This One-of-a-Kind Patek Philippe Uses a Diamond for a Crystal. It Could Fetch $2 Million at Auction.
One of the most unique and luxurious bespoke watches ever created is heading to the auction block in October at Christies’ upcoming Watches Online: The Dubai Edit sale. This truly exceptional piece was created by Patek for a private client more than 30 years ago and stealthily features a 13.43-carat portrait-cut diamond as the dial cover in place of the traditional sapphire crystal, making it the only watch known to feature a portrait-cut diamond to enhance and protect the dial. Get your bids ready—a watch like this will only come around once.
Back in 1990, a private client approached Patek about creating a one-of-a-kind watch using the stone—the third largest portrait-cut diamond known to exist—and this became the inspiration for the stunning piece coming up to auction. Here, Patek enlisted the famed Genevan case maker Atelier Réunis to design a case around the diamond. The result is the stunning asymmetric watch you see here, which features an 18-karat white gold case and bespoke dial by Stern Frères in blue gold.
More from Robb Report
IWC's Newest Big Pilot Watch Shows Off a Tourbillion That Looks Like an Airplane Engine
Legendary Watch Collector Patrick Getreide Is Auctioning Off His Prized Pieces
Sotheby's New U.S. Head of Watches on Why Collectors Are Seeking Timepieces With Riveting Stories
The unique properties of the diamond further enhance the appearance of the blue sunburst dial of the watch. According to jewelry historian Diana Scarisbrick, “the reflections of the facets illuminate the portrait, the highly polished limpid surface lets the subject shine through with much more brilliance than crystal and also draws the eye towards it. Only the clearest stones could achieve this magical effect.”
In addition, the asymmetry of the case is echoed in the mix of 18-karat white gold baton indexes and dot hour markers, asymmetrically positioned. The model is complete with an integrated mesh bracelet, also in white gold. Patek went on to assign this remarkable piece the unique reference 3843/1, which is engraved on the caseback along with the diamond’s impressive weight. The watch is also accompanied by a digital copy of the certificate of origin dated 18 January 1994 and signed by Philippe Stern noting it as a “Pièce Unique.”
“It is extremely rare for Patek Philippe to make special orders, even for its most important clients,” shared Remy Julia, Christie’s head of watches in the Middle East, India, and Africa. “It follows that the appearance of a bespoke Patek Philippe at auction is an event, and for a bespoke Patek Philippe to be adorned with a portrait diamond, probably the third largest known, is a truly rare sight.”
The Ref. 3843/1 will be up for grabs at Christies’ Watches Online: The Dubai Edit auction from October 5 to 19 alongside other outstanding watches, including a rare skeletonized manual-winding tourbillon from Richard Mille and a selection of Arabic dial vintage Rolex Day-Date models gifted by his late Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. The Ref. 3843/1 last went up for sale at Christies in 2016 and sold for roughly $445,000. However, it’s now expected to fetch more than double, with an estimate of $1 million to $2 million.
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
