Bring a Loupe: An Insane Patek Philippe Ellipse, An Art Deco Longines, And A Boucheron Pocket Watch
Welcome back to Bring A Loupe, and happy Friday! After a brief hiatus last week, we’re right back to picking the best watches for sale across the web — or, at least, what I find to be the “best.” Objectively,, though, these five are worth your time, trust me. We’re headlined by a gorgeous Patek Philippe Ellipse with an incredibly full set and along the way, we’ll hit Boucheron, Longines, and even Old England.
But first, results! Two weeks ago, we featured a Movado Tempograph up for auction at Phillips, which did well, selling for HKD 177,800 (~$22,673), above its high estimate! The Universal Genève Space-Compax project on eBay ended up at $9,505. Also on “the Bay,” our Gallet Multichron 30M “Clamshell” sold for $2,353.88. And the Hublot MDM Super B Chronograph has been marked sold out; the asking price was $2,900.
1980s Patek Philippe Ellipse Ref. 3938/101 on Bracelet with Box, Papers, and Extras
Within the current trend for non-standard, non-circular wristwatches, the Patek Philippe Ellipse, one of the most iconic models from one of the most renowned brands in the world, is oddly not talked about enough. This could be a testament to its success. Wrapped up in this “shaped” watch trend is the hunt for the unexpected, something that no one else is going to have and most collectors might not have ever seen before. But the Ellipse has been offered consistently since its debut in 1968, and frankly, there are a lot of them. Not a lot like this one, though.
Taking a step back, the Ellipse has been described by Collectability’s John Reardon as “the canvas to tell the story of Patek Philippe to the world.” That quote has always stuck with me. When the model was being developed and eventually introduced, the watch industry was aware of the impending quartz crisis. Throughout the 1960s, the writing was on the wall that technology had advanced, it would be commercialized sooner rather than later, and mechanical watchmaking would be challenged like never before. In the face of all this, Patek made a conscious effort to acquire Switzerland’s best craftsmen, those whom the brand had traditionally hired on a third-party basis. This effort brought world-class bracelet, dial, and case manufacturing under one roof.
The Ellipse is the culmination of these newly acquired manufacturing capabilities, and none more so than an example like this on an unbelievably stout-yet-delicate-feeling, woven gold bracelet. The dials are made of solid gold, which is then heat blued to a perfect tone. The case shape was inspired by the so-called Golden Ratio, an ancient formula developed by Greek mathematicians that is supposedly inherently attractive to all. And so on. Advertisements of the era marketed the Ellipse as a “non-watch,” explaining that “people who merely need to know the time of day will choose a watch, not a Patek Philippe.” The Ellipse is and was a work of art.
This example dates to the 1980s and, as is denoted on the papers, is a reference 3839/101 with the /101 confirming that the integrated bracelet is original to the watch. It comes directly from the family of the original owner who purchased the watch in Germany and kept everything from the original box and papers to the entire shipping box complete with Swiss air mail stamps from when the watch was sent back to Patek for servicing in 1991 (not photographed but, trust me). If you’re into the Ellipse look on a solid gold bracelet, you won’t find a better one.
The seller, Alan of Foundwell, right here in NYC, is offering this Patek Ellipse for $27,995. You can check it out in full via his website right here.
1940 Longines with Stepped Lugs in 18k Yellow Gold
Vintage Longines chronographs have been, currently are, and likely will always be extremely collectible and, frankly, valuable. The brand’s time-only pieces of the same era have, on the other hand, wavered a bit in terms of collector attention. Back around 2015, I made an Apple Notes app for watches I hoped to one day own. On it were things like a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 (I’ve since fallen out of love with the classic “Pepsi”), a Patek ref. 96 Calatrava, a Paul Newman Daytona (a bit ambitious, sure), and, you guessed it, a time-only 1940s Longines. The exact one on my list was a 35mm in diameter Tre-Tacche, the screw-down caseback, early “waterproof” cases, probably with a sector dial. But the point is, at that time, the collector community was obsessed with Longines time-only watches. Lately, not so much. I’m sure there is still a rabid group hunting these down, but it’s just not quite the same widespread fervor, that’s all.
The brand was more popular here in the States than even Rolex when you look at the first half of the 20th century. When wristwatches first took off, Longines offered a full slate of chronograph and go-anywhere three-hand options. From the amount of watches I see in the vintage market, boy, these sold well. Given the age, you do have to be careful about condition, particularly with the dials. Luckily, the example we have here is remarkably clean.
With a lug design I have not seen before from Longines, this is a great vintage “Calatrava” option. It’s a standard, if not slightly large, for the time period, 32mm in diameter, and the wrist presence should really be improved by those Art Deco-inspired double-stepped lugs. The “lemon” tone dial pairs really well with the case and has proud applied hour markers in a design that Longines used a lot in the 40s and 50s. At an opening bid of €3,000, it’s worth a serious look.
This Longines is lot 184 of Finarte’s Fine Watches sale next Monday, June 9th, at 10 AM ET. The estimate is €3,000 to €6,000. Get all of the details right here.
1950s Boucheron Oval Pocket Watch
That’s right, a pocket watch. But of course, it’s a brand close to my heart, Boucheron. These French-made watches from before 1970 have a certain charm that is hard to describe. I’ve tried many times to speak to the importance of Cartier watches in this era, but there’s something about the hand-made quality and ingenuity of the French makers (Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Breguet). When I see an eagle’s head (yellow gold) or a dog’s head (platinum) hallmark, my ears perk up. Away from Switzerland, these French designers thought outside the box in terms of case shape and dial details while sourcing high-quality movements from their neighbors to the southeast.
Boucheron had a very distinct and very gilt-toned design language in this period. Most of the dials aren’t even signed, as the brand was more of a jewelry house than a watch brand — it’s not like rings or necklaces have big-name brands, so why put that on a watch? Bucking that trend, we do have a nicely sized dial signature on this piece, in a font that is correct for when Boucheron decided to print its name. I won’t go as far as to say this is a budget version of the great Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen Oval pocket watch, but it’s at least the same shape! I’m calling it a pocket watch while the auction house is going with “pendant.” They might be right, but you could slip it in your pocket if you’d like. It is 33mm wide by 48mm high.
This Boucheron pocket watch is lot 97 of Audap & Associés’s Jewelry & Watches – Silverware sale on Tuesday, June 5th, at 7:30 AM ET. The estimate is €2,500 to €3,500. To see the full lot description and bid, click here.
1940s Minerva Waterproof Chronograph with ‘Salmon’ Dial
Minerva remains an extremely underrated vintage brand. Even with Montblanc’s acquisition of the name back in 2004 and their use of vintage Minerva-based calibers in modern watches at high prices, the real deal vintage stuff is still so, so cheap for what it is. These are great chronographs with in-house movements and some of the best cases available at the time. Oh, and the dials, especially when “salmon” in tone like this one, aren’t too bad either.
While the eBay seller doesn’t provide a photo of the movement here (it looks like they are an estate sale picker and probably don’t know how to open the case), I presume we would find a caliber 13-20 CH inside. Montblanc is currently offering the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow Limited Edition for $33,000 on its website. This watch is powered by the caliber M13.21, which is based on the vintage movement we can assume is in this watch. Considering the seller is asking $3,500 here, that’s quite the value.
An eBay seller in Dorr, Michigan, has listed this Minerva on eBay for a buy it now price of $3,500. Check it out in full right here.
1971 Old England with Queen Elizabeth Machin Series Stamp Dial
I’ve covered the full story of Old England watches on a previous Bring A Loupe, so I’ll save you all that read again, but I can’t get over how interesting these watches are for the price. Sure, they’re not so well made and are basically gift shop versions of the whimsical Cartier London aesthetic of the Swinging Sixties. But when they’re cool, they’re really cool. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a watch with a vintage stamp as the dial before, have you?
Let’s get this straight: these watches are not well made. The movements, when photographed in eBay listings, are mechanical but laughably crude. I can’t even go as far as saying the case here is gold plated; we’ll leave it at gold tone. But still, for a couple of hundred dollars, they are real vintage watches, and the design is everything. I love that the Machin series Queen Elizabeth 1 ½ pence stamp makes up the dial background, which is then stamped with “Old England 1971” in the style of how the post office would have stamped overused stamps back in the day. It’s a lot of fun for under £200. Has this been listed for a while, and am I the sole eBay user “watching” the listing? Yes, what’s it to you?
An eBay seller in Chelmsford, United Kingdom, has listed this Old England on eBay for a buy it now price of £190. Someone, please buy it for fun right here.
Hodinkee
