The auction house Sotheby’s recently granted Patek Philippe expert John Reardon a first look at five previously unknown timepieces from a major collection, prompting Reardon to declare that he was in "horological heaven". These extraordinary watches and accessories are scheduled to be part of an exhibition in New York before being offered at the December 8th auction. Reardon, who describes himself as "a bit obsessed with all things horological," noted that he is beyond excited for the exhibition and plans to be in the room for the auction, as there are over a hundred more timepieces expected from this collection.
One of the most historically significant pieces presented by Sotheby’s was a Dent pocket watch from 1867. This timepiece is notable because it was exhibited by Dent at the World's Fair in Paris, which was the first time that the "East and West came together in a global way to discuss technology and for brands to show the best that they could make". Reardon was immediately impressed by the quality of the piece and its unique sound. He noted that the chime was not a traditional Westminster chime but a Whittington chime, a tune associated with the 14th-century tale of Dick Whittington, who returned to London after hearing the clock chime "Turn again Dick Whittington turn again Dick Whittington," eventually becoming the Lord Mayor. Reardon called it a "beautiful song for this time piece to sing".
Related article - Uphorial Shopify
Sotheby’s also revealed two pieces commissioned by Mr. Morehead, one of the greatest American collectors, who was "obsessed with accuracy and perfection". The first was a previously unknown watch featuring two movements, a complication Reardon had "never seen before in decades of looking at watches". This piece, which has two sets of hands, immediately sparked horological discussion. Reardon speculated on three possible functions: two time zones, one mean time and one sidereal time, or a redundancy system, concluding the latter was the most likely. To have two movements within one watch would allow Morehead to know if one was off by "1 second". This watch also featured a minute repeater that sounded with the "voice of an angel". A second "two time zone debatable watch" was also revealed by Sotheby’s, made for Mr. Morehead, which also featured a minute repeater. This piece, which "tells two different time zones we think," was described as "understatement at its finest". Reardon noted the technical brilliance required to have two separate movements nested in each other, observing that these are the only two pieces known with this complex combination of two time zones with two separate movements.
Another discovery presented through Sotheby’s was a 10-day desk timepiece from Patek Philippe. Reardon has seen desk timepieces at the Patek Philippe museum, where they were sure only two existed until this new one was discovered. This piece was originally described as a pressa papier or paperweight. Reardon identified the inscription "T E," indicating it was made for Thomas Emory, a name "precious in the history of PC Philippe" because the first Patek Philippe perpetual calendar wristwatch was made for him. Looking at the desk piece, with its silver key and gold inlay, Reardon saw it as a "monument for PC Philippe" and a "statement of deco design".
The final piece was a massive grand complication. Reardon’s first impression was that it was inspired by Breguet but with a "British twist," emphasizing its magnitude, calling it a "big heavy watch". He characterized this watch as a statement of British dominance in the early 20th century, describing it as "a nuclear war... of the Brits telling they're still dominant in the game of making the world's most complicated watches". This timepiece, which Reardon called "the bomb shall I say," featured a dial that "has everything," representing "British horology at its finest". Reardon felt humbled to be near such a beautiful timepiece and thanked Sotheby’s for the opportunity to see these five pieces he had never seen before.
