For us, the highlight of the March 15 auction is a 1951 Rolex Padellone in Rose Gold (ref. 8171), an extremely rare chronograph with triple date and moon phase function. According to Antiquorum, it’s never before been offered for sale at auction and, as a result, is expected to fetch between 100,000 – 200,000 Swiss Francs. Also of interest to Rolex enthusiasts will be the ultra-desirable 1972 Rolex Daytona 6263 Paul Newman ‘Panda’ with blackened bezel and second indices, expected to command between 100,000 – 150,000 Swiss Francs. In comparison, the elegant pre-Daytona chronograph ref. 6238 seems relatively inexpensive, estimated to fetch 35,000 to 55,000 Swiss Francs.

Back in the six-figure bracket, Antiquorum will also offer the 12th of only 55 ‘Saint-Gervais’ Tourbillons built by Vacheron Constantin. Expected to go for 250,000 to 350,000 Swiss Francs, the rare timepiece boasts a 250-hour power reserve, and is named after the Geneva district in which the famous manufacturer resides. If that’s not a good omen for the star of a Geneva-based watch auction, we don’t know what is. The full lotlist can be found here.

The highlights of Antiquorum's watch auction in Geneva