GENEVA.- This autumn, the auction of Important Watches at Sotheby’s Geneva will be led by the exceptional Schmid & Muller Collection which chronicles the earliest days of Swatch design. This truly remarkable collection was created and assembled during the 1980s by Marlyse Schmid and Bernard Muller, the two designers who played a critical role in the artistic development of the celebrated Swiss brand. The auction on 10 November will also offer a selection of rare and important timepieces reflecting fascinating moments in the history of watchmaking. These include prestigious manufacturers Rolex, Patek & Cie and Bovet Fleurier.

Commenting ahead of the sale, Pedro Reiser, Department Manager for Sotheby’s Watch Department in Geneva, said, “The pieces which make up the Schmid & Muller Collection are of huge significance. This completely unique and historic selection of timepieces, components and designs maps out the creative process during the fascinating early years of Swatch. In addition to this wonderful Swatch ‘time capsule’, our November sale will offer collectors the opportunity to own superb models spanning 250 years, including highly rare pieces showcasing the very best of Swiss watchmaking skill, design and innovation.”

THE SCHMID & MULLER COLLECTION
In the early 1980s, the traditional Swiss watch industry was in deep crisis, facing competition from cheap, mass-produced quartz watches. Against this challenging backdrop, a small team of visionaries, working in secret, developed a bold and innovative concept, a youthful watch which combined the highest Swiss quality with a new, trail-blazing attitude: Swatch.

Marlyse Schmid and Bernard Muller were at the creative heart of the secret development team. The duo would be the designers of the very earliest Swatch models, developing the watch’s iconic design.

Their stunning personal collection – to be offered as a single “superlot” - represents a unique opportunity to own close to 1000 watches which were all created in the early years of Swatch. Among them are nearly 380 prototypes, an exceptional selection of technical drawings, sketches and diagrams, not to mention hundreds of cases and dials. A large number of the pieces in the collection date back to the extraordinary period before Swatch watches were commercially available, and are therefore extremely rare. Furthermore, certain models and variants have never before been seen on the market, and are certain to be of great interest to lovers and collectors of this iconic Swiss brand (LOT 134, estimate upon request).

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION
Early 1983 saw the birth of “The Original Jelly Fish” (ref. GK100 SP) – the first transparent watch by Swatch. Designed by Marlyse Schmid, it was unveiled in a limited edition of 200 pieces. This was the first “Special Model” introduced by Swatch.

Swatch’s eye-catching “12 Flags Watch” was first launched in the Spring/Summer collection of 1984 as part of the “Skipper” series. Thanks to a selection of diagrams and dial variations, the Schmid & Muller collection shows the evolution of the watch’s dynamic design, which was inspired by nautical flags used in seafaring.

The twelve flags spell “swatch quartz” in nautical language – as can be seen in the annotations on the accompanying drawing.

Launched in 1985, the “Swatch Art Special” series of watches saw Schmid & Muller working with the most celebrated artists of the time. This included collaboration with prominent American street artist, Keith Haring. Haring’s bold, unconventional work – which included paintings, murals and subway artworks – seemed a perfect fit with the innovative and irreverent spirit of Swatch. It took Haring 2 years to come up with the now famous 1986 collection of six different designs including “Serpent”.

The drawings show precise instructions from Keith Haring about possible colour combinations on these dials for the “Serpent” edition. This collection was only available in the USA, making these time pieces even more exceptional and desirable to this day.

IMPORTANT WATCHES: FURTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS
Sotheby’s November sale of Important Watches in Geneva will also include a selection of fine timepieces, including examples which illustrate the creativity and innovation for which the Swiss watch industry is renowned.

RARE 19TH-CENTURY POCKET WATCHES
An essential member of the Swiss watchmaking landscape, Bovet was established in 1822 by four brothers, including Edouard Bovet who settled in China. The company rose to prominence and enjoyed tremendous success thanks to its ‘Chinese Watches’, made in Fleurier, Switzerland. Aimed at the flourishing Chinese market, these sophisticated enameled watches included matching pairs, highlyprized gifts in a culture which considered twins to be a sign of good fortune. The November sale features a fine example of Bovet Fleurier’s delicate work: a rare enamel and pearl open-faced watch in yellow gold made around 1840 (LOT 89, estimate: CHF 25,000 – 35,000 / $ 25,600 – 30,700).

Owing to the extremely limited production of “Patek & Cie” (1845-1851), timepieces produced with this signature are hard to come by and highly sought-after. Experienced collectors will therefore no doubt be intrigued by a fine and very rare yellow gold open-faced watch dating from around 1845, which features a further rarity: the cuvette of the watch has a ‘hidden’ portrait painted in it. Today, some of the best examples of these early Patek & Cie watches are kept in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The general whose portrait adorns the watch is Ludwik Kicki (17901831), a national hero of Poland, mother country of Norbert de Patek (LOT 160, estimate: CHF 12,000 – 18,000 / $ 12,300 – 18,400).

TECHNICAL INNOVATION AND ELEGANT DESIGN
A fascinating fragment of Rolex history can be found in a very rare electronic centre seconds wristwatch, featuring the ground-breaking Beta 21 movement. This electronic calibre was unveiled at the Basel Fair in 1970, following nearly ten years of research by a consortium of Swiss watchmaking firms. Rolex immediately launched this model, Ref 5100, with production limited to 1000 examples. This particular example stands out for two reasons: it was presented to Mr Edmond Zaugg – the brilliant engineer who led the development of the electronic calibre for Rolex – and it boasts a dark blue satin-finished dial, a feature seldom seen (LOT 70, estimate: CHF 20,000 – 30,000 / $ 20,500 – 30,700).

Patek Philippe’s exceptionally stylish reference 5950 was launched in 2010, and is a superlative example of the class, design and superior watchmaking associated with the brand. Its symmetrical Art Deco-inspired decorations and Breguet numerals hark back to the legendary vintage split seconds chronograph model known as “Coussin Tortue”, made by Patek Philippe in the 1920s (LOT 119, estimate: CHF 250,000 – 350,000 / $ 256,000 – 358,000).

The elegance and sophistication of Cartier is represented in the autumn sale by a captivating lady’s watch in white gold from the famous Tank Française line, entirely set with diamonds (LOT 19, estimate CHF 25,000 – 35,000 / $ 25,600 – 51,500).

Just like his fellow band-member Eric Clapton, Cream’s legendary bass-player Jack Bruce had a discerning eye when it came to fine watches. From his collection, the sale in November will offer a fine white gold semi-skeletonized automatic wristwatch by Breguet. This reference 7037 La Tradition features a small silvered guilloché off-centre dial with Roman numerals and power reserve (LOT 127, estimate: CHF 10,500 – 15,500 / $ 10,800 – 15,900).

SPORTING COMPLEXITY
Ranking among the world’s most elite sports watch brands, Richard Mille is also known for the company’s enthusiastic sponsorship of prestigious sporting events. A very fine platinum tonneau semi-skeletonized tourbillon watch demonstrates this perfectly: it illustrates Richard Mille’s role as official timekeeper to the ‘invitation only’ regatta known as the Perini Navi Cup. This model, RM015, is inspired by one of Perini’s most spectacular yachts, with features including the shape of the crown, case outlines, tourbillon and winding barrel bridges reflecting various elements on the vessel (LOT 244, estimate: CHF 120,000 – 180,000 / $ 123,000 – 184,000).

Despite being regarded by many as the world’s most prestigious watch brand, Patek Philippe is often also associated with relatively traditional design. Launched at the Basel Fair in 2010, the reference 5951 marked a departure for the celebrated manufacturer, pushing forward with visual innovation. While the cushion form is reminiscent of some of Patek Philippe’s earliest split seconds chronographs, the dial is anything but traditional, blending the sporty and the contemporary. This model is the thinnest split seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar ever built by Patek Philippe and its extreme complexity means that each one is hand-crafted one at a time (LOT 255, estimate: CHF 325,000 – 375,000 / $ 332,000 – 383,000).

IN SUPPORT OF A GOOD CAUSE
This autumn, Sotheby’s Geneva and Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen are proud to offer a stunning unique piece: The Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition “Le Petit Prince” (Ref. IW371810) in red gold. The watch combines the technical sophistication of an impressive splitseconds mechanism with a wonderfully whimsical feature made up of seven stars – echoing the famous tale of „The Little Prince” and the personality of his creator (LOT 133, estimate upon request).

All the proceeds will benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, the charitable organization dedicated to supporting disadvantaged young people all over the world through local initiatives by providing education and training.