The auction will be held at the Hôtel Méridien Beach Plaza si Monaco. An appointment that from time to time becomes more and more interesting and important. Let's find out together the reasons for its interest.
The watches to come during the Exclusive Timepieces auction come from all over the world and from some prestigious collections. Of note are an incredibly impressive selection of truly rare Rolex Daytona watches, an extraordinary and rare Cartier watch, a platinum Patek Philippe from the 1920s being auctioned for the first time, John Goldberger's Calatrava, one of the most coveted 530references...all to name just a few.
For those who would like to participate, these are the times
Session I: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2:30 p.m. - lots 1 to 108
Session II: Sunday, October 22, 10:30 a.m. - lots 109 to 172
Session III: Sunday, October 22, 2:30 p.m. - lots 173 to 281
"It is with great joy that we present to you our tenth auction since we have united under the name Monaco Legend Group" -speaking are Davide and Andrea Parmegiani, along with Claude Cohen-it seems like a long time ago when we started working together in February 2019, and during that time we have enjoyed a renewed energy and passion for the development of this company. We are amazed and proud of the path we have traveled together over the past five years and the goals we have achieved in growing this auction house. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for the trust you have placed in us, and we will strive to continue both our growth as a company and the trust the market and the broader industry has in us. The quality of the incredible and beautiful works we can offer in our sales improves each time, with more and more outstanding examples of rare, collectible and truly iconic vintage and contemporary watches being entrusted to us."
"The watches we offer come from all over the world and from some of the most important collections. As always, the importance of the works illustrated on the front and back covers of this catalog cannot be underestimated. On the back you can see an incredibly impressive selection of truly rare Rolex Daytona watches. On the cover is an extraordinary and rare Cartier watch, a 1920s platinum Patek Philippe, which is being auctioned for the first time, and John Goldberger's Calatrava, which is one of the most coveted 530 references." We are told they are Davide and Andrea Parmegiani, along with Claude Cohen.
An exceptional Datejust from the personal collection of John Goldberger
Launched in 1945, the Rolex Datejust is one of the most iconic models ever created. Its knurled bezel and Jubilee bracelet are both instantly recognizable at a glance and are still deeply rooted in the ADN of today's Rolex watches. Over the years, Rolex has created many different dial designs with a variety of materials. Rolex has and continues to experiment with many different hard stones. Due to the fragile nature of the stone, many of these hard stone dials break during production and are therefore expensive and consequently highly sought after by collectors. Therefore, a perfect dial will greatly increase the value. This dial is in impeccable condition and is one of the most desirable variants as it features the prestigious Khanjar logo at 6 o'clock. This Datejust in lapis lazuli is one of the rarest gemstone dials for Rolex watches and only a few have been produced in white gold. Rarely have such special and important combinations of features appeared on the auction market, making this item one of the most valuable for collectors. The white gold case is in incredible condition, with thick lugs and sharp edges. The case back is engraved with the words "Asprey," as Sultan's Rolex watches were only available from the London dealer. The "Asprey" engraving remains clear, crisp and legible, which is incredibly rare, as most engravings have worn away over time due to general wear and light polishing. The white gold Jubilee bracelet is in equally wonderful condition. The beautiful lapis lazuli dial, which shows no cracks, is flawless and has silver-stamped graphics indicating that the dial was intended to fit in a white metal case. In comparison, lapis lazuli dials inserted in a yellow gold case have gold graphics and are more readily available on the market. In nature, lapis lazuli often occurs together with calcite (which appears as white veins in the stone) and pyrite (which looks like gold veins). This dial contains barely any calcite/pyrite deposits and is punctuated only by a few small silvery-colored calcite inclusions, giving the dial a beautiful solid blue color. Incredibly rare and with some of the most prized features that collectors seek these days (precious material, hard stone dial, and Khanjar logo), the item in question is even more important as it has been part of Mr. John Goldberger's personal collection for many years and is, of course, published in one of his books, "100 Superlative Rolex Watches" on pages 159 and 161.
A rare and in some ways unique 1972 Rolex Daytona rei, 6265
Special features: the Paul Newman dial but especially the "Mystery Cross" engraved case back. It will be auctioned by Monaco Legend Group starting from a valuation of 600,000 to 1,200,000 euros.
Legends and stories populate watchmaking lore. Shrouded in mystery, many of them remain unsolved, while others take years, decades or even centuries to be revealed. Rich in fascination, they are able to captivate the greatest collectors and enthusiasts, creating an aura around them. One of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the world of vintage watches involved the " Mystery Cross" found on a limited number of vintage Rolexes. For many years it seemed impossible to find an answer to what this particular engraving was, but only a couple of years ago, watch writer Perezcope was able to unravel this mystery.
This engraving features a cross with equilateral arms, exactly like the one in the Swiss flag, and surrounded by a braided rope. This logo belongs to the "Schweizer Stiftung für Alpine Forschung" in Zurich, the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research. This foundation, since 1939, has organized expeditions to the Himalayas by providing all kinds of support and equipment. In 1952, the Swiss attempted to reach the summit of Everest with a young Tenzing Norgay as Sherpa, but unfortunately it did not go as hoped and the mission had to be aborted not far from the summit due to a monsoon storm and inadequate oxygen equipment. Numerous photos from that expedition show accessories with this "Schweizer Stiftung für Alpine Forschung" logo and have helped find the solution to this mystery.
But what is the connection between the "Mystery Cross" and Rolex? At present, only three watches with this special engraving are known, and it is interesting to note that all three are Daytona Ref. 6265 in steel. Unexpectedly, all three have different dials from each other, but what unites them are their serial numbers, all close together, indicating that they were produced in 1972. The stories surrounding these watches were varied, including that some Italian journalists in the Amazon rainforest had come into contact with Venezuelan guerrillas who were already in possession of one of these specimens or that these watches were made for the famous Pontifical Swiss Guard, the Pope's armed forces. However, after verifications by Christie's in 2015, the stories proved to be unfounded and the logo remained a mystery.
In 2021, after many years of research, the watch expert "Perezcope" contacted the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, which responded that these three specimens produced and engraved in 1972 were probably the result of a special order placed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the incredible 1952 ascent that had nearly reached the summit of Everest, anticipating what would be the quest of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. This also explains why these Daytonas had nothing to do with an expedition that took place 50 years earlier.
Monaco Legend Group will offer for sale in the auction at the end of October this beautiful Daytona ref. 6265 in steel, very well preserved with the deep and clear "Mystery Cross" engraving on the back. A crucial detail of the watch is that the last three digits of the serial numbers repeat inside the case back. This is a known feature existing in special order Rolex watches made for Comex, the British Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Fuerza Aerea del Perú (FAP) among others. In addition, there is a small hole in the case back specially made by Rolex, so as to indicate that the engravings were done directly by them at the factory and not later, which is further evidence that this is a commemoration made in agreement with Rolex itself.
If that were not enough, this is the only known example that boasts one of the rarest and most prized dial versions ever produced: the so-called Paul Newman "Panda" dial . The Panda dial features a dichromatic color scheme: the colors present on this dial are only black and white, just like the Asian bear to which it was named. It is possible that the "Panda" variation was a "last ditch effort" to simplify the dial design in order to make it more appealing in the eyes of the public. The simplicity of the black and white color scheme, combined with the complexity of the dial design, results in an extremely stylish watch that combines masculine, sporty and elegant traits.
This marks the first time a ""Mystery Cross"" has gone up for auction since Perezcscope solved the riddle that has shrouded the watches for all these decades and is a unique opportunity to acquire a piece of history.
