A Stainless-Steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 to Headline Phillips’ Decade One Auction This November

Summary

• Phillips will host its Decade One 10th Anniversary Auction in Geneva November 8 – 9, celebrating a decade of landmark watch sales
• Headlining the sale is the first stainless-steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518, joined by yellow gold and rare pink-on-pink variants

Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is set to celebrate a decade of unprecedented watch auctions with the Decade One (2015-2025) thematic auction. This landmark sale commemorates the department’s first ten years, which have been defined by remarkable watches, record-setting results and groundbreaking scholarship.

Headlining the sale is one of the most legendary and important wristwatches ever made: a stainless-steel Patek Philippe reference 1518. Introduced in 1941, the Ref. 1518 was the world’s first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch model, establishing a singular place in horological history by proving that mechanical ambition and elegant design could coexist. Of the estimated 281 pieces produced, the vast majority were encased in precious metals, making the four known examples in stainless steel the “unicorns of the collecting world.”

At the heart of the sale is the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 1518 in stainless steel, the very first example ever made and one of only four known. Estimated in excess of 8 million CHF (approx. $10 million USD), this watch is considered a grail among grails. When last offered by Phillips in 2016, it achieved 11 million CHF, setting a world record at the time as the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. Its reappearance is a landmark moment, offering collectors a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire one of the most important wristwatches in horological history.

The importance of the Patek Philippe section is further magnified by an unprecedented triptych of Ref. 1518s. Never before have examples in stainless steel, yellow gold and the ultra-rare “pink-on-pink” configuration appeared in the same auction. The “pink-on-pink” model, combining a pink-gold case with a salmon pink-toned dial, is one of approximately 15 known examples and stands among the rarest and most exclusive complicated Patek Philippe wristwatches ever made. Complementing these are a coveted first-series Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 2499 and 16 Patek Philippes from the renowned Ernst Schuster Collection.

Beyond Patek Philippe, the Decade One auction features exceptional rarities across the collecting spectrum. Highlights include a fresh-to-market “Rainbow” Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18059 made for the Sultanate of Oman, which features the red Khanjar emblem and a diamond-set Jubilee bracelet. Independent watchmaking is equally celebrated with pieces like the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance “Souscription, 2/20” – the second example produced in the original 2000 series – and the unique Naissance d’Une Montre 3 by Ferdinand Berthoud. Collectively, these timepieces position the Decade One auction as a definitive event honoring the artistry and history of horology.

The Decade One (2015-2025) auction will take place from November 8 – 9 at the Hôtel Président in Geneva. For more details regarding the individual lots, visit the dedicated webpage for the sale on Phillips’ official website.

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