This Rolex Went to the Titanic. Now, It's Up for Sale

We hope you’re in the bidding spirit, because this month is shaping up to be one for the (horological) books. And we’re not even talking about Tom Brady’s watch collection…this time. The major New York auction houses—Phillips, Soethby’s, and Christie’s—each have some heavy hitters in their respective sales, and all types of collectors are well served.

Are you a fan of exploration and adventure? Then you’ve gotta check out a Rolex Submariner worn on several expeditions to the Titanic. Big history buff? Then the Day-Date once owned by Egyptian president Gamal Nasser is right up your alley. What about shaped watches? If those float your boat, then an incredible 1940s-era Patek Philippe in the shape of a chameleon is guaranteed to capture your imagination.

I pored over the catalogs for this weekend’s auctions—which are carrying hundreds of lots—and selected my favorites.

Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari (Est. $1 million–$2 million)

Copyright: Christies Images Limited.

Though it was just usurped by Bvlgari—whose latest Octo Finissimo Ultra measures a mind-boggling 1.7-mm thick—the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari is still stupidly svelte at 1.75 mm. Unlike the Ultra, it doesn’t use the watch’s caseback as a baseplate and opts instead for a more conventional design. Its semi-rectangular case profile, however, is decidedly unconventional, and its limited-edition nature (150 pieces) could see it blow well past its estimate. Retail alone on the RM UP-01 is $1,888,000.

Patek Philippe ref. 1252 “Chameleon” (Est. $50,000–$100,000)

David Duong

Patek’s shaped pieces from the mid–20th century are some of the most extraordinary dress watches in the world. This example, a ref. 1252 “Chameleon,” is an 18k yellow and pink gold bangle with a hinged watch head. Shaped like a chameleon, its pink silvered dial features the beloved “long” Patek Philippe signature and is one of only three known examples of the reference. (Another example is in Patek’s own museum.) Either these are coming up with unlikely frequency or one piece is bouncing around—Antioquorum sold a Chameleon just last spring.

Philippe Dufour Grande & Petite Sonnerie Sapphire Dial, Unique Piece (Estimate: in excess of $2 million)

If you can believe it, this watch carries the highest estimate ever assigned to a wristwatch at Phillips New York—just the house that sold Paul Newman’s record-setting Rolex Daytona. To be fair, its high estimate isn’t particularly surprising: Dufour was the first to put a petite and grande sonnerie in a wristwatch with a double-balance wheel, of which this 41-mm white gold pièce unique with a sapphire dial is an example. Coming from the small workshop of one of the most important watchmakers in the world, there’s little wonder it’s set to fetch over $2M.

F.P. Jounre Grande Sonnerie Repetitions Minutes Ruthenium Dial, Possibly Unique (Estimate: $800,000–$1,600,000)

You can’t well include a Dufour without including a Journe in your auction now, can you? Both are massive players in the indie scene that watch collectors are steering many of their auction dollars toward these days. Journe is also a three-time Aiguille d'Or grand prize winner at the GPHG—the horological Oscars—he designs watches so idiosyncratic as to be recognizable from far across a crowded room. This possibly unique timepiece is, like the Grande & Petite Sonnerie seen above, a minute repeater that can audibly chime the time upon activation by the wearer. Though other examples of this compilation exist, this is the only known version with a ruthenium dial, which are fairly scarce within Journe production and utilize a rare metal belonging to the platinum group.

Rolex ref. 1803 Day-Date owned by President Gamal Nasser of Egypt (Estimate: $30,000–$60,000)

A Day-Date ref. 1803 is always a special thing, but one from the personal collection of a significant historical figure is quite another. This yellow-gold example, however, is special: Fitted with Arabic day and date wheels, it was gifted to Gamal Abdel Nasser by—incredibly—Anwar Sadat, who succeeded him to the presidency in 1970. (The caseback is inscribed “Mr. Anwar El Sadat 26-9-1963.”)

Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 (Estimate: $20,000–$40,000)

Sotheby's

Ready for a cool tool? This ref. 1680 “Red” Sub was worn by Al Giddings, a noted cinematographer and producer, on several trips to the RMS Titanic. (Giddings worked not only on James Cameron’s Titanic, but also The Abyss and For Your Eyes Only, the James Bond film starring Roger Moore. Produced in 1976, it’s a sharp example with a beautiful dial and even comes with a signed Titanic poster.