International auction house Phillips will be hosting The Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE on 28 November at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. But before that these 3 superlative, highly desirable, investment grade timepieces: Lot 944 Patek Philippe. Ref. 5073P-001, Lot 915 Audemars Piguet. Ref. 26381OR and Lot 832 A. Lange & Söhne. Ref. 824.035 up for auction by Philips Watches will be on display at the Mandarin Oriental from the 23rd till the 27th of November.

3 Desirable Watches Up for Bids at Phillips Watches Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE on 28 November

The Rolex Ref. 5100 was made in a limited 1000 piece run and it was also the first Rolex to be equipped with a sapphire glass and quick-set date.

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE is highly anticipated and among them, a rather rare Rolex Ref. 5100 Beta 21(Lot 902), considered a Holy Grail for Rolex aficionados – the Beta-21 stands for a period of innovation and experimentation in Swiss watch history where the Ref. 5100 was made in a limited 1000 piece run and it was also the first Rolex to be equipped with a sapphire glass and quick-set date. As the precursor to Rolex’s own in house Oysterquartz watches, the vintage Rolex Beta 21 has a special place amongst collectors; Also up for bids is a Philippe Dufour Simplicity (Lot 942) and an Audemars Piguet Ref. 5402 ST Royal Oak ‘A Series’ (Lot 842), these might not be the most expensive timepieces up for auction but they’re certainly among the most horologically significant. Here are our top 3 desired picks up for auction at the upcoming November 28 Philips Hong Kong Watch Auction.

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Lot 944 Patek Philippe. Ref. 5073P-001. Estimate: $400,000 – $700,000

Launched in 2011, Patek Philippe. Ref. 5073P-001 is among Patek Phllippe’s most lavish creations to date. Fitted with baguette diamonds to the bezel and lugs, the model’s diamond weight adds up to an impressive 5.288 carats, giving it an unmistakable presence on the wrist.

Auction Lot 944 Patek Philippe. Ref. 5073P-001 is exceedingly rare and this is the third to appear for auction to date

The Reference 5073 was only available to Patek Philippe’s most exclusive clients and produced upon special request. It was incredibly time consuming for the firm to find such well-matched diamonds, and setting the baguette stones was extremely laborious. As a result very few examples were manufactured, making this reference exceedingly rare, as confirmed by the fact that the present watch is only the third reference 5073 to ever appear on the auction market thus far.

Fitted with a perpetual calendar complication, Phillips Hong Kong auction Lot 944 Patek Philippe. Ref. 5073P also has a minute repeating mechanism which chimes with great clarity and tone. Of note are the particularly long cathedral gongs, which are almost twice as long as conventional gongs. These ensure that watch has a deeper tone with longer resonance. This is particularly noteworthy as the present watch is cased in platinum, which can cause the watch to chime less brightly than their gold counterparts, due to the density of the metal.

This watch is furthermore accompanied by its original certificate and portfolio photograph and Extract from the Archives. It is interesting to note that the sale date on the Extract does not match the date on the Certificate. This because Patek Philippe archives record, for watches sent to the USA, the date the watch is sold to their American distributor – the Henry Stern Agency – while of course the Certificate mentions the sale date to the final client.

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Lot 915 Audemars Piguet. Ref. 26381OR. Estimate: $150,000 – $300,000

The Lot 915 diamond-set Audemars Piguet. Ref. 26381OR Millenary marries its bold aesthetic with the diamonds off-set by the pink gold of the case and the onyx highlights. With a carat count of approximately 11 carats, the Ref. 26381OR Millenary is both a jewellery piece and mechanical marvel, with skeletonized tourbillon movement. In excellent condition, the watch comes complete with box and papers and is impressive to behold. Coincidentally, Audemars Piguet is launching a new series of Millenary timepieces for SIHH 2018, a gentle uptick in awareness and desirability for the auction piece usually ensues with the renewed interest.

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Lot 832 A. Lange & Söhne. Ref. 824.035. Estimate – $75,000 – $100,000

The Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Lot 832 A. Lange & Söhne. Ref. 824.035 is an outstandingly rare and attractive variation of what can arguably be considered the most sophisticated chronograph wristwatch ever designed: the Lange double split. The hefty platinum case – now discontinued – is furthermore lavishly fitted with 48 baguette-cut Top Wesselton VVS diamonds for a total of 5.2 carats. The icy beauty of the white metal and the brilliance of the diamonds create a perfect contrast with the black dial, for a breathtaking aesthetic effect. The technical side of this piece is no less momentous than its aesthetic impact.

Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Lot 832 A. Lange & Söhne. Ref. 824.035 in now discontinued platinum case.

When the Double Split was presented to the public in 2004, it was hailed with unbridled acclaim by industry experts, serious collectors, and simple enthusiasts alike. Hardly ever has a new model been so positively received, and such a response was indisputably more than deserved.

Split seconds chronographs are used to time two events happening simultaneously. As a matter of fact, the split second complication (or “rattrappante”) is one of the most daunting complications in watchmaking, comparable to the minute repeater. The mechanical complexity of having the second hand re-set properly and precisely on top of the running first one when released presents enormous technical challenges. In the case of the Double Split, however, Lange pushed the boundaries of portable watchmaking even further, and added a split minute counter as well. This overcomes one of the great limitations of the “classic” rattrappante: the fact that the two events being timed could not have a difference in length superior to one minute. The Double Split allows to record separate times with a difference of up to 30 minutes instead.

The inspiration for this movement comes from an historical Lange watch, a pocket timepiece dating to the end of the 19th century; The result of such an effort is what is considered by many the ultimate chronograph movement, not only for its technical complexity, but also for the flawless finishing and sheer aesthetic beauty.