Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is excited to welcome you to The Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023 online auction, running from 9:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, March 28, to 6:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, April 4. Featuring more than 100 different high-end luxury wristwatches, the sale covers everything from A. Lange & Söhne and Audemars Piguet to Sartory Billard and Zenith.
After a weeklong visit to Geneva earlier this month, the Phillips Watches auction calendar turns back to Hong Kong for our third online sale of the year: the Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023. This will be our final online auction of the season, following back-to-back white-label showcases at the F.P. Journe-thematic Le Concours de Complexité and the Geneva Sessions, Spring 2023, before we move on to our live sales in Geneva (May 13-14), Hong Kong, and New York (June 10-11).
The sale is packed with 107 total lots that range from seven of our favorite Speedmaster Limited Edition releases – ever – to an independent maker that only produces unique pieces that are somehow actually affordable, as well as a handful of dress-adjacent watches that even a sport-watch fanatic could enjoy.
There’s plenty to explore in the auction, which you can do so at your leisure right here, but why not hear about the top picks from the Phillips staffers that sourced, catalogued, and sweated over every watch and every detail?
Lot 8092: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day-Date 'Owl' Ref. 25594ST
Estimate: HKD $80,000 - 160,000
Yunyi Xu, Cataloguer, Hong Kong
Since its inception in 1972, the Royal Oak has revolutionized the concept of a luxury sport watch, remaining to this day one of the most recognizable designs from Audemars Piguet and designer Gérald Genta. The present ref. 25594ST is an eye-catching timepiece that is atypical of most Royal Oaks produced in recent years due to its more classic 36mm case diameter. The striking cream petite tapisserie dial contrasts nicely against the silver sub registers and moonphase indication, resembling the playful appearance of a snowy owl.
Lot 8094: Zenith × Bamford × Mr Porter El Primero Revival A384 'Edge of Space'
Estimate: HKD $32,000 - 64,000
Gertrude Wong, Co-Head of Sale, Specialist, Hong Kong
The Zenith "Edge of Space" is absolutely one of my favorite modern revivals of the ref. A384. It's not only faithful as a re-edition of the classic El Primero, but the ensemble that dreamed up this outstanding design is quite the line up: Zenith × Bamford × Mr. Porter. Everything about it speaks STYLE to me. Being a big fan of blue dialed timepieces, the "Edge of Space" is a hard watch to look away from. The rich solid blue color clashes against the black sub-dials in a way that might make it less legible from afar, but I adore the clever use of white accents and the bright blue chronograph hand, making it a breeze to read the time on the wrist. The coolness of the micro-blasted titanium case elevates the entire package with a superb modern look. And the finishing touch for me is the typeface that references the original vintage A384 – it's simply spot on. I would love to be one of the 50 owners of this limited-edition timepiece.
Lot 8003: Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph Ref. 5990A
Estimate: HKD $390,000 - 900,000
Zi Yong Ho, Co-Head of Sale, Specialist, Hong Kong
I am big fan of dual-time function watches and this Patek Philippe reference ticks the right box for me. I remember seeing it for the first time after it was launched in 2014, and I was immediately captivated by it. What I love the most is the dial layout, which is very well designed in my opinion, balancing the date and 60-minute counter as well as the dual time-zone indicator. The classic design of the Nautilus is made even more versatile with the combination of a chronograph and travel-time function. I find it such an impressive watch that it is hard to resist.
Lot 8019: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116519LN
Estimate: HKD $120,000 - 200,00
Yunyi Xu, Cataloguer, Hong Kong
For many, the appeal of the present Rolex Daytona ref. 116519LN might be its resemblance to the highly desirable stainless steel “Panda” Daytona, but what captivates me the most about it is the various shades of grey used on the dial and case and that play with and reflect the light in all sorts of ways. I have always enjoyed watches with a monochromatic sensibility, as I find the subtleness of detail in a grey dial to be the most enchanting. Released in 2017, the present model features a warm steel sunburst grey dial contrasted against black sub-dials and a shiny black Cerachrom bezel. Fitted in Rolex's comfortable – and patented – Oysterflex rubber strap, this Daytona is charming and unusually stealthy for a solid gold watch that happens to also be one of the world’s most sought-after chronographs.
Lot 8084: Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Ref. 14894BC
Estimate: HKD $40,000 - 80,000
Logan Baker, Senior Editorial Manager
Do you remember what you were doing in 1998? No? Neither do I. One thing I can tell you for sure, however, is that the world of watches was a far different place than it is today. For one thing, Audemars Piguet still created watches outside the Royal Oak and Code 11.59 collections – the latter of which was still two decades away from existence, of course – including pieces such as the lovely time-only 34mm Jules Audemars ref. 14894BC we have here. The blue dial is an unexpectedly modern choice for the 1990s, especially with its bold cobalt hue that mixes unexpectedly well with the delicate guilloché pattern that emanates from the watch's center, the slim leaf hands, and the beautiful Breguet numerals situated at each pole. I typically prefer my watches to be in the 38mm+ range, but I’d have to make an exception for the simple, round, and polished white gold case seen here. Although I’ve seen a number of different ‘90s time-only Jules Audemars pieces in my day, the most common variations seem to incorporate Roman numerals and small seconds rather than the two-handed, blue dial configuration seen here. And that's what makes me love it. The movement, tucked inside a closed caseback, is nothing to ignore, either. It's the manual-wind AP caliber 2080, based on the fantastic Frederic Piguet caliber 8.10. Frederic Piguet was at the very top of the ébauche game in the 1990s – Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, and Vacheron Constantin were all significant clients – and the caliber 8.10/2080, with its tiny two-millimeter thickness, is an excellent example why.
Lot 8017: Patek Phillipe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270G
Estimate: HKD $580,000 - 1,300,000
Yunyi Xu, Cataloguer, Hong Kong
The Patek Phillipe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5270G-001 is a timepiece with a substantial yet graceful presence. Introduced in 2011, it became the company's first perpetual calendar wristwatch fitted with a fully in-house movement. I am particularly attracted to the way the gunmetal grey hands and black oxidized gold hour markers contrast against the vertically brushed silver dial. The Arabic numerals used on the chronograph sub-dials and date display are also rather handsome. The present first-series example remains the most desirable of the three 5270 generations produced due to its highly legible dial and overall elegant composition.
You can learn more, place a bid, and view the entire Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023, catalog here.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
Recommended Reading
The Indie Insider: The Bespoke World Of Sartory Billard
The Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023: Seven Out-Of-This-World Omega Speedmaster Limited Editions