Auction Highlights: December 12, 2023

Tank Normale, Rolex Prince, Benthos I, Rolex 5513MF & 1675, Black 16753 & 16808, Lemania "Landi", UG Tri-Compax, Autavia 2446 & Orange, PP 1491, Piaget 9151, Movado 95M

Hiatus Notice: Auction season is coming to a close and this will be the last weekly Auction Highlights for the year. There will be a 2023 auction highlights recap and some watch - AI related posts. 14 lots today, if you are reading from email, make sure to click on “View Entire Message” to view all the highlights.

AH23121201: Cartier Tank 18KYG Ref. 78092 - Excellent example of a Cartier Tank “Normale” in strong condition. Approximately 2500 Tank Normale’s were produced, of which this is #251. It has an early Mark 1 dial (pointed “A”and lack of secret signature at 7) with the flatter, more elegant crown. Top and bottom bezels show original finishing. Sides show scratches, possibly unpolished. Size is 30mm H x 22mm W. Auctioneer confirms no cracks or hairlines in the dial.

AH23121202: Rolex Prince Fob/Purse Watch - Wow, a Rolex Prince from 1939 cased in a 9ct YG fob/purse case. What’s interesting is that it is double signed J. Stern, a jeweler in Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded in 1896 by Austrian immigrant Joseph Stern, his namesake company grew to become the leading jewelry retail chain in the country. In 1993 the Sterns chain was acquired by retail conglomerate Foschini Group, and still exists today, with 188 retail outlets. The case has import marks for Glasgow, so its possible that it was imported from Scotland. The stainless steel inner casing of the watch is engineered for the Rolex-engraved 9ct outer case, so I believe it is all original. Someone with a Prince wristwatch case could transplant the watch itself to wear on the wrist. Outer case is 25mm W, 40mm H.

AH23121203: Aquastar Benthos I - Benthos divers were largely forgotten until Aquastar decided to reissue them this month. They were one of the earliest automatic dive watches to incorporate a 60-minute flyback timing totalizer. I’m not a diving professional, but if I was a serious depth diver in the 1960’s, this would be a functionality that I would definitely want to time dives. The Benthos divers were even issued to the Jamaican Defense Forces, who probably know a thing or two about what is important in a dive watch. There are 2 versions, the “Benthos 500” (for 500m water-resistance, first of its kind) and this much rarer “Benthos 1”, with a massive 42mm monobloc case and rated to 1000m. I can’t find production numbers for this version, but I estimate a 5:1 ratio. Note these were also sold under the Lemania brand. Our example is not a babied safe queen; It wears its scars unabashedly as any serious tool watch would. Tritium lume on dial is degraded but intact, orange running minute hand missing orange paint at triangle, all hands probably relumed, hour hand lume missing. Case is also tired with scratches throughout, caseback engraved with name (and address!) of the previous owner. Fortunately it does come with an Aquastar signed bracelet with original brushed finishing. I have not asked for a slump test. Bezel scratched at 40 and 0. Usually I would not highlight due to condition, but the timing of the reissue and rarity make it an exception.

AH23121204: Rolex Submariner Ref 5513 - 1.8M (1968) serial with period correct Meters First dial. Crystal has indenture at 1 and is heavily scratched, so difficult to assess dial condition, but I would wager on it being in excellent condition. Lume patinated to nice pale yellow. Long hands are replacements but probably tritium, crown is also trip lock replacement. Bezel is anthracite with some wear and pip missing but very good overall. Case is a different story, polished once before and accrued scratches again later. Bevels there but tired. Jubilee bracelet is stretchy, can’t read clasp engravings but probably 6251H with 50 end links. Needs some easy work, but excellent opportunity to purchase a meters first in a low start auction.

AH23121205: Lemania 15TL Chronograph “Landi” - Its rare that I only post the caseback photo, but its more interesting than the dial, which is a run of the mill white 2-register with lumed arabic indexes and Lemania branding. The engraving on the caseback is the logo of the Swiss National Expo, which was held in Zurich between May - October 1939(!). From several years prior it was evident that war was on the horizon, and the Swiss recognized the necessity of strengthening not only their military defense capabilities but also the spiritual and cultural unity of the country. Against the backdrop of an increasing tense political environment, the Schweizerische Landesausstellung, or “Landi” for short was held, attracting a staggering 10 million visitors over a 6 month period. The exposition must have included watches, which were by then one of Switzerland’s major exports, and this example may have been something that was exhibited there. Flat bezel case appears unpolished, but stem is bent and should be fixed, easy. Early monopusher 15TL chronograph movement. Two tone dial shows patina, I would try to replace it with a black dial with correct hands. An overlooked and important event in Swiss history that helped the country maintain its spiritual unity and independence against potential threats on its borders. Read more about “Landi” here.

AH23121206: Rolex Submariner 18KYG 16808 - 8.5M serial (1984) transitional 18KYG black nipple dial submariner with original unsigned guarantee. Hands relumed so should be replaced. Pip cracked. Case and bracelet are well-polished so skip this if you need a strong case or bracelet. Bracelet is stretchy so expect to replace it or accept stretched condition. Low start auction.

AH23121207: Rolex GMT Master Ref 1675 - $0.99 start auction for a 5.55M serial (1978) with period correct Mark 5 dial. The typeface of the case serial engraving of this period is like a 5 year old’s handwriting, and its always tough to tell with pictures alone. Dial very good, but note the black spotting on the lume - if you don’t like that, skip this one. GMT hand looks like a botched relume job and should probably be replaced. Other hands I think were color-matched but could be original. 78360/580 bracelet is VC clasp code, same year as production. It is in surprisingly good condition with minimal stretch. Case was probably refinished at some point, bevels are tired but visible, also note scratch on top left lug. Bezel is redback and period correct (oval o’s in 8).

AH23121208: Piaget Ref 9151 18KYG - Another day, another Piaget. At first glance this looks like another flashy 70’s watch with its 18KYG bracelet, but pay closer attention and its actually much more interesting. The whole watch has a hobnail pattern and the bezel slopes downwards at the top and bottom edges. Applied baton indexes are an alternating gold and black. It would look much more restrained on a black or dark brown leather strap, but I challenge you to keep the bracelet on for the 70’s cocaine dealer look. 27mm H x 23mm W case appears unpolished, as does the bracelet, which does not show much stretch.

AH231212109: Rolex GMT Master 16753 - Another low start auction for a 7.5M serial (1983) black two tone GMT master with nipple tritium dial. Serviced in 2023 but luckily all parts are period correct. Correct 78363 bracelet clasp code is H, also dating to 1983 with correct 480 end links. Some wear on the bezel edges. Case bevels visible but not too sharp. Otherwise excellent. Quicksets are so much more easier to use.

AH23121210: Universal Geneve Tri-Compax Ref. 881101/02 - One of UG’s best from the 1960’s, utilizing their signature Cal 281, the first iterations of which were introduced in the 40’s. Last 2 digits of reference “/02” indicates reverse panda dial (“/01” is panda). Case is in overall very good condition with caseback engravings visible, but note the scratches on the bottom pusher side lug. Dial is also in good condition with all important lume yellow and intact, but some light patina on the subdials. Crown and red sweep hand are replacements, but 60’s UG parts are abundant so this should not deter an interested bidder. More difficult to source is a correct logo engraved crystal, and DO90 bezel, which shows heavy scratching between 5 and 9. Make sure to have access to a watchmaker that is able to service these.

AH23121211: Patek Philippe Ref 1491 - Early 1950’s “scroll lug” in overal excellent condition. Case could have been lightly polished in the past (difficult to tell due to lighting) but very strong. Whitish-silver dial with pointed rectangle index, looks slightly ivory. Center seconds version with cal 27SC. No extract but serial/movement number is within correct range.

AH23121212: Heuer Autavia Ref 2446 Mark 3- Bezel aside, an excellent condition 1968 production, Mark 3 Autavia 2446. This version was famously worn by F1 racer Jochen Rindt. Dial in excellent condition with lume yellow and intact, case is most probably unpolished, as bevels are clear. Crystal needs a polish or replacement. Minute-bezel shows a lot of wear and difficult to find a replacement for. Movement is the legendary 3-register valjoux 72, same as the Daytona.

AH23121213: Heuer Autavia 11630 MH “Orange Boy” - These aren’t very popular anymore but in the mid-2010’s these whitish-silver dial Autavias were “grail” watches due to their rarity. This one is nicknamed “Orange Boy” for obvious reasons. I’ve highlighted the 11630P’s before, see here. Overall very good condition, with sunburst brushed finish visible. Note some uneven brown patina on the sub registers and wear on periphery of bezel. Original Gay Freres bracelet dated 3/72 with deployant clasp.

AH23121214: Movado M95 Chronograph Ref 49038? - It’s frustrating when an auctioneer has subpar photography skills and is unable to open a caseback, as is the case for this lot. This is the best photo I was able to extract from them, and its still not clear to me whether the lugs have been polished or not. I sense they are not very sharp, but it could just be the lighting. The dial condition is also difficult to assess - we can see the patina all over, but would it detract from attractiveness in the metal? Only having the watch in hand would we know for sure. However this example has 2 very desirable characteristics, which were especially favored in the US - a Breguet numeral dial and a 14KYG case. You may also have also noticed how Patek Philippe and many other brands often utilized Breguet numerals when designing watches intended for the US market. I don’t need to explain the beauty of Breguet numerals, but some may not appreciate old 14KYG enough - its much more durable due to the higher alloy content, and there is much less of the flashy yellowness typical of 18KYG. Crown looks off due to the stem being bent. I guessed the reference number based on the material and the case shape (faceted lugs). For more about mid-century Movado M95 chronographs, see here.