a repainted dial. Lucky seller.
The Geomatic didn't know the same success, but the condition was not here...Except the Tonneau which was auctionned at 5000 Euros ( low estimate, lot 372 ).
The Reversos went very well.
Better, they made some world record.
The Blue ( lot 71 ) is the new Champion, with a hammer price of ... 38 000 Euros.
While the other Blue ( lot 432 ) did a superb 32 000 Euros, the Chocolate ( lot 431 ) : 20 500 Euros, and the Red ( lot 430 ) 23 000 Euros.
A confirmation of their iconic status, without doubt...
Some stars were born, yesterday night...
Here, I would give a special mention to the SHOMs:
The SHOM Nr 13 ( lot 359 ) estimated at 10 / 15 000 Euros, went for... 12 000 Euros!
While the Marine Nationale did 15 000 Euros ( lot 360 ) :
The Military watches had some success, especially the Mark VII ( lot 348 ) hammered at 4000 Euros, and the Weems ( lot 354 ) which has gone for 6000 Euros!
While the 2 pocket watches went far from the lower estimate, at 600 Euros each... ( Lot 346 / 347 ).
2 marvels met a big success, I would even say phenomenal:
The lot 463, which is a platinum ultra thin pocket watch, Cal 145, went higher than the estimate, hammered at 20 000 Euros.
And a superb Perpetual Calendar Staybrite, lot 503, which has gone for ... 70 000 Euros.
Another iconic time piece from the Manufacture met a great success, the Atmos.
Especially the first ones, form the Thirties, as you can see wth the follwoing lots:
Lot 509: 18 000 Euros ( the one which was re edited last year )
Lot 510: 11 000 Euros.
Lot 511: 19 000 Euros.
Lot 517: 38 000 Euros ( World Record for this orange ambrolite Atmos! )
Lot 518: 21 000 Euros, which is one of my very favourite Art Deco Atmos:
II - The Moderns.
Here things were much more difficult....
I don't have the results from the Master Control Black dials and would be very interested to know how they did, but for the others, at the exception of the Atmos Newson ( lot 504 / 26 000 Euros! ), we cannot say that things did very well...
Most of them were under the lower estimate, sometimes in a dramatic way...
The Zep, lot 519, whose estimate was between 50 and 80 000 Euros, ended at 38 000.
The Master Grande Memovox in Rose Gold estimated between 15 000 and 20 000 Euros, was sold for 9000.
The only one which was not auctionned too low was the Grande Memovox in platinum, with a hammered price of 19 500 Euros.
An exception, the lot 530, a white gold Reverso with diamonds and lapis lazuli dial, and a Quartz movement, came for 11 000 Euros.
What to say about the MMR in Rose Gold, hammered at ... 48 000 Euros, or the Master 8 Days Perpoetual skeleton in the same metal, which ended at 29 500 Euros?
It is true that these pieces were discussed at the end of the auction, which ended late, and that after the vibrant fights on the iconic watches, it was not the best moment, but there is a lot to think about these results...
Which we will do later.
So, all in all, we can say that the results were logical: The iconic and interesting pieces went well, when in good condition.
Extremely well.
The so so pieces had the results they deserved.
With some deceptions, though, like, and I forgot it, another example, the Mystery I showed you, which is very rare and fine, or the Memovox E 855 brown scale dial, while the stainless steel blue scale dial did a superb 6500 Euros. Is it a problem of knowledge, of information about these important pieces, of communication?
Or the Master Mariner Chronometer, which should have deserved a better result, in my opinion, and which ended unsold as the reserve was not reached.
As for the Moderns, maybe it is time for JLC to think about this...
Such a nice watch as the Master Minute Repeater should have known a deeper affection if it wasn't developped in so many versions.
An exclusive watch has to be dsitributed and produced in an exclusive way...
The Tribute To Polaris and to Deep Sea Alarm are going very well, but they are one shot pieces, strictly limited.
Such nice pieces deserve some efforts in the communication, too.
There is still a lot to do, but the Grande Maison is on the good way, the recognition is here, through these results.
An evidence? One of the bidders was someone who had a very original idea: To create an investment funds company, focusing in watches.
Before, he bought Patek, Vacheron, and Rollex watches... Now, he starts to pay a serious interest in JLCs.
To be followed, of course.
Best,
Nicolas.
PS: Here you will find all the results:
This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-12-01 06:26:35 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-12-01 06:37:36 This message has been edited by amanico on 2011-12-01 06:39:11