The Most Complicated Watch in the World

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

We have often mentioned in this group the enthusiasm generated by watches of very high complication.

The best wristwatches are much sophisticated masterpieces of miniaturization. Pocket watches, not limited by the size of the wrist, can do even better.

In 1989, Patek Philippe celebrates its one hundred fiftieth anniversary with the model Calibre 89, which had required several years of design and manufacturing. Under the wording used by them, it is the "most complicated watch in the world": two dials, 33 complications, 24 hands, 1728 components. All of this fits in a case of 89 mm in diameter and 41 mm thick and weighs 1100 grams.

The Calibre 89 was produced in only four copies, respectively in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum. The yellow gold watch is estimated at 4.5 MCHF by Antiquorum in Geneva on November 14. In 1989, Antiquorum had already sold this copy: $ 3.2 million, world record at the time for a watch. In 2004, the same auction house sold for $ 5 million (6.6 MCHF) the white gold watch.

Remind for comparison the exceptional auction result obtained by Sotheby's in 1999 for the pocket watch Supercomplication manufactured by Patek Philippe in 1933 for Henry Graves Jr., a unique copy famous in the history of watchmaking: $ 11 million.

References:
The press release shared by Antiquorum, showing this lot and the other important pieces of the next sale.
The article shared by JCKonline, where I found the two previous prices of the Calibre 89.
The specific page of the Wikipedia listing the functions of this fabulous model.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Antiquorum, which is a leader for watches at auction, control its market, which is not obvious when such top lots are involved. They sold the Calibre 89 exactly at its estimate, 4.5 MCHF, i.e. 5.1 MCHF including premium.