A Celebration of Time – Part II

One of the highlights of the auction is a “Mariage” chronometer with a pocket watch movement by José Sampaio for Patek Philippe & Co., dating to around 1889. The chronometer movement, numbered 85775, was manufactured by Patek Philippe in Geneva and supplied to the Portuguese jeweller José Sampaio, one of the manufacture’s selected retailers. These so-called dealer or private-label watches reflect Patek Philippe’s exclusive international distribution network during the late 19th century and are now considered particularly desirable collector’s pieces. Chronometer movements from this period represented the highest grade of production at the Geneva manufacture, individually regulated for exceptional accuracy and finished to an extraordinary standard.

The auction also offers a glimpse into an era when pocket watches increasingly evolved into highly sophisticated precision instruments. An impressive example is an Omega Chronograph Pocket Watch “Cadran Breveté S.G.D.G.” from the early 20th century. Its remarkable enamel dial is based on Omega’s Chrono-Tachymeter system, patented as early as 1906, which allowed speeds to be read directly for the first time—without the need for calculations or a slide rule. With its carefully calibrated scales, this watch stands as an outstanding example of the technological advances that accompanied the early age of motoring and aviation.

Another exceptional highlight is a Savonnette pocket watch by A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte, dating from 1881. Archive records from the German Watch Museum Glashütte confirm its sale on 31 January 1881 to Dürrstein & Co. in Dresden, one of the manufacture’s most important retail partners during the 19th century. Its documented provenance, matching movement and case numbers 20,275, together with the original presentation case and certificate, make this watch an exceptionally well-documented example of early German precision watchmaking.

A Celebration of Time – Part II brings together rare pocket watches, elegant mantel clocks, and impressive longcase clocks—offering a diverse selection for collectors and enthusiasts of historic horology.