9 favourites from Bukowskis Important Timepieces on 25 October

Text/Photo: Aleksandar Mladenovic

On 25/10 starting at 19:00 the autumn's Important Timepieces will be hammered at Bukowskis. The autumn catalogue offers quite a few interesting watches and we have chosen to focus a little extra on a couple of really interesting watches that you rarely get to see at our latitudes. We have picked out 9 favourites from the auction in collaboration with Bukowskis.

The viewing runs between the 20th and the 24th of October at Bukowskis at Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm and in total the catalogue contains 118 items.

Auction number 3 – Vacheron Constantin ref. 4178

For those who followed the spring auction at Bukowskis you will surely recognise the reference on this Vacheron Constantin chronograph from the 50s. This time we have yet another reference 4178 with teardrop-shaped lugs in the catalogue but in a different execution. Auction number 3 comes with a case in yellow gold with charming patina.

The reference was launched in 1938 and was in production until 1964 and is one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic, chronograph that Vacheron Constantin has made. One of the world's most coveted chronographs will be hammered at Bukowskis on 25 October.

The estimate is 140 – 160,000 kr and you can read more about the item here.

Auction number 5 – Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpétuel ref. 25548BA

Auction number 5 is a watch that over the past year has really grown in popularity, which has shown above all in the prices. About 2-3 years ago you could scoop up a perpetual calendar from Audemars Piguet in precious metal for as little as 60 – 70,000kr. As interest in so-called ”neo-vintage” (watches from the 80s-90s) has grown, more and more people have set their eyes on slightly forgotten watches from fine manufacturers such as Audemars Piguet.

This item is only one of 2,066 watches that were made by Audemars Piguet between 1984 and 1991 in this execution. The reference is a further developed version of the first automatic perpetual calendar that Audemars Piguet launched in 1978. The movemement is based on Jaeger-LeCoultre's legendary calibre 920 which ticks in models such as the Royal Oak and Nautilus.

A complicated and thin watch from a venerable manufacturer in a classic size (36mm) and in precious metal, we at Eqotime give it two thumbs up.

The estimate is 120 – 140,000 kronor and you can read more about the item here.

Auction number 6 – IWC Ingenieur 500,000 A/m ref. IW3508-02

IWC's Ingenieur is in vogue not least thanks to its relaunch this spring during Watches & Wonders. Among the most popular references is of course the ”Jumbon” which was designed by Gérald Genta, but these later Ingenieurs from the 90s have also had a boost in populairity among enthusiasts and collectors.

The reference IW3508 measures in at a relatively modest 34mm, but as with many other watches with this design it feels a little larger on the wrist. The watch was developed to be able to withstand strong magnetic fields, which the text ”500,000 A/m” on the dial and the side of the case hints at. IWC thus developed a watch that could withstand 500,000 ampere per metre, which converts to roughly 6,000 gauss (compare with e.g. the Rolex Milgauss which handles 1,000 gauss). An impressive technical feat at the time.

All in all it is in our eyes one of the better looking Ingeniuers that IWC has made and the item has an estimate of 50 – 70,000 kronor and you will find more info about the watch here.

Auction number 9 – Cartier Santos Carrée ”Khanjar” ref. 2961

As something of a Cartier nerd myself and specifically very nerdy when it comes to Cartier's sports watch Santos Carrée from the end of the 70s, I was pleasantly surprised when the catalogue was presented and a very unusual Santos was in it.

During the 6-7 years as a really hardened Santos nerd I have not seen many watches with a so-called ”logo dial”. What makes this item special is thus the red dagger on the dial, a so-called ”Khanjar”. The watch was a special order by Sultan Qaboos bin Said who was sultan of Oman and watches that were specially ordered by the royal family most often had a ”Khanjar” on either dials or casebacks.

Cartier has confirmed that the watch was ordered in 1993 and it will be very exciting to follow this item at the auction. The estimate is set at 70 – 90,000 kronor and you can read more about the item here.

Auction number 32 – Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 3970EJ

That Patek Philippe has made some of the world's most sought-after and beautiful watches is no news to most of our readers. We at Eqotime think the reference 3970 belongs to this group. The model was the successor to the legendary reference 2499 which was the first series-produced perpetual calendar with chronograph.

Reference 3970 was introduced at the end of the 80s and was in production for almost two decades. A very well-balanced and tasteful watch with its 36mm, driven by an equally beautiful movement that can be viewed through the caseback. The potential buyer can also delight in the fact that the watch comes with both box and certificate as well as manuals and the like (including the closed caseback that you can choose to install if you drift off too much into the beautiful movement).

The estimate for the watch is 1,100 – 1,300,000 kronor and you will find more information here.

Auction number 44 – A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time ref. 145.032

When A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Zeitwerk model in 2009 there were many who raised their eyebrows at the impressive novelty. Simply explained it is a digital watch in mechanical execution where hours are read off to the left and minutes to the right in the ”windows”. The watch was inspired by another historic ”digital clock” in Dresden's opera house.

In 2011 the Zeitwerk Striking Time was introduced in white gold and platinum and in 2014 in rose gold, exactly like the item that goes under the hammer at Bukowskis. What separates this model from the regular Zeitwerk is that the Striking Time is equipped with two so-called hammers on the dial where the left one chimes at every hour and the right one at every quarter.

It is a very special watch that has a very beautiful movement that can be viewed through the caseback and that really lives up to the high status A. Lange & Söhne has within the watch industry.

As there is only one example for sale in the world (as far as we have managed to search our way to at least) it will be exciting to follow it during the auction.

The estimate is set at 900,000 – 1,200,000 kronor and more information you will find here.

Auction number 60 – Breguet Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon ref. 3657PT

Breguet is well known for its beautiful watches in classic execution and this Grande Complication with Tourbillon in platinum is a watch that really made us sit up.

The dial, which is made in gold, is decorated with several different sorts of guilloche, one of Breguet's hallmarks. Besides the tourbillon above 6 o'clock on the dial, the power reserve is shown at 9 o'clock and at 3 o'clock we have a 24-hour display with a so-called retrograde.

The back too is beautifully decorated with a hand-engraved mainplate. An exquisite and complicated watch that had a self-evident place on the list of our 9 favourites.

The watch has an estimate of 400 – 500,000 kronor and you can read more here.

Auction number 70 – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 6023BA

There is always something that tickles a little extra about a Royal Oak in precious metal. Unlike the original in steel and in the size 39mm, here we have a somewhat smaller version in a 36mm and with a battery-driven movement instead of an automatic one.

Even though the movement is battery-driven and the size smaller than the 39mm large ”Jumbon”, we think this is a lot of Royal Oak for the money in a size that suits most wrists better than the 39mm version.

The estimate is set at 200 – 250,000 kronor and more information about the item you will find here.

Auction number 85 – Urban Jürgensen Reference 2 Perpetual Calendar

Last autumn Bukowskis auctioned off a couple of interesting watches from Urban Jürgensen that went strong and in this autumn's auction we have yet another delicious watch from the Danish watchmaker that is to go under the hammer.

The watch is a perpetual calendar and has a 38mm case in platinum. The guilloched dial has been finished by hand and has a beautiful symmetry.

Bukowskis states that only 175 of the Reference 2 have been made, of which the majority in gold (122 pieces) and only about 50 pieces have been made in platinum.

The watch has an estimate of 700 – 900,000 kronor and more info you will find here.

We at Eqotime look forward with excitement to the auction which offers quite a few interesting items beyond our 9 favourites.

The preview of the items starts at Bukowskis on the 20th of October and runs until the 24th of October. More information about opening hours you will find here.

For those of you who are going to bid at the auction on the 25th of October starting at 19:00 we wish you good luck and we thank Bukowskis for a pleasant collaboration and a good job with the catalogue.