Weekly Wind Down | Sales Highlights including watches from Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Omega

When it comes to brand signatures, few represent Patek Philippe better than a manually wound chronograph. However, up until 1998, this had been conspicuously absent from the catalogue for almost 40 years! Patek Philippe has certainly made up for lost time, releasing a number of highly regarded references, not least its most recent addition - the 5172G.

This reference launched in 2019, and from a design perspective, managed to strike the perfect balance of classic and modern design cues. The case is sized at 41mm for more contemporary  tastes, but introduces vintage-inspired stepped lugs  and guilloche pushers.  The large applied Arabic numerals on the dial also add a touch of sportiness.

Flipping the case over, a sapphire crystal displays the movement, which is an important calibre for Patek Philippe. It’s an in-house movement, and a departure from the modified Lemania calibres it had used previously. Impressive on the inside and out, this is one of the finest modern releases from the ‘Holy Trinity' member . Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £37,000

Audemars Piguet spearheaded the use of stainless steel in the luxury sports watch realm when it released the Royal Oak in 1972, and it’s tapping into that same pioneering spirit all over again, this time with the use of ceramics. This scratch resistant material has been widely adopted by the Swiss watchmaking industry over the past two decades, but it can be a little tricky to work with and a lot of manufacturer’s limit its use to certain components. 

This Royal Oak is a masterclass in the machining of ceramic, with its signature angular case and integrated bracelet made entirely from this contemporary material. The sharp transitions between brushed and polished surfaces can be seen on the fine bevels that run along the case and travel down the bracelet links. Balancing out its stealthy appearance are rose gold hands, markers and bezel screws. This reference takes AP’s technical expertise into the next realm. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £34,000 

In 2018, Omega announced five new Speedmaster limited editions to celebrate the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but little did they know back then, how unusual the Tokyo games would prove to be. The watches were only available in Japan and with the Olympics delayed and international travel highly restricted, the number of these watches making it onto the international market is far lower than would be expected.

Of the five limited watches produced, to match the colours of the Olympic rings, the standout is this red bezel version. Dubbed by the Omega collectors’ community ‘Rising Sun’, the connection to the Japanese flag is clear and ties the watch most closely to the Tokyo games. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £4,600