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Phillips "Winning Icons" Auction - No Seiko: Winning Icon of the Swiss Chronometer Trials

lightspire
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Question: why do you think Grand Seiko was completely absent from the Phillips Winning Icons Auction?

Seiko were literally the "winning icons" of watchmaking - sweeping Swiss chronometry contests in Switzerland - at the same time as many of the watches auctioned.

"By the late sixties Seiko dominated Swiss observatory chronometry trials, just before the contests were cancelled for good. At the end of the sixties, 226 Seiko wristwatches were certified by the Neuchâtel observatory and sold to the public as Astronomical Observatory Chronometers, making them amongst the rarest and most desirable Seiko timepieces ever" - SJX

http://watchesbysjx.com/2013/06/exp...ark-astronomical-observatory-chronometer.html

Seiko-astronomical-observatory-chronometer-45GS-(1).jpg Seiko-astronomical-observatory-chronometer-45GS-(14).jpg
The cal. 4520 Astronomical Observatory Chronometer
Edited:
 
lightspire
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Question: does a brand pay to have their watches represented in a specific auction?
 
Rman
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I think they meant “winning” in a Charlie Sheen kinda way.
 
watchknut
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Rman Rman
I think they meant “winning” in a Charlie Sheen kinda way.
Tiger blood for lubricant...
 
adi4
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The market for the vintage Grand Seiko's is pretty small, but it is very motivated for good to great condition watches. Would be interesting to see one of the Credor Eichi's or the tourbillon Fugaku come to one of these auctions and see how they perform in the market. I can't remember seeing an Eichi in auction, but I'm probably wrong.
 
TsoloT
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If it’s based on accuracy then a 1972 watch from the Omega range of mega quartz’s is the most undervalued and under appreciated out there
9 secs a year and still the most accurate none thermo compensated watch in the world I think this qualifies as an icon imho

When they stopped making that watch it was the firs time in history man went backwards technologically
The second was scrapping Concorde
 
tyrantlizardrex
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lightspire lightspire
Question: does a brand pay to have their watches represented in a specific auction?

The auction houses build a sale... so either as a standard sale, or a thematic one.

Often it's what they can persuade owners to list.

As to the lack of Seiko Chronometers.... well... and?

Theres no hype around Seiko Chronometers... unless Paul Newman had one. 😉
 
tyrantlizardrex
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I'll add that very often, the insane prices paid for things (cars/watches/memorabilia), has nothing to do with what they're actually worth, or whether they're any good.

The Daytona, no matter who owned it, is to me, nothing special... I don't like how it looks, I don't like how it wears... it's not for me.

But lots of people have a hard on for that watch - whether it's because they like it, or because all the cool kids say it's cool, is a different matter.
 
TsoloT
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I agree that it’s demand not intrinsic value ....However the Paul Newman was a charity auction effectively, or a tax loss write off ,or what ever
Its price certainly had very little to do with watch collecting
 
timjohn
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I love Seiko, and I particularly I particularly love the 45xx movements — I’ve got four of them — but those observatory watches are some seriously ugly mofos. Now a 45G VFA...
 
Kmart
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timjohn timjohn
I love Seiko, and I particularly I particularly love the 45xx movements — I’ve got four of them — but those observatory watches are some seriously ugly mofos.

Agreed. Paul Newman Daytona, radial dial Speedmaster, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms -- those are icons. Winning Swiss Observatory trials in the 60's does not an icon make...
 
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