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| Watches |
The Court's Appeal
James D. Malcolmson
08/02/2004
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 | | THIS 19-CENTURY Breguet Tourbillon was crafted for Don Antonio,
brother of the king of Spain. |
Even for a Breguet Tourbillon—a masterpiece by the greatest watchmaker of the
early 19th century—$1.6 million is a princely sum for a timepiece. However, last
October in Geneva, a buyer gladly paid this at an Antiquorum auction that was
remarkable not only for the elevation of the price, but also for the principal
factor that drove the bidding: the watch’s original owner. Breguet crafted this
timepiece for Don Antonio, the brother of a 19th-century Spanish king. By many
estimates, this fact alone accounted for almost $500,000 of the
price.
Watches with a significant provenance—those commissioned by royalty or
other noble or significant personages—can, in exceptional cases and depending on
the status of their former owner, be worth twice that of comparable pieces with
lesser pedigrees. Many of these are among the most highly prized timepieces on
the collector market. However, finding them and determining their value are some
of the most vexing challenges watch collectors face.
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