Auctions Oddballs Impress At John Laws CBE Collection Timepieces Auction In Sydney

Getting into the top lots first, and to no one’s surprise, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700 in yellow gold attracted the highest price of the night, with bidding finishing at A$209,100 against an estimate of A$150,000 to A$250,000.

A recent comparison could be another blue dial example of the reference that was sold by Christie’s in November of last year, which was a slightly older example that looked to be in fine condition, and sold for CHF 139,700 (~A$266,827). Laws’ example wasn’t in quite as good condition and had clearly enjoyed plenty of time on his wrist, with the case lines slightly softer and the Calatrava cross on the clasp being well-worn, which might be the reason for the softer result.

The Rolex ref. 6062 triple calendar and Patek Philippe Nautilus “Comet” ref. 3710A were the next-best-performing lots, both eclipsing their upper estimates, with the Rolex hammering for A$159,900 (A$80,000 to A$120,000 estimate) and the Patek selling for A$109,470 (A$50,000 to A$70,000 estimate). 

The three other Patek lots that caught my eye – the yellow gold ref. 3940, the yellow gold ref. 5060, and the platinum ref. 5109P – also beat their upper estimates, with the ref. 3940 achieving A$92,250 (A$50,000 to A$70,000 estimate), the ref. 5060 climbing to A$57,810 (A$30,000 to A$40,000 estimate), and the platinum ref. 5109P finishing at A$51,660 (A$20,000 to A$30,000 estimate).

One slightly surprising result was that of the Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI 1969, which, for many Speedmaster collectors, is a holy grail reference. Against an estimate of A$40,000 to A$60,000, it ended up selling for A$43,050, likely largely due to its condition, which was hampered by a very worn, stretched bracelet.

Some of the rare but slightly more approachable lots performed even better than their more coveted cousins in the catalogue, with the Patek Philippe ref. 2533 hammering for A$36,900 (A$16,000 to A$24,000 estimate), the Rolex Prince ref. 971 for A$20,910 (A$8,000 to A$12,000 estimate), the Longines ref. 6353 1 making A$4,305 (A$1,200 to A$1,600 estimate), and the Rolex Bubbleback ref. 3065 achieving a very impressive A$24,600 (A$3,000 to A$4,000 estimate).

Most surprisingly, it was the lots with the lowest estimates that earned some of the most aggressive bidding, with watches from the likes of Seiko and TW Steel, and desk clocks from Patek Philippe and Swiza for Rolls-Royce that went on to sell for up to seven times their upper estimate. These included:

• Seiko Premier ref. 7T27-6A10: A$9,840 result (A$600 to A$1,000 estimate)
• TW Steel Fast Lane Volante Nigel Mansell, ref. SVS307: A$3,567 result (A$400 to A$600 estimate)
• Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy Desk Clock by Swiza: A$14,760 result (A$1,000 to A$2,000 estimate)
• Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse ref. 1505 Solar Power Desk Clock: A$9,840 result (A$4,000 to A$6,000 estimate)
• Patek Philippe Naviquartz ref. 1215C Desk Clock: A$4,305 result (A$1,000 to A$2,000 estimate)

Congratulations to all of the winning bidders, and you can see the full results from last night here.