Weekly Wind Down | Sales Highlights including watches from Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne and Rolex

The provenance of Patek Philippe’s Calatrava line cannot be questioned. It dates all the way back to 1932 with the launch of the Ref. 96, considered by many to be the blueprint for the perfect dress watch. However, among the current trend for modern sports watches, with their high-tech materials, bold case shapes and complicated movements, the Calatrava’s traditional styling can come across, well, a little boring. 

Cue the 6000G! This punchy little reference is the perfect option for anyone seeking refined sophistication, with a little flamboyance thrown in. The dial really stands out thanks to its bold contrasting numerals, which work their way inwards from the perimeter in a hypnotic formation reminiscent of a roulette wheel.  The date ring tracks the outside, followed by the hour markers, with a contrasting minute track and off-centre seconds subdial rounding out this eye-catching layout. With collectors largely overlooking its unorthodox design, the 6000G represents great value on the secondhand market. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £13,150

There aren’t many watches on sale today where you feel compelled to talk about the box first, especially when that watch happens to be a Lange perpetual calendar! Typical of the attention to detail we’re accustomed to from the revered German watchmaker, the winder inside the box is beautifully crafted. It features two perfectly intertwining gears that move effortlessly to keep the watch wound while it’s not strapped to a wrist.  

Now, onto the watch. Few brands can go toe-to-toe with Lange when it comes to attention to detail or technical sophistication.  A view of the movement through the sapphire crystal caseback quickly confirms this. The off-centre gold and platinum rotor makes space for the balance wheel to shine, showcasing the free-hand engraving that’s become a Lange signature. On the dial side, there’s Roman numeral markers, a 3-6–9 layout, and that brand-defining ‘big date’ complication. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £29,500. 

With its small incremental updates, the world’s most recognised dive watch really hasn’t changed much over the years. Some see this as dull, others admire Rolex’s commitment to design, but what we can all agree on is there’s been a lack of experimentation within the Submariner family. 

Launched in 1967, the 1680 was the first Submariner to be offered with a date. While this was big news at the time, the watch would become known for its red script - a rare departure from Rolex’s conservative dial design. After just a few years of production, this was dropped in favour of white, and this has remained in place right up to the present day. With such a short production run, and a highly desirable dial accent , the ‘Red’ Sub has become one of the most sought-after vintage Rolexes. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £18,150