Watches from Indie Watchmakers at Christie’s Important Watches Auction in Hong Kong – May 28th

While the large auction houses have their catalogues filled with vintage Patek’s, Vacheron’s and various Rolex sports models with spiderweb dials, leopard spotted dials and other variations of what is lovingly referred to as “patina”, Christie’s Important Watches auction in Hong Kong, will have a rather impressive listing of Indie’s (yes, we mean watches created by independent watchmakers).  

Finding a used pre-owned DB1 from DeBethune, (let alone two!!), or an UR-103 in 18K pink gold for sale, won’t be easy. These watches are RARE, very, very rare, and now that they are not in the current collections anymore they will only become more collectable. But you can find these pieces all in once place at the Christies Important Watches Auction in Hong Kong. Others include timepieces from Kari Voutilainen, Ludovic Ballouard, F.P. Journe, Laurent Ferrier, Maitres du Temps and even Greubel Forsey.

All these watches are hard to come by at the best of times. Even models which are still in their maker’s current collection are difficult to obtain because of waiting lists. So go the Christie’s website, register for this auction, make them an offer they can’t refuse, and surprise the homies of your watch collector’s club by showing them something super rare.

The other day we had an Upside Down watch from Ludovic Ballouard here, in the Monochrome headquarters, for a review (be patient, the review will come soon). Somehow that always triggers me to search for more, for anything about the brand, and that’s when I found one for sale at the Christie’s auction in Hong Kong. Going through the catalog was mind boggling, because I’ve never seen so many Indie watches on auction. Usually finding a used one for sale anywhere is rather unique.

Here’s number 11 of 12 of the Upside Down watch series by Ludovic Ballouard. This specific model was sold early 2010 (according to Ballouard, although Christie’s mention 2009) and is part of a limited edition in platinum. The dial is made in titanium, with a silvered coating. This was done, to keep the weight of small rotating disks with Arabic hour numerals, as light as possible. The lighter these disks are, the less force is needed to rotate them each hour, and the managed to keep the power reserve at 36 hours, when fully wound, on a single main spring.

The typical feature of Ballouard’s Upside Down watch is that the actual hour is indicated by the correct hour being right-side up, all other numbers are upside down. Minutes are indicated by a central hand, in heat blued steel, and subsidiary seconds are also indicated by a heat blued hand. The round case is 40 mm in diameter and comes with a black alligator strap and a platinum Ludovic Ballouard buckle.

The Upside Dwon watch from Ludovic Ballouard, with an estimate between $ 13,000  and $ 19,500 USD, is LOT 2260.

Many of the watch in this auction have been covered by us in the past. There are two Vingt-8 made by Kari Voutilainen (LOT 2259 and 2259),  a Galet Micro-Rotor from Laurent Ferrier (LOT 2261),  an URWERK UR-103 (LOT 2270) and a UR-201 (LOT2271), a Maitres du Temps Chapter Two (LOT 2489) and six watch from F.P. Journe (LOT 2248, 2263, 2264, 2265, 2266, 2267).

There are two watches made by Greubel Forsey: the Gruebel Forsey GMT (LOT 2284) and a Quadruple Tourbillon Asymetrique (LOT 2498). And there are three gorgeous timepieces from De Bethune: two times a very rare DB1 monopoussoir chronograph in 18K gold  (LOT 2278, 2480) and a DB3W (LOT 2279).

Here’s the link to tomorrow’s Christies Important Watches auction in Hong Kong (28 May 2014)

Now can any one lend me their credit card?