NEW available at my boutique ---> Audemars Piguet 5402ST A-Series

Dear watch aficionado.

NEW available at my boutique www.watchcollector.lu is this superb Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 5402ST A-Series.

More photos and information are available by e-mail at info@watchcollector.lu

I warmly invite you to take a look at the article on my blog about the design by Gérald Genta of this legendary 5402ST A-Series and the Patek Philippe 3700/1, which is as well available at my boutique.

Omega Speedmaster 105.003-65 "Ed White", NASA Speedmasters

Dear watch aficionado.

When it comes to vintage Omega Speedmasters, I always loved the ones with the NASA history involved. So the legendary 2998-1 Walter Schirra, 105.003-65 Edward Higgins "Ed" White, the 105.012.-65 Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin and 145.012-68 Michael Collins.

In 1962 when Walter Schirra was flying to the space, as the 6th human in space, he was wearing his Speedmaster 2998-1, the first Omega Speedmaster in space. The first human in space was the russian Kosmonaut Juri Gagarin.
 

Walter Schirra after his space flight with his personal 2998-1 on the wrist. Photo by NASA

But then a further step was made with Ed White who was actually the second human and the first american who made a space walk in 1965 and on his wrist the last straight lug Speedmaster, the 105.003.-63 and so the first Speedmaster that could enjoy a spacewalk. The first human ever who made a space walk was the russian Kosmonaut Alexei Archipowitsch Leonow.

Photo made by James McDivitt, Ed White out there

Photo made by James McDivitt, Ed White out there

Well, and then four years later, in 1969 Collins as pilot of the command module Columbia with his 145.012-68 on the wrist and Armstrong and Aldrin with the 105.012-65 who landed with the "Eagle" on the moon surface and were the first humans ever taking a moonwalk. It is said that Armstrong left his 105.012-65 in the command module, as the board clock did not work anymore.

Buzz Aldrin on the moon with his 105.012-65. Photographed by Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong on the moon, near the "Eagle". Photo take by Buzz Aldrin.

I think that when it comes to collect Speedmasters these four references should be part of every high class collection. I do personally love the Speedmasters due to their design but that extra on top is the history with NASA, spacewalk and moonwalk.

To find these watches in NOS condition is almost impossible. So I focus on the 105.003-65 that I found a while ago for a client of mine. This watch is the first "Ed White" in truly NOS condition that I have seen. I did not see one at the auctions yet nor elsewhere in a private collection in such a perfectly preserved condition. The watch came from the original owner who bought it in the 1980s from an Omega dealer together with its original strap, buckle, box and guarantee (blank) and never wore it. I am not only looking for NOS watches, but if ever you have the chance to get one of these Speedmasters in such stunning perfect condition, you got to go for it. When I showed it to my client, he was very happy to buy it for his collection.

I am personally a big fan of these straight lug versions as the "Ed White" or the 2998-1 "Schirra". And there is as well the 2915-1 with which it all started in 1957 and that belongs as well in every high class collection, even it has no history with NASA. But at the end it is as always an affaire de goût if you like the Speedy or not.

Here some photos of the 105.003-65 that I did find for my client:

perfect dial, original plexi, perfect bezel

looking up closely, perfect dial, perfect bezel

looking up closely, perfect dial, perfect bezel

looking up closely, perfect dial, perfect bezel

looking up closely, perfect dial, perfect bezel

untouched movement

original strap with its buckle

perfect case

perfect case

original Plexi with the Omega sign at the center. Perfect bezel.

For sale ----> Rolex 1016 from 1960

Dear watch aficionado.

Up for sale at my boutique www.watchcollector.lu is this superb Rolex 1016 Explorer from 1960. More information and photos upon request by e-mail at info@watchcollector.lu

For sale ----> Patek Philippe 605HU, certificat d'origine and box

Dear watch aficionado.

Up for sale at my boutique www.watchcollector.lu is this superb Patek Philippe 605HU with its Certificat d'Origine and original box. More information and photos upon request by e-mail at info@watchcollector.lu

For sale ----> Rolex 6542 full set

Dear watch aficionado.

Up for sale at my boutique www.watchcollector.lu is this superb Rolex 6542 Full Set. More information and photos upon request by e-mail at info@watchcollector.lu

The legendary Gérald Genta pair, 3700/1 and 5402ST

Dear watch aficionado.

When it comes to watches that every high class collector should have in its collection then the legendary Patek Philippe 3700/1 and Audemars Piguet 5402ST-A Series are usually on the list too.

Both are designed by Gerald Genta, the 5402-A in 1972 and the 3700/1 in 1976. The case designs show both an octagon form, which is still present on the modern versions of these two references. But for me, the epitome is always the beginning, the first ones, the 5402-A and 3700/1.

One of the most interesting design parts on the two watches is the dial. The design was developed by Cadran Stern, Roland Tille who was back then the master developer at cadran stern. Gérald Genta approached Roland Tille in 1972 to develope a design for the dial of the Audemars Piguet 5402ST. Roland Tille then used the newly developed method of "tapisserie" to create 13 examples of different designs and Audemars chose the one design that is still in the DNA of the Royal Oak today. The A-series has a tapisserie finissage, black galvanic dial with a protective layer of lacquer on it.

The idea to create this design with the technique of "tapisserie" originates of a dial that Roland Tille created in 1971 for Movado, their St. Christopher model. As Roland Tille said, the design of this dial for Movado resulted in the development of the "tapisserie" technique and so into the legendary design of the 5402ST and 3700/1 dial design!

extract from the book "Le Cadran" by Dr. Helmut Crott

When Genta was asked by Patek Philippe to design in 1976 their Nautilus, he remembered the fabulous work of Roland Tille for the Royal Oak and approached him again to develop a dial design for the Nautilus. Roland Tille then presented 10 different designs for the dial and it was Henry Stern who chose the design of the legendary Nautilus, which still lasted till today. On the first 50 examples they used the same method as for the 5402ST, "tapisserie", but then they saw that it was too difficult to get a perfect result with this method of fabrication and changed then to a different technique which is called "rabotage". The rabotage is not made with the "tapisserie" machine anymore but with a manually operated cutter, each line of the dial is cut individually. The Patek Philippe 3700/1 has finissage rabotage, blue galvanic and a special black lacquer on it N50.

For me personally, the real Nautilus and Royal Oak will always be the first ones, the 3700/1 and the 5402ST A-Series. Octagon case, hours, minues and date, that's it, nothing less, nothing more.  It all started with these two models.

If you want to learn more about the legendary dial maker, Cadran Stern, I warmly invite you to order a copy of the superbly written book "Le Cadran" by Dr. Helmut Crott at www.vintagewatchexpert.com

I warmly invite you to take a look at the website of my boutique for the current offer of vintage and independent timepieces www.watchcollector.lu

Kind regards.
Christian

Grieb & Benzinger, Patek Philippe 1889 split second for Tiffany

Dear watch aficionado.

Grieb & Benzinger are known for their craftsmanship and for their exquisite unique timepieces. For this watch they used a Patek Philippe split second movement from 1889 which was sold in 1890 to Tiffany in New York.

Not only that they gave the movement a whole new finish, when you look at all the plates that are hand-guilloched, engraved and skeletonized. But they changed the movement as well to a Regulator display on the dial side. They had to rebuild the complete movement, so to get everything done correctly.

For the case they used Platinum and it was complicated to build to get the throw axle pusher on the crown correctly set and as well every lug is single welded to the case. The bezel is guilloched by hand and the caseback is engraved by hand. 

More than 1000 hours of pure craftsmanship were necessary to built this superb timepiece, which has an amazing presence on the wrist. Imagine how accurate and precise they had to work, because if a piece on the movment had been broken, it would have been almost impossible to find original parts from that time.

Requests can be made by mail at info@watchcollector.lu

I warmly invite you to take a look at the website of my boutique www.watchcollector.lu

Kind regards.

Christian

NEW vintage watches available

Dear watch aficionado.

Herewith I will show you some novelties available at my boutique www.watchcollector.lu 

• Patek Philippe Chronometro Gondolo, historical important, unique. Here the article on my blog about this watch
• Patek Philippe 2499 third series yellow gold
• Patek Philippe 605HU with certificat d'origine and box
• Rolex 6265 black dial Big Red, NOS

More information and photos are available upon request by mail at info@watchcollector.lu


Stay tuned and check back regularly.

Kind regards.
Christian

Derek Pratt, Flying Tourbillon Remontoir Spring Detente Escapement

Dear watch aficionado.

Derek Pratt was the watchmaker Mastermind behind Urban Jürgensen since Peter Baumberger took over UJ in 1979. Both worked already together before, when Peter Baumberger sold antique watches.

Both worked together at Urban Jürgensen until the passing of Derek Pratt in 2009 and one year later Peter Baumberger passed away.

Probably the most important timepiece that Derek Pratt built was the fascinating and breathtaking oval flying Tourbillon with Remontoir, Detente Escapement and Réaumur scale. From the architecture of the movement to the finissage and complexity, this is certainly the epitome of pure watchmaking and craftsmanship. When holding this timepiece in the hands, it really makes your heart beating faster. When looking at the outstanding level of finissage of the movement and the hand-guilloché and hand-engraved dial and the fact that every part on this watch is built by hand, pure craftsmanship, it really is something that they do not build anymore nowadays. (Unless one or maybe two independent watchmakers who do still build their watches by hand without any CNC)

The more Derek Pratt was a good friend of George Daniels and helped him as well with his co-axial escapement and helped him as well in the development. I do personally prefer the finissage and watchmaking style of Pratt. When looking at a Pratt movement and comparing it to a movement of George Daniels, one can clearly see the difference between the both. Taking a look at the recently sold Space Traveller I (sold at Sotheby's in July 2019 for 3.615.000£) and the Grand Complication (sold at Phillips in May 2019 for 2.420.000 CHF) I would certainly be ready to spend 4.000.000 on the Pratt oval Tourbillon!