The 9.04 left Paris garre de Lyon at exactly 9.04. These Europeans really have this train thing down pat. Australia take note. You can transport lots of people over large and small distances affordable and on time. But I digress I missed the only watch and the Heuer at Phillips due to other commitme
The 9.04 left Paris garre de Lyon at exactly 9.04. These Europeans really have this train thing down pat. Australia take note. You can transport lots of people over large and small distances affordable and on time. But I digress
I missed the only watch and the Heuer at Phillips due to other commitments but arrived into GENEVA on Sunday morning to view the Christie’s and Phillips auctions as well as attend the Antiquorum auction
It was cold and wet in Geneva as the train arrived on time
I was Jonah looking for his white whale. On a mission. A mission from ... ok maybe taking the metaphor too far there
I had been collecting rectangular Pateks with the fabled 9-90 movements for many years now
I had prised a yellow gold model from a local collector who was adamant he never wanted to part with it, until he did
I had been offered a rare and strange platinum model by a dealer.
After much research including phoning Patek archives to get information about this strange model with no sub seconds I took the plunge and bought it.
And that is where it all stopped . I bought a few other 9-90 models but I could never find the third musketeer ie the ref 1593 in pink gold. When I say I could not find it , that is incorrect. I could not find one to my standard.
I had seen many ( maybe 10) over the years but each one had something wrong. The dial had been cleaned or the case was overpolished , the crystal was not faceted or I got gazumped at an auction or got incorrect information about one particular model with an extremely rare black dial. Every time I thought I had found my missing watch - my holy grail, something as not quite right .Hell , I had amassed a database of just about every pink model at auction or private sale over the last 10 years
So maybe here in Geneva this one which was up for sale was the one. I had seen good high def pics and it looked good. Hence the side trip from Paris. It was worth a three hour train ride and an overnight stay in Geneva to come to the auctions and put my hand up and hopefully take home the prize
Arriving at my hotel I was pleasantly surprised but the weather was shocking and don’t get me started on the coffee
My first stop was Christie’s. Both John and Sabine are lovely and helpful. I was able to view many pieces and my white whale was there. Perfect dial but polished case. What to do?
If the price was low it may be worth it but certainly not worth chasing
I found a lovely lunch place where I chanced the coffee again. Oh Melbourne, you spoil me so
I wanted to see a few pieces at Phillips before the auction started so I took an Uber when I arrived it was bucketing down but the outdoor auction room held watertight. I looked at many pieces and made some notes. Two in particular were lovely- thanks Virginie for the heads up
Both , I was the under bidder. Close but no cigar
What I found really interesting was over 50% of the dealer there were sporting some type of Rolex chrono either 6263/5 in stainless steel or gold and more than half had a Paul Newman dial. It as almost as if it was a uniform for anyone who wanted to be taken seriously
Back at the hotel I had a strange but wonderful meal of foie gras, chocolate , passion fruit and apricot. And a brioche. Surprisingly it all worked together
An early start the next morning with two lots of coffee. Found a great place that makes great Cortado and if they know what a cortado is ( magic to us melbournians) then they make a good coffee
The auction started on time. I had managed to preview my piece again. Thanks to Christie’s for their patience in dealing with an obsessive collector like myself . My lot was very early in the auction. I had decided that since the case was not as crisp as I would like I would not chase it . And I didn’t and I didi not catch it either
I have come to the conclusion that finding your perfect watch is like finding your perfect partner. You do not go out in search of that perfect one for you. The harder you look the more imperfections you find . Best to just fall in love, unexpectedly . And that is where I am going to leave my white whale. I am no longer going to search out my 1593 in pink gold. We will find each other. I know it will be when I am not looking. I know it will be at an imperfect time. I know it might not be convenient but when I see it I will know. No more scouring through catalogues and watch sites. No more hassling dealers
Patek Ref 1593 in pink gold with the perfect body and the perfect face ,let’s just bump into each other when the time is right for us to meet
As a positive,I met a lovely collector who consigned a family heirloom for the sale. The family is very happy. We plan to catch up again - hopefully soon
I said no watch pics but this one I think is allowable. If I could sell my whole collection,my house and car and get a very large loan from a very good friend I would do it in an heartbeat. This one is the watch to end all watches. Condition of the dial and case is quite amazing. Enjoy and keep on dreaming,,!
