Bonhams Spring Watch Auction is coming up and I wanted to highlight one piece that caught my eye — Lot 43, a yellow gold pocket watch owned by sensational escape artist Harry Houdini. The watch, a minute repeater chronograph with calendar and moon phase (of unknown manufacture) was given to Houdini in 1914 by his English manager, Harry Day, and is inscribed “To my dear pal Houdini | From his Sincere friend | Harry Day | May 1914″. The lot notes also mention that a photograph of Houdini is included in the back lid of the watch. After Houdini’s death in 1925, the watch was given to his nephew, Harry White. What also struck me was the pre-sale estimate — just $10,000-15,000. Not bad for a handsome pocket watch — and a photo — of one of history’s more interesting characters. This pocket watch’s unique history will most certainly have magical appeal at auction!
Harry Houdini’s Pocket Watch
59mm 18k yellow gold, hunter case, minute repeater chronograph with calendar and moon phase
back lid contains photograph of Houdini
Inscribed:
“To my dear pal
Houdini
From his
Sincere friend
Harry Day
May 1914″
Did You Know?
The celebrated escape artist known as Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was born into a rabbinical family in Budapest as Erik Weisz. After his family relocated to New York City, Houdini, a star athlete in his youth, developed a keen interest in magic. Houdini named himself after celebrated French conjurer and clockmaker, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, whose clocks we will be featuring in our autumn Furniture and Decorative Arts Sale. In 1899, Houdini began working the vaudeville circuit and became famous for his handcuff tricks, earning the name “Handcuff Harry.” After escaping from numerous jails, straitjackets, chains, ropes, and one infamous Chinese Water Torture Cell, Houdini passed away at the age of fifty-two due to peritonitis from a ruptured appendix.
I’ve been following and intrigued by an increasingly publicized battle between Australian watchmakers and Swiss watch brands that I wanted to highlight. Now let me warn you that this is definitely “inside baseball”, but I also believe that this matter does ultimately (and covertly) impact the average everyday watch owners, collectors & enthusiasts in the form of higher prices.
It all starts with this fella whose blog I enjoy reading from time to time, Nick Hacko. He is an independent watchmaker who l lives in Australia, and he is none too happy about the big Swiss watch brands (e.g. Rolex and others) restricting or outright denying his ability to obtain watch parts. In a sense he feels that his livelihood is being threatened, and on this case he seems to make a persuasive argument. However, as I am not well informed on the issue, I’m not going to take sides. I’ll just point interested readers to some of the Nick Hacko’s writings and let you decide. Also be sure to visit Save-The-Time.org for more information.
Nick Hacko: How Was Your Day? (a tongue in cheek presentation of the problem)
Nick Hack Interviews Local Australian Watchmakers Who Are Also Being Restricted by Switzerland
Nick Hacko “Save the Time” PR: Sydney Morning Herald, Jeweller Magazine
On one hand, I will say that that I think it would be a real shame to see independent watchmakers forced out of business because they are unable to obtain spare parts for their customers. As a consumer, this means that the cost of owning a watch could go up dramatically because there is no competition amongst watch service/repair companies who want my business. Getting a watch serviced/repaired by some Manufactures is already a very costly — and time-consuming — undertaking. It is a basic matter of economics — if Rolex Geneva is the only place I can get my watch properly serviced and repaired because they are the only ones with the proper tools and parts, well then that gives them a tremendous amount of pricing power over me the consumer. On the other hand, I can also argue that brands like Rolex design and produce the parts for their watches and thus they can choose to sell — or not — to whomever they so desire.
I’m monitoring this situation to see how it unfolds. If anything interesting rises to the occasion, I will post another note. Any comments or particularly keen insights, please do leave a comment below as I would like to properly educate myself.
Here’s a sharp looking new piece from Vulcain. Unfortunately these watches are next to impossible to find the US. This watch is limited to 100 pieces and was produced in concert with Vulcain’s sponsorship of the 2012 Vulcain Trophy regatta. The watch features Vulcain’s famous “cricket” alarm movement, with a second time zone controlled via the screw-down crown located at 4 o’clock.
Update: An informed reader pointed out that Arizona Fine Time is a US retailer of Vulcain, if anyone is interested.
Vulcain Aviator Dual-Time Trophy
Limited edition 100 pieces
42mm steel case (14.45mm thick), manual-wind mechanical Vulcain Manufacture Caliber V-10 (cricket) alarm, 42 hrs power reserve), blue rubber strap
Most commonly know for its racing-themed watches, here are some bold and fresh new pieces from Bernard Richards manufacture, aka B.R.M. The “warbirds” collection comes in a few variations, all shown below – each uniquely designed to represent one of the more famous fighter planes of yesteryear: the Spitfire, Mitsubishi Zero, and the P-51 Mustang. Lot of color and aviation-inspired styling on these watches — included lacquer accented chronograph pushers and crowns. Price is EUR 5400 for brushed stainless steel case and EUR 5850 for a black PVD case. Available July 2012.
BRM Bombers “Warbirds” Watches
45mm steel case (brushed or black PVD finish), automatic mechanical chronograph movement, leather strap
Breitling presents the 44mm Superocean Chronograph II with a new red rubber bezel. This new version is limited to 2,000 individually numbered pieces.
See all of Perpetuelle’s DIVE Watch Coverage HERE >>>
Breitling Superocean Chronograph II RED
Limited, numbered edition 2,000 pieces
44mm polished steel case, 500 meter water resistance, unidirectional bezel, automatic mechanical Breilting Caliber 13 (COSC),
A nice look at the Heuer Autavia Siffert over at Heuerville. For more on legendary Swiss racer Jo Siffert, see here. Click through to Heuerville for all the pics…
Heuer Autavia 1163T Siffert
Perpetuelle.com has partnered with Govberg Watch Repair (Philadelphia, PA) to offer you affordable, efficient watch repair and service. I am excited to offer this service through Perpetuelle because Govberg really offers a great deal that you rarely if ever see anywhere else — FREE Estimates and FREE Return Shipping even if you decide not to have your watch serviced/repaired by them. Perpetuelle readers receive at no extra cost to them a 12-month warranty on all work by Govberg’s master watchmakers, too. Govberg is experienced with virtually every brand — from Audemars Piguet, Patek, Rolex, Panerai, and Breitling on down to Seiko, Swiss Army and the like.
Click on the banner below, or the “Watch Repair/Service” link in the upper right corner of the page (above the Search box) for more details and some basic FAQs.
Show here are the two Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph timepieces that Chopard is set to unveil this coming weekend at the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique. Like the 2010 Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco pieces I find little if anything not to like about these splendid racing watches: the colors are great, the case is great (42mm titanium or titan+rose gold), the dial layout is great (note the horizontal racing strips at mid-dial) and the heritage is great. Every detail is right without anything being over the top. This is what Chopard is all about to me — the racing watch. I’d have a hard time choosing an Omega Speedy over a nice Mille Miglia or one of these Monaco Historique pieces — but that’s just me, a man who prefers the path less traveled.
Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph 2012
Titanium/orange edition (ref. 168992-3032) or limited, numbered edition (500 pieces) in titanium+rose gold/blue (ref. 168992-3032)
42.4mm case (14.7mm thick), automatic mechanical movement (COSC), on perforated grey Barenia leather strap with matching stitching and titanium pin buckle
note the “steering wheel” motif on the crown:
Monaco – my yacht, 3rd from left 
Exhibition back, engraved with the GPMH initials and the Automobile Club de Monaco insignia:
Representing the “vintage version” of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique was created in 1998 to mark the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi family’s accession to the throne of the Principality. Raced along the same route through the streets of Monaco, it is reserved exclusively for classic racing cars, making it unique in its kind. Although initially intended as a one-off event, it is now on its 8th running and a much anticipated biannual event. This is Chopard’s sixth time as a sponsor.
Reminisce: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2010
Exhibition back, engraved with the GPMH initials and the Automobile Club de Monaco insignia
As we first saw in January 2012 (thanks, Hodinkee), Audemars Piguet is launching the Royal Oak Offshore Diver in a forged carbon case with ceramic bezel this year. This is the second model in the ROO Diver line, the first being the AP ROO Diver Ref 15703 which debuted to much acclaim in 2010. Unchanged from the Ref 15703 are the dimensions (42mm, 13.75mm thick), mega-tapisserie dial, inner-rotating timing ring, and the AP Caliber 3120 automatic movement. However, the yellow accents (in particular the 15-minute arc on the timing ring) and forged carbon case unquestionably breathe more life into this new piece as compared to its monotone sibling. As for me — despite the 9-word long name and the IWC Aquatimer 2000 (Ref 356810)-like colors — I like it.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Royal Oak Forged Carbon
42mm forged carbon case, AP automatic mechanical Caliber 3120, inner rotating ring with diving scale, luminescent hour-markers and hands, rubber strap
Wrist Shot by Jason Heaton @HODINKEE
The Audemars Piguet ROO Diver Ref 15703
This one comes to us from Tom Mulraney, Executive Editor over at The Watch Lounge: Swedish auction house Kaplans will soon be offering three pieces from legendary watchmaker Svend Andersen. I first came to know of Svend Andersen via Linde Werdelin and its SpidoLite SA (“SA” = Svend Andersen, he did the movement), and more intimately through author/journalist Michael Clerizo’s fantastic book, Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking. Among many lots in the Kaplans auction, tThe Andersen pieces to be sold are the Orbita Lunae, Perpetual Secular Calendar, and Montre a Tract; all are estimated to hammer at under $15,000, which seems like a remarkable opportunity to own an original piece from Svend Andersen. At these prices, I think that there is great long-term collectors opportunity here. Click through to the article as Tom has some great background on Andersen, as well as a look at all three pieces up for auction. Good find, Tom!
The Kaplans “Important Watches” auction starts tomorrow….get in on the action here.
Svend Andersen Perpetual Secular Calendar
