💬 Al Capone’s pocket watch also found a buyer, though it went for less than half of what it did at auction four years ago
📍 New York — Vintage Patek Philippe watches from the mid-1950s to mid-1990s dominated the top lots in a recent Sotheby’s auction.
💎 The top lot was a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph Ref. 2499 in pink gold, made in 1957 and sold by Gobbi Milano. It’s one of only nine pink-gold second-series Ref. 2499s, and the only one with a retailer’s signature.
💰 A private collector paid $4.3 million, making it Sotheby’s most expensive wristwatch sale of the year (estimate: $3M–$5M).
🏆 Other top lots:
- A 1954 pink gold Ref. 2524/1 minute repeater by Gübelin: Sold for $1.6M
- A 1968 “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 with tropical dials: Sold for $914,400, setting a record for this reference
- A 2021 Patek Philippe Ref. 5531R-012 World Time “Rare Handcrafts”: $787,400
- A 1969 Rolex Daytona “Panda Paul Newman” Ref. 6263: $762,000
⌚️ Meanwhile, a Patek Philippe pocket watch once owned by Al Capone fetched $92,250—less than half the $229,900 it sold for in 2021.
🌟 The custom platinum case featured “AC” initials set with 90 single-cut diamonds (E–F color, VS clarity).
📈 The entire “Important Watches: Take a Minute” sale reached $20.4 million, the second-highest total ever for a Sotheby’s watch auction in NYC.
✅ 110 of 112 lots sold, marking a 98% sell-through rate, the best since 2012.
🎙 Geoff Hess, global head of Sotheby’s watches:
“These results speak to the emotional power of truly great watches… True connoisseurs are leading the way.”
🗓 Sotheby’s is currently hosting its “Fine Watches” sale online through June 17.