Journal

Notes from the bench

Christian writes about the pieces, the people and the ateliers behind them.

Three men seated at a restaurant table with wine bottles and glasses
People · In memoriam Jean-Pierre Hagmann, JHP A short tribute to Jean-Pierre Hagmann, the casemaker known as JHP, remembered as an extraordinary craftsman and a good friend.
Rolex 6265 Daytona with black dial, white sub-dials and red Daytona script on a steel bracelet
Collecting · Rolex 6265 Big Red with black dial A Rolex 6265 Daytona Big Red with black dial in absolutely superb condition, as they are rarely seen nowadays.
Rolex 6262 Daytona Panda with white dial and black registers on a black perforated strap
Collecting · Rolex 6262 Daytona “Newman Panda” with a perfectly preserved dial A Rolex 6262 Daytona “Newman Panda” with a perfectly preserved dial, as rarely seen today.
Bovet monorattrapante chronograph with black épargne dial and radium lume on a brown leather strap
Collecting · Bovet monorattrapante, 1940s – black épargne dial A Bovet monorattrapante chronograph from the 1940s with a black épargne dial and radium lume.
Five gold chronographs side by side on taupe straps in an auction preview tray, several with moonphase displays
Auctions · Geneva auctions, November 2024 – Patek Philippe, Rolex, Breguet, Pratt, Journe, Dufour Impressions from the Geneva auction weekend in November 2024: five Patek Philippe at Sotheby’s, Derek Pratt’s Oval Tourbillon, the Journe Tourbillon 15/93 and the Dufour Duality.
Silver oval pocket watch with moon phase and Roman numerals on a white dial, held in the palm for scale
Auctions · Derek Pratt / Urban Jürgensen Oval Tourbillon – Phillips Geneva, November The Derek Pratt Oval Tourbillon for Urban Jürgensen, a watch we have known for a decade, comes to auction at Phillips Geneva.
Benzinger GAP with silver Breguet frost dial and rose gilt details, held in the hand
Collecting · Benzinger GAP in four dial variants Four variants of the Benzinger GAP: Breguet frost, Caribbean green, chocolate and British racing green.
Gold pocket watch with enamelled world-map centre and text ring, held in the open palm
Auctions · Geneva May auctions – some impressions Favourite pieces from the Geneva May 2024 previews, with a caution that restorations and later dials are often not described in catalogues.
Caseback of gold Omega Speedmaster engraved Astronaut Richard R. Gordon, Gemini 11 and Apollo 12 on bracelet
Auctions · RR Auction – Richard Gordon’s N°20 gold Speedmaster and Andrey Borisenko’s 164 days in space Speedmaster Two Omega Speedmasters at RR Auction on 25 April: the N°20 of astronaut Richard Gordon, with box and signed letter, and a Speedmaster flown 164 days on the ISS.
Patek Philippe 2526 in pink gold with silvered dial and baton numerals, on a dark leather strap
Auctions · Patek Philippe 2526, the very first example, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold the very first Patek Philippe 2526, number 760 000, for 5,715,000 HKD in April 2024.
Andersen Genève Worldtime watch in gold with a city ring around a white dial with Roman numerals, on a grey fabric strap
Auctions · Bonhams New York, March 2024 – Andersen Genève early white dial Worldtime An early white-dial Andersen Genève Worldtime “Communication” at Bonhams New York: why we prefer it to the blue-dial version, and a note on its JHP case.
Grieb & Benzinger platinum skeletonised chronograph with silver régulateur dial and navy strap, held in an open hand
Novelties · Grieb & Benzinger – unique chronographe rattrapante régulateur, Patek Philippe movement for Tiffany & Co., 1889 A unique Grieb & Benzinger chronographe rattrapante régulateur in platinum, built on an 1889 Patek Philippe movement sold to Tiffany & Co. and finished by hand over more than 1,000 hours.