Discover our Fine Watches at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris taking place on 2 February. Specialist Alexandre de Lamberterie gives us his insight on some exceptional lots coming up in the sale. Register to bid online, in person or on the Bonhams app.
Lot 241 Heuer Monaco
Launched in 1969, the Heuer Monaco was the first water-resistant square form chronograph, powered by the first automatic chronograph movement with micro-rotor, the Calibre 11. It was an incredible achievement in watchmaking at the time. Dedicated to motor racing, its name is taken from the Monaco Grand Prix— the most glamorous of races. A year later, it was chosen by Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans, and, for years and years after, it became the most iconic chronograph worn by gentlemen drivers.
Lot 258 Cartier Tank Basculante
Designed by Louis Cartier in 1916, the Tank is one of the most famous watches from the Cartier collection, and it has constantly evolved over the time. The Tank Basculante was born in 1932, just one year after a similar watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. At the time, Mr Jaeger and Mr LeCoultre had developed a watch with a case that rotates 180° to protect the dial. The success was immediate and Cartier, in turn, developed a watch with a similar complication—this was how the Tank Basculante was born. Nowadays, it is one of the most sought-after Tank watches.
Lot 280 Omega Speedmaster
The name of Omega will remain engraved in the history of watchmaking as the only brand to have been officially taken to the Moon in 1969 with its Speedmaster chronograph model. Before the moon landing, NASA had chosen this model in 1965 to meet the very demanding specifications of the Apollo missions. In 1970, during the Apollo 13 mission, this watch played a crucial role in saving the lives of the three astronauts on board, earning it the highest distinction: the Silver Snoopy Award. To celebrate its 45th anniversary, Omega has launched a Limited-Edition model in 2015 with a snoopy decorating the subsidiary dial at 9 and a 925 silver Snoopy medallion on the case back.
Lot 287 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms “No Radiation”
The Fifty Fathoms is one of the most famous timepieces from the watch manufacturing company Blancpain. Developed in 1953, this tool watch is considered to be the first dive watch for military use. As its name suggests, it is water-resistant to a depth of 50 fathoms (the fathom is an old unit of measurement corresponding to the span of the arms between each wrist, i.e., 1.82 metres). This watch is therefore water resistant to ’50 fathoms’, or 91.44 metres.
This year, Blancpain celebrates the 70th anniversary of this diver’s watch. The model offered in our sale has the particularity of adopting the ‘No Rad’ logo on its dial at 6 o’clock. This means that the model is free of radium, a radioactive material used for the luminescence of the indexes and hands by the watch industry until the early 1960s. Thanks to this logo, divers are reassured and can dive with complete peace of mind.
Lot 301 Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Daytona “Big Red”
The iconic Cosmograph Daytona model is Rolex’s only chronograph. Launched in 1963, it has developed a reputation over the years to become the most sought-after model by collectors.
Its name comes from the famous racetrack in Florida and, in the 1960s and 70s, the watch was worn by several of racing drivers before Paul Newman appeared on the cover of an Italian fashion magazine in 1973 with the Cosmograph Daytona on his wrist—skyrocketing the watch’s reputation. The watch was given to Newman by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, and engraved with “Drive Carefully Me”; he wore it for nearly 15 years and, in 2017, this watch sold at auction for nearly $17.8 million, a record for a watch.
This year, Rolex celebrates the 60th Anniversary of this legendary chronograph. The model offered is a “Big Red” model, which means ‘Daytona’ is written in red capital letters above the subsidiary dial at 6 o’clock. It also has its original certificate of guarantee, which is quite rare and represents an interest for collectors.
