6 MUST HAVE WATCHES ON EVERY CONNOISSEUR’S BUCKET LIST

| BY ANTHONY DEMARCO

Some of the most collectible watches worldwide are not always highly complicated or expensive when first issued. They become decidedly in demand due to celebrity promotions, time on the market, and other reasons that sometimes defy logic. Below are six timepieces considered essential for anyone who wants a respectable watch collection. But these are not the only timepieces deemed indispensable to create an entire collection. There are many ways to amass a noteworthy watch collection based on budget, personal style, and other factors. What ties five of these timepieces together is their mass appeal, a sense of history, and the fact that many of the models are still available in some form today. At the same time, the most important are largely unattainable. The sixth timepiece is an exceptional example of contemporary high watchmaking.

PATEK PHILLIPPE-TIFFANY NAUTILUS REF. 5711/1A-018

The Patek Philippe 5711, a seemingly simple steel watch with an unusually shaped bezel and “big ears,” as most people call the sides, became a phenomenon for reasons that are difficult to explain.

The original Nautilus was created in 1976 by legendary watch designer Gérald Genta in response to the quartz watch era. The 42mm steel case (large for its time) featured a soft-angled rounded octagonal-shaped bezel inspired by the portholes of a transatlantic ship and an integrated steel bracelet.

The Nautilus 5711/1A came into existence in 2006. This 40mm steel case version with a deep blue dial is the one that caught the imagination of the watch world (as did all of the watches in the 5711 series). Its price on the secondary market reached astronomical heights during COVID isolation. Those wanting a new Nautilus 5711 would have to join a waiting list with retailers, and sometimes those people on the list waited for years. It became so popular that Patek Philippe discontinued the 5711 in 2021, saying it overshadowed the historic watch brand and that it has always placed a limit on the number of steel watches it produces.

Before ending the 5711 run, it produced a Tiffany & Co. Ref. 5711/1A-018 Nautilus with the trademarked Tiffany Blue color and the stamp of both luxury brands on the dial. It was available in a limited edition of 170 pieces, which sold out during pre-order, except for one piece. This last watch was placed in an exclusive charity auction by Phillips auction house in New York in December 2021. It sold for $6.5 million, shattering its $50,000 estimate.

Prices have come down a bit for the Nautilus 5711 series, but they are still quite high. The Patek Phillippe-Tiffany Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-018 watch has become the holy grail of this top-rated watch series.

Paul Newman Rolex Reference

6239

Cosmograph Daytona

Rolex is the best-known brand in the watch industry and one of the world’s most recognized brands. The Swiss manufacturer has long partnered with the most important sporting events, particularly auto racing, and with numerous celebrities.

Newman’s personal watch, reference 6239 Cosmograph Daytona, was valued at a few hundred dollars when his wife Joanne Woodward gave it to him as a gift. The 36mm stainless steel case housed an “exotic” dial configuration with white registers, a red minute track surrounding the dial’s perimeter, Art Deco numerals, and luminous hour markers. In October 2017, it sold at Phillips auction house in New for $17.8 million, which was a world auction record at the time. A 6239 Cosmograph Daytona with all the traits of the Paul Newman Rolex fetched $281,250 in December 2018 at Phillips auction house in New York.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is a stainless-steel watch with an integrated steel bracelet and octagonal steel bezel inspired by nautical imager y. It’s the work of Gérald Genta. He designed the Royal Oak in 1970, and it first appeared on the market in 1972, before the Nautilus. This watch became Audemars Piguet’s most iconic model and has been in production for over 50 years. The octagonal bezel shape with eight screws has become an iconic signature of the Royal Oak and was inspired by old diver helmets. It was the first luxury watch made from steel. Another iconic detail is the tapisserie (tapestry) textured dial.

This Royal Oak is widely available at various prices in vintage and new models. One of the most significant models was Genta’s personal Royal Oak, sold at auction by Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2022 for more than $2.1 million.

Heuer Monaco Caliber 11

Heuer Monaco Caliber 11, with its square case and blue dial with white and red highlights and left-handed winding crown, is one of the most distinctive watches of the 20th century.

It was designed for auto racing and became famous when Steve McQueen wore it in a movie about a famous auto race, Le Mans. Heuer created it long before its merger with Tag, and it was unveiled in 1969 as the first waterproof, automatic chronograph in a square case. Since 1969, countless iterations have included re-editions and tribute pieces in several color patterns and more traditional right-hand winding crowns. Among the essential versions of the watch is the original series, the Heuer Monaco 1133B, powered by the Chronomatic Caliber 11. The word “Chronomatic” appears on the dial of these watches. However, the most prized are the six Monaco watches Steve McQueen wore on the 1971 Le Mans’ film set—the last of the six sold at Phillips New York in December 2020 for $2.2 million. You can buy a new, very close replica of the Steve McQueen watch for about $7,300.

The 1965 Omega Speedmaster Professional Ref. 105.012 with the caliber 321, known as the “Moonwatch,” was worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin when they first stepped onto the moon in 1969. It was the first watch on the moon. The 42mm steel timepiece was the first in the Speedmaster series with the word “Professional” on the dial and the first with an asymmetrical case to provide extra protection for the crown and pushers. Since 1957, Omega has made many versions of the Speedmaster that are durable and highly accurate, and extremely popular. However, the watch that has captured the imagination of watch lovers and those passionate about space exploration is the 1965 “Moonwatch.” Armstrong’s watch is part of the Smithsonian’s collection, as are many of the Omega watches that went into space. Meanwhile, Aldrin’s watch disappeared in 1971 while in transit to the Smithsonian. While the original space watches are rarely available, some of the same models sell in secondary markets, including one that fetched $14,452 at Phillips Hong Kong in November 2020.

F.P. JOURNE SONNERIE SOUVERAINE

I feel a list of this sort should include a contemporary watchmaker and a product of haute horlogerie. François-Paul Journe is a master watchmaker who handmakes his timepieces in his Geneva atelier. I chose the Sonnerie Souveraine because even in this rarified world of high watchmaking, this timepiece with a chiming mechanism is exceptional.

A Sonnerie is a watch fitted with an active striking instrument that chimes the quarters and hours without manual activation. This feature differs from the more common minuterepeater, which chimes on demand.

The watch was launched in 2006 and ended its run in 2019. Only 50 pieces were made during that time. Upon its release, it won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève’s Aiguille d’Or award, the highest honor in Swiss watchmaking. This delicate and complex mechanism also was designed to be foolproof for the user, an incredible feat in its own right.

In January, a black dial version of the watch, circa 2018, was sold by Phillips Hong Kong at an online auction for more than $1.1 million. All F.P. Journe watches, new and used, have become increasingly challenging to acquire. 