Having covered the highlights from independent watchmakers and historical pocket watches at The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVIII on May 24 and 25, we now turn to complicated AAA Swiss replica watches past and present.
Amongst the historical are 1:1 online fake Omega 30I tourbillon wristwatches tested at the Geneva, Neuchatel and Kew observatories, as well as a pair of chronographs with historical movements, an Excelsior Park with the Venus 179 split-seconds chronograph calibre and a Montblanc with the large, 17”’ Minerva monopoussoir chronograph movement.
The auction is scheduled for May 24 (lots 801-934) and May 25 (lots 935-1083), with online bidding and the catalogue available on Phillips.com.
880 – Replica Patek Philippe Ref. 5059R-017 London Edition Watches
This is an example of high quality Patek Philippe fake watches‘ top-of-the-line perpetual calendar in the late 20th century (that distinction now goes to the ref. 5236P linear calendar), the perpetual calendar with retrograde date.
The lineage began with the ref. 5050, the brand’s first perpetual calendar with centre seconds after the ref. 2497 and 2438-1 of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1998, the ref. 5050 was succeeded by the functionally identical ref. 5059, a more modern but still classical luxury copy watches with an officer’s case featuring a hinged back.
This version is a limited edition made for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in London that took place in 2015. The pink gold case places its amongst the rarest case metals for the model, which was made from 1998 to 2006, with 1200 to 1400 estimated to have been made in all metals. The number in pink gold is believe to be between 300 to 400.
But it’s the dial that really makes this special. Finished with sunburst brushing and a metallic brown, the dial has applied numerals, a feature unique to limited edition or special order variants of the ref. 5059. The standard versions of the model all featured printed numerals.
While the exact number of this edition is not known, only a few were made. This is only the second example of this version to emerge at auction. The first example was sold at Phillips last year for HK$635,000 including fees.
Maintained in exceptional condition, the ref. 5059R is a full set with box, papers and accessories. It has an estimate of HK$400,000-800,000, or US$51,300-103,000.
914 – Fake Omega Tourbillon 30 I Watches
The first-ever Swiss-made tourbillon movements for wholesale replica watches came far earlier than most would think: in 1947 Omega made a dozen cal. 30 I tourbillon movements with an unusual carriage rotation of 7.5 minutes instead of the traditional 60 seconds.
Seven of the movements were submitted for testing at the Geneva, Neuchatel, and Kew-Teddington observatories over several years starting in 1947 until 1952. In 1950, the cal. 30 I numbered “10’595’933” earned an outstanding score of 867.7 points, the highest-ever result in the category.
The movements submitted for the observatory competitions were never offered for public sale, instead they were used in marketing materials to emphasise Omega’s status as a leading chronometer maker. One movement, however, was transformed into a prototype wristwatch, making it the first Swiss-made tourbillon wristwatch, and in 2017 it sold for over US$1.4 million.
The top super clone watches on offer here is a more recent example, part of a batch of seven of movements that were rediscovered, decorated, cased, and sold in 1987.
This bears movement number “10’595’943”, or ten digits removed from the record-setting example tested in 1950. It was the second-t0-last movement made and tested at the Neuchatel observatory in 1947.
The cal. 30 I reveals the tourbillon only from the back, where the view is surprisingly plain. Having been constructed as observatory trial contestants rather than luxury Swiss made replica watches, the cal. 30 Is were all basic in fit and finish, as revealed by the original prototype.
The seven examples cased in 1987 were reworked to dress them up for public sale, so this example features some decoration on the movement like Geneva stripes on the bridges.
This watch has been in the same collection for 35 years and is in outstanding condition. It is estimated at HK$400,000-800,000, or US$51,300-103,000.
996 – Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Supersonnerie Replica Watches
Audemars Piguet is best known for the Swiss movements fake Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches, but it’s the best value with almost anything else but the Royal Oak. It’s a Minute Repeater Supersonnerie with a platinum case, fired enamel dial, and a low estimate well under a third of the retail price.
Moreover it’s a Supersonnerie, which means it employs AP’s case construction system based on three patents, including one for a second case back that functions as a soundboard. The result is perhaps the loudest and most resonant minute repeating wristwatch on the market. It’s made all the more notable by the heavy platinum case, which would ordinarily be a detriment to the sound.
More classical in style than the Code 11.59, the Jules Audemars line was AP’s classic, round-watch offering for almost two decades. This repeater is typical of the design, with polished bezel and lugs matched with a brushed case middle.
The aesthetic is restrained with a grand feu enamel dial in a smoked finish that’s a dark blue in the centre that darkens to black at the edges.
The replica watches for sale is fairly large at 43 mm in diameter and 13.16 mm thick, which is a consequence of the Supersonnerie construction that requires a double case back as well as substantial open space within the case for resonance.
The case back has perforations around its rim to allow sound to be transmitted outside the case, another feature of the Supersonnerie. It’s also decorated with cast relief of a watchmaker at a bench.
The Supersonnerie is in like-new condition and is presented with its box, papers, and accessories. The estimate is HK$780,000-1.56 million, or US$100,000-200,000.