Showing posts with label cartier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cartier. Show all posts

Friday, May 15, 2009

Ratpack Watches of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. up for Auction

Antiquorum’s summer sale of “ Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Pocket Watch & Clocks” on June 11th auction will include timepieces from twentieth century icons President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Steve McQueen in addition to an exceptional selection of wristwatches from every major brand. The auction will be held at Antiquorum’s US headquarters on Madison Avenue. Clients will have the opportunity to view these exquisite, and in some cases unique, timepieces all over the world including Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York.

Amongst the items being auctioned are:


Of interest for the Frank Sinatra fan is the legendary crooner’s Gruen watch and gold chain necklace. This timepiece is a fine and very thin14K pink gold wristwatch with a pink gold-plated brick link bracelet and is accompanied by a 49 cm gold-plated necklace with 12 letter-links spelling “Frank Sinatra.”

The watch was sold by the estate of Al Silvani who received it as a gift from Frank Sinatra, his close personal friend. Silvani spent a lot of time with Sinatra's Rat Pack and appeared in a number of his movies.Estimate: $ 10,000 - $ 15,000



Sammy Davis Jr.’s Cartier Pasha in the June sale. It was given to him by his best friend Frank Sinatra in the late 1980’s, and is inscribed, “Sammy I Luv Ya F.A.S.” The Cartier, "Pasha Quartz - Two-Time-Zone," Ref. 0321 will be offered along with a 1990 People magazine celebrating the life of Sammy Davis and featuring him on the cover wearing the watch and a scrap book of Sammy Davis related news clippings from 1970 to 1973. The timepiece is a fine and rare, two-time-zone, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold quartz wristwatch with moon phases, day and date, produced in 1987.
Estimate: $10,000 - $ 20,000

The 14K gold Movado watch retailed by Tiffany and Co. that was given to President Roosevelt on the occasion of his 63rd and last birthday by his son-in-law, Col. John Boettiger on January 30, 1945 will most certainly be of interest to FDR fans and Movado aficionados alike. This timepiece is a unique and historically important Movado Ref. 44776 with triple date calendar, produced in 1944 accompanied by correspondence authenticating FDR’s memorabilia.


President Roosevelt, known as FDR, was the celebrated 32nd President of the US and the only President in US history to serve four terms (1933-1945). Recognized as one of the greatest American Presidents of all time, his Presidency spanned the Depression of the 1930’s and World War II. The watch was worn by FDR during the last two months of his life, including perhaps to the Yalta Conference in February, 1945 and he may have been wearing this watch when he died on April 12, 1945 at Warm Springs, Georgia. In 2008, the Movado-Tiffany watch was part of a Presidential display for the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors timepiece collection. Antiquorum experts estimate this fine and historically important timepiece at $ 50,000 - $ 60,000.



Fans of the legendary actor, Steve McQueen and race car enthusiasts will also be very interested in the upcoming June sale as it will include the iconic Heuer “Monaco” wristwatch previously owned by Steve McQueen and worn by him during the filming of the 1971 movie “Le Mans”. Steve presented the watch to his financial advisor upon his return home from filming in appreciation for financially restructuring both himself personally and his company, Solar Productions Inc.

The Monaco watch was originally launched by Heuer in 1969 in honor of the Monaco Grand Prix. The watch is a fine and unusual, square convex, water-resistant, stainless steel self-winding wristwatch with chronograph and date. Antiquorum Experts have placed a pre-sale estimate of $ 10,000 - $ 20,000.

View the entire Antiquorum Catalog for this auction.

Related Famous Watch Posts at The Watchismo Times;


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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Triangulorology - Thirteen Three-sided Timepieces

Tired of circular and rectangular shaped cases? Me too! So then, here is a varied collection of triangular watches over the decades...

1950s Cartier driver sideview watch
"Baguette à cadran incliné et mouvement Duoplan"
Dial is hinged at the apex allowing to rotate on axis

1970s Jaeger LeCoultre

1959 Patek Philippe prototype designed by Gilbert Albert
(valued well over $100,000)

1940 Jaeger LeCoultre "Duoplan" driver style sideview watch
(smallest mechanical movement)

1990 Gerald Genta "Les Nights"
with triangular hands and pyramidal stepped bezel

1961 Prototype Hamilton Electric Ventura
Mahogany & Mother-of-Pearl Pacer Prototypes

And there can't be any definitive triangular retrospective without the mysterious world of Masonic watches...

1940s Cervine Masonic Wristwatch

Other Masonic Watches
Top: 1920 Tempor 8 day keyless Dashboard Timepiece
Bottom: 1930 Tempor & Hiram Pocketwatches

1950s Louvic Mystery Dial
(hands on discs)

Unknown 1970s dynamic scattering LCD sideview
Very rare triangular prototype


Photos via Antiquorum and Rene Rondeau


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Monday, October 15, 2007

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Cartier World Time Clock

An onyx clock given to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Pierre Cartier will be auctioned and is expected to fetch up to $1 million (€710,000).

The clock, containing time zones for locations important to Allied forces in World War II, is being offered for sale on Dec. 4 at Sotheby's Manhattan auction house.

Cartier sent Roosevelt the gift on December 20th, 1943 with a letter in which the French jeweler wrote, “My countrymen are particularly grateful for what you are doing for them, and we realize that it will be thanks to your efforts and marvelous leadership that France will again live.” Cartier continues, “I have thought that a clock marking the time in the different parts of the earth where the glorious American armies are fighting – a clock which therefore will mark the hour of victory – might be a useful addition to your desk.”

President Roosevelt, in his letter from the White House thanking Pierre Cartier, replies, “And, too, I am intrigued by the differing times of world capitals. Soon, very soon, I hope that Paris will resume her place among the free capitals of the world. All of us are doing our best toward that end.”


The letters are not part of the auction and are housed in the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Herald Tribune via Luxist



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Thursday, October 4, 2007

At the Auctions - 1930 Tissot 1940 Rolex 1950 Cartier

Some nice looking vintage offerings at the upcoming October Antiquorum auction in Geneva. Above, a 1930s Tissot Staybrite Chronograph with very unusual lugs. Estimate $2500-$4200-->Link


An untouched 1946 Rolex Square Antimagnetique est. $25,000-$32,000-->Link

This very rare 1940s Audemars Piguet triple date moonphase chronograph is expected to bring in over $100,000-->Link

And a 1950 platinum and diamond Cartier "Gouvernail Ronde Squelette" could reach over $200,000-->Link


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