Radar Horológico — 13 November

The day in brief

In Hong Kong, Christie's marks 40 years in Asia with two watch sales on 25 and 26 November, carrying the highest estimate ever for a watch season in Asia. A few days earlier, on 21 and 22 November, Phillips offers a first-series Patek Philippe 2499 and a possibly unique 3990P. Seiko Group sold about 25% more watches in the half-year and raised its forecasts. Among the launches, Blancpain debuts a zodiac calibre, Panerai adds two versions to the Submersible Marina Militare and Ulysse Nardin closes the titanium Freak [S] series.

Christie's brings more than 300 watches to Hong Kong with its highest-ever estimate in Asia

Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002G-010 in white gold, the top lot of The Iconic 40 Watches Evening Sale on 25 November. © Christie's

Christie's marks 40 years in Asia with two watch sales in Hong Kong on 25 and 26 November, with more than 300 watches and a combined low estimate above HK$330 million, about US$42 million, the highest ever for a watch season in Asia, according to the auction house. The top lot of the evening sale on 25 November is a Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002G-010 in white gold, with two dials and 12 complications, estimated at up to HK$43 million; among the historical pieces is a Patek Philippe tourbillon pocket watch that won a first prize at the Geneva Observatory in 1931. Read the full story.

Phillips brings a first-series Patek Philippe 2499 and a possibly unique 3990P to auction in Hong Kong

Watches from The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXIII, which Phillips holds on 21 and 22 November in Hong Kong. © Phillips

Phillips holds The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXIII on 21 and 22 November, led by two Patek Philippe watches estimated at HK$12 to 24 million each: a first-series ref. 2499 in yellow gold and a possibly unique ref. 3990P in platinum with a salmon dial. From F.P. Journe comes a Chronomètre à Résonance “Parking Meter”, one of five made, estimated at HK$6 to 12 million, and the sale also brings together tourbillons such as a Haldimann H1 and the three Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillons. Read the full story.

Seiko Group raises its forecasts after watch sales grow 25% in the half-year

Seiko Prospex dive watches, one of the lines the group cites among the main contributors to growth. © Seiko

Seiko Group sold ¥122.4 billion of watches between April and September, about 25% more than a year earlier, and operating profit in the watch business rose to ¥26.4 billion. Growth came from Grand Seiko and Seiko's global brands, in Japan and abroad; in the United States, in local currency, Grand Seiko sold about 70% more. The group now expects to sell ¥236 billion of watches in the financial year ending in March 2027, against the ¥224 billion forecast in August. Read the full story.

Blancpain presents the Ladybird Colors Zodiaque, with a new extra-thin zodiac movement

Blancpain Ladybird Colors Zodiaque in red gold, with a nacre perlée dial and zodiac signs on a midnight blue disc. © Blancpain

On 12 November Blancpain presented the Ladybird Colors Zodiaque, which debuts the patented automatic manufacture calibre 2653QZ, with off-centred hours and minutes, date, a retrograde month indication and a disc showing the twelve signs of the Western zodiac. The movement, measuring 29.40 mm by 5.37 mm, has 362 components, a silicon hairspring, a frequency of 4 Hz and a 68-hour power reserve. The case, in 18-carat red gold or white gold, measures 34.90 mm in diameter and 10.80 mm in thickness, and the dial is in nacre perlée, set with 133 diamonds totalling more than 2.2 carats. Find out more on the brand's website.

Panerai adds a GMT and a Destro version to the Submersible Marina Militare

Panerai Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758, in steel, with a 42 mm case. © Panerai

Panerai has presented two new references in the Submersible Marina Militare collection, both in brushed steel, with a unidirectional bezel with a black ceramic disc, a black dial with beige Super-LumiNova and water resistance to 50 bar. The 42 mm PAM01758 uses the automatic P.900/GMT24H calibre, with a three-day power reserve, 28,800 vibrations per hour and a second time zone on a 24-hour scale. The 44 mm PAM01757 has the crown and its protective bridge on the left, in the Destro configuration, a dial without date and the automatic P.980 calibre, also with a three-day power reserve. Find out more on the brand's website.

Ulysse Nardin closes the titanium Freak [S] series with a purple enamel hour disc

Ulysse Nardin Freak [S Purple Enamel], in titanium, with a purple enamel hour disc. © Ulysse Nardin

Ulysse Nardin has presented the Freak [S Purple Enamel], ref. 2513-500LE-7AE-PURP/0A, a limited edition of 50 pieces that the brand describes as the last Freak [S] in titanium with an enamelled hour disc. The disc, guilloché flinqué and coated with purple enamel, is made at Donzé Cadrans, the manufacture's enamelling workshop. The 45 mm titanium case houses the manufacture calibre UN-251, with two silicon oscillators inclined at 20 degrees and linked by a vertical differential, and the Grinder automatic winding system, with a 72-hour power reserve; the watch has no dial, no hands and no crown, and is set by turning the bezel. Find out more on the brand's website.

What deserves attention

The week of 21 to 26 November brings together the autumn sales of Phillips and Christie's in Hong Kong, with Patek Philippe and F.P. Journe among the top lots: the results will show whether Asian demand for collectible watches matches the record estimates. In Japan, Seiko Group's figures show that Grand Seiko is also growing abroad, above all in the United States.