Welcome to our series highlighting the exceptional watches available through PERPETUAL, Phillips’ boutique service offering immediate access to the world’s rarest and most desirable timepieces. You can view all currently available watches by stopping in at our London headquarters at 30 Berkeley Square, or by visiting Phillips PERPETUAL online. Our new "Buy Now" button makes acquiring the watch of your dreams easier than ever.
Phillips PERPETUAL officially opened its third in-person boutique to the public in Hong Kong earlier this year. The exclusive space is located on the fifth floor of The Pedder Arcade, a retail concept in the city’s Central district. The Pedder Arcade is a heritage building that has remained one of Hong Kong’s most iconic retail spaces since the 1920s.
Phillips Perpetual offers a boutique experience to clients for both the selling and buying of watches, open all year long. A new selection of fine watches is available for private sale, encompassing important timepieces from established and independent brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, F.P. Journe, and De Bethune.
If you find yourself in Hong Kong this summer, you can visit the Phillips PERPETUAL team on the fifth floor of 12 Pedder St, inside suite 503. However, if your summer plans don't take you to East Asia this year, we're highlighting two of your favorite watches currently available from PERPETUAL Hong Kong in this article.
If you're interested in inquiring about either of the highlighted watches below, please contact our dedicated Hong Kong Perpetual Team at JonathanSiu@phillips.com or PerpetualHK@phillips.com.
A 1994 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jubilee' Ref. 14802BA in 18k Yellow Gold
AP has a thing for anniversaries.
On the 20th anniversary of what was slowly but surely becoming the most iconic wristwatch design to ever bear the Audemars Piguet name, the brand brought this to market – the ref. 14802 Royal Oak Jubilee. In a limited edition run of 1,000 total watches, AP presented the first reference number change to the primary Royal Oak in their catalog. Of course, the original ref. 5402 is split up by series into A, B, C, and D but it was not until the Jubilee in 1992 that the full reference number was changed.
The Jubilee series is all contained under the ref. 14802 yet the 1,000 watches were made in a variety of case metals and dial colors. There were 700 in steel (with blue or pink tapisserie dial), 280 in yellow gold (with grey, gilt, white, or ivory tapisserie dials), and 20 in platinum (with dark blue or Tuscany blue tapisserie dials, the former with diamond indexes).
It is believed that Jubilee Royal Oaks were available for purchase all the way up to 2000 – it was a different time, these watches often sat in showcases, waiting for a buyer to walk through the door.
For the first time, the Royal Oak featured a sapphire crystal caseback, and for good reason. Each watch is fitted with a uniquely skeletonized 21k yellow-gold oscillating rotor stamped with "ROYAL OAK," "JUBILEE," and the limited edition number out of 1000. Of course, this very special rotor is fitted to the iconic Audemars Piguet caliber 2121, the same movement found in all Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-Thins.
Notable small details with the Jubilee include the dial layout with an "AP" logo taking the place of the 12 o'clock hour marker just as is the case with some earlier 5402 examples – the modern "Jumbo" features an "AP" above six o'clock. Furthermore, the font mirrors the more contemporary AP branding with serifs. These little distinguishing features make the 14802 a real if-you-know-you-know choice in the cluttered crowd of Royal Oaks.
Ref. 14802 examples are seen with both the old style non-serifed, all caps font on the dial as well as the more contemporary serifed "Audemars Piguet." Both dial variants are believed to be correct for the reference. This mix of styles is also seen in the mid-sized Royal Oak of this period, the reference 14790, with a well-documented switch in fonts occurring in early 1993.
The present 18k yellow gold example is accompanied by Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin, product literature, numbered hang tag, numbered “Jubilee” presentation box, and outer packaging. It's availble for immediate purchase for HKD $900,000.
A Circa 2018 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 11659912SA in 18k White Gold
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona first appeared on the market in the 1960s and have since become arguably one of the most iconic timepieces in the world. Traditionally manufactured in stainless steel, the Daytona was also available in gold cases as well as rare examples with gem-setting from the 1980s. However, serially produced examples truly appeared on the scene when Rolex launched the Zenith El Primero based caliber ref. 16500 series.
Gem setting has always been a major part of the production of Rolex timepieces, providing an extravagant option to cater towards the diversified trend of the late 20th century. Furthermore, gem setting is more than just a form of accessorizing a timepiece, but the talented artistry and craftsmanship behind each individual hand-set bedazzled timepieces. With each gemstone requiring specific techniques and methods to execute cutting, polishing and setting, these natural gemstones all have an alternating natural compound giving each gemstone a varying hardness.
Precious stones then gradually made their way into the collections of several high-end brands as the demand for more lavish styles increased, but for Rolex the change did not happen overnight. Unlike Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, Rolex did not introduce a brand new luxury sports watch that would redefine the brand’s positioning in one fell swoop. Instead, it took sports watches from its current collection - starting with the Submariner - and began slowly with a two-tone model featuring a few precious stones on the dial. The more difficult exercise of placing stones on a professional watch's case and/bracelet would come next.
While production of gold examples remained extremely low, precious metal GMTs, Submariners and Daytonas became available during the 1960s and 1970s, and while they were not particularly successful, commercially speaking, they introduced the idea of a potential crossover between the brand’s professional line, which had become synonymous with an adventurous, outdoors lifestyle, and its elegant dress watch collections.
Today the manufacture employs approximately 20 in-house gem-setters, and uses only the very best stones available, by selecting stones of (IF) Internally Flawless quality. But these watches remained largely peripheral pieces in Rolex's catalogues.
Their rarity is one of several reasons why they have enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence away from the public’s eye, until recently.
The present reference 11659912SA dates to circa 2018 and features a gorgeous dial adorned with pavé-set diamonds and is further enriched with blue enamel Roman numerals. All diamonds on the dial are carefully sculpted and aligned, adding an individual character to each watch. The shimmering bezel is lavishly adorned with 48 baguette-cut diamonds and 12 sapphires.
The lugs are enriched with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds balancing the case. The diamonds weigh approximately 4.30 carats in total. The present watch, offered in excellent overall condition, is extremely eye-catching. It's accompanied by its Rolex guarantee, hang tags, green card holder, outer packaging, and presentation box, and it's available for immediate purchase from Hong Kong PERPETUAL for HKD $1,000,000.
You can view all of our currently in-stock watches online at Phillips PERPETUAL.
Phillips PERPETUAL offers a boutique experience to clients for both the sale and purchase of fine and rare watches, in London’s Berkeley Square, Hong Kong’s Pedder Arcade, and the Gstaad Palace, in Switzerland.
Visit Phillips PERPETUAL /
30 Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom, W1J 6EX (map)
Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 17:30 PM
Contact & Consignment Enquiries /
00 44 207 901 7916
perpetual@phillips.com
@phillipsperpetual