The May sales at Sotheby's in Switzerland get under way with the auction of important watches and wristwatches at the Beau-Rivage Hotel in Geneva on Monday 12 May 2003. The lots will be sold in two sessions: lots 101-244 starting at 10.00am, followed by lots 245-382 starting at 12.00 noon. The auction includes examples of work by all the top names in fine watch-making including: Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Vacheron & Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Franck Muller, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, IWC, Blancpain, Piaget, Baume & Mercier, Jules Jurgensen, Roberto and Dino Falcone and Chopard.

Patek Philippe features strongly with a selection of rare and sought-after watches including the pink gold watch ref.2497, shown above, with perpetual calendar, centre seconds, moonphases and flat back. Peter Knoll, descendant of two generations of contemporary furniture pioneers who counted among their acquaintances some of the most influential designers of the 20th century, acquired this magnificent piece at a Sotheby's New York watch auction in 1980. But he had first seen the model years previously, in the mid-1960s, when he was studying at Geneva's International School and came across the watch in the old town of Geneva. He was instantly mesmerised by the mix of the classic and the modern in this collector's piece. In this watch Peter Knoll had found a design that was true to the modernist school of thought, where form followed function, where the concentration of energies on producing the ideal functional object had resulted in the perfect design.

Another Patek Philippe highlight is a rare white gold driver's wristwatch with certificate of origin and numbered presentation case, made in the 1920s and sold by the highly respected Turin retailer Astrua (lot 380, estimate: Sfr. 15,000 ? 20,000 / $ 10,900 ? 14,600). Also from the 1920s is a very rare rectangular flat gold wristwatch with a spectacular pink dial bearing a highly unusual wide silvered chapter ring (lot 379, estimate Sfr.12,000-18,000 / $8,800-13,100), Highlighting the pocket watches is a magnificent and highly mechanically complicated Patek Philippe open faced watch (lot 127), estimated at Sfr. 150,000 ? 200,000 ($ 109,000 ? 146,000) With minute repeating carillon, perpetual calendar, moon phases, and split seconds chronograph, it is the most complicated watch in the auction. This marvellous watch was created by the famous Geneva watchmaker around 1920. Patek Philippe also made the rare steel chronograph ref.130 with unusual sector dial dating from 1939, (lot 244, estimate: Sfr. 80,000 ? 120,000 / $ 58,500 ? 87,500). As this model was generally made in yellow gold, steel watches such as this are scarce on the market. The rarity of the piece is enhanced by the unusual clear enamel printing of the silvered sector dial. Of more recent make is lot 272, a fine automatic minute-repeating watch from the 1990s estimated at Sfr. 180,000 ? 220,000 ($ 131,000 ? 161,000). We are delighted to offer many other interesting and unusual vintage Patek Philippe watches in this auction including two further examples with original presentation cases and certificates ( lot 112, estimate: Sfr. 1,800 ? 2,200 / $ 1,300 ? 1,600; lot 123, estimate: Sfr. 2,200 ? 2,800 / $ 1,600 ? 2,050)

A host of other master watchmakers are also represented. Space only permits us to select some of the leading names and highlight one of their finer pieces:

Rolex, based like Patek Philippe on the shores of Lake Geneva, has many pieces worthy of its name in the auction, including the ever popular models such as Daytonas, Explorers Submariners and DayDates. Of particular interest is a unique customised automatic, centre seconds, yellow gold wristwatch, with perpetual calendar, moon phases and bracelet, with an especially interesting history. Late in the 1970s, Antonio Preziuso and his friend Franck Muller were classmates in the prestigious Geneva watch-making school the Ecole d'Horlogerie. Each set out to modify a Rolex Oyster into a perpetual calendar with moon phases. Franck Muller's Oyster was made in steel, but Preziuso's, the one on offer here, is in gold (lot 348, estimate: Sfr. 25,000 -35,000 / $ 18,200 -25,500).

Ulysse Nardin, a famous watch-making house working out of Locle since 1846, has a number of important pieces in the auction, including a very fine platinum perpetual calendar, minute repeating, split seconds chronograph watch with moon phases, Created around 1920t, this superb example of precision craftsmanship appears as lot 129, estimated at Sfr. 35,000 ? 40,000 ($ 25,500-29,200.

Cartier, the legendary French jeweller also famed for its fine watch-making, is well represented in the auction with many modern and contemporary examples. Lots at this sale include a square dial “Panthère” lady's watch in white gold, set with diamonds and dating from around 1985 (lot 152, Sfr. 10,000 - 12,000 / $ 7,300 - 8,800).

Mauboussin has some beautiful examples of the house's trademark marriage of precious stones and flawless technique, notably some wristwatches combining precious metals and stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires (lots 185-189 and 316-321). Estimates range from Sfr. 2,000 to 20,000 ($ 1,450 ? 14,600).

Blancpain has a fine gold minute repeating automatic watch, made around 1995 (lot 233, estimate: Sfr. 40,000 ? 50,000 / $ 29,200 ? 36,500).

The sale also has 15 lots including pocket, pendant and wristwatches that will be offered with no reserve, their estimates ranging from Sfr. 1,500 to 4,000 (lots 101-111 and 323-326).


EXHIBITION:
Geneva, Beau-Rivage Hotel
Friday 9, Saturday 10, Sunday 11 and Monday 12 May 2003: from 10.00am to 6.00pm
Tuesday 13 May 2003: from 10.00am to 4.00pm

AUCTION:
Geneva, Beau-Rivage Hotel
IMPORTANT WATCHES AND WRISTWATCHES
Monday 12 May 2003 at 10.00am (lots 101-244) and 12.00 (lots 245-382)
A COLLECTION OF 69 EXCEPTIONAL 20th CENTURY WATCHES
Tuesday 13 May 2003 at 7.00pm