Moon Watch: Stellar price for George Daniels Apollo 11 tribute timepiece

George Daniels (1926-2011), one of the foremost pocket watch creators of his era, was so taken by the historic nature of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing that it inspired him to fashion his own inimitable tribute to the men and the mission – the 1982 Space Traveller. Designed to meet every need of even the most demanding deep-space explorer, its intricate mechanism simultaneously indicates both mean-solar time and sidereal time.

As this cosmically-inspired chronogram was sold almost as soon as it was completed (and was only to be seen again in public more than 30 years later), Daniels so regretted the impetuosity of the transaction that he immediately set about creating the Space Traveller II, which remained his personal watch the rest of his life.

One of just 23 pocket watches to have been handcrafted by Daniels, the Space Traveller’s unique provenance recently saw sell it for US$4.56 million, making it the most expensive English watch ever sold at auction, as well as the highest price commanded by a single watch this year to date.

Gems of the Ganges revealed at Christie’s Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence auction

Boasting a staggering array of bejewelled mementos once owned by members of India’s ruling classes, the Christie’s Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence auction was always going to be something truly special.

A a 1912 Belle-Époque Diamond Devant-de-Corsage Cartier Brooch

Hosted at the auctioneer’s New York office, the marathon 12-hour sale raked in a total of US$109 million, making it the second-most valuable private collection ever to go under the gavel – outdone only by the 2011 sale of the gems that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor, that most beguiling of screen goddesses.

The lead item this time round was a 1912 Belle-Époque Diamond Devant-de-Corsage Cartier Brooch. Eventually sold for US$10.6 million, the horseshoe-shaped, diamond-draped creation featured two wholly unique gemstones – a brilliant-cut, D-colour, 34.08-carat diamond and an oval-shaped 23.55-carat diamond.

Among the other highlights of the sale were a dazzling Antique Imperial Spinel, Pearl and Emerald Necklace, which went for an eminently respectable US$3 million, and a gem-studded Jigha turban ornament and the The Taj Mahal Emerald brooch – both of which attracted winning bids of US$1.815 million.

Stratospheric Prices: High Price for Zhang Daqian Mountain Masterpiece

Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) is rightly lauded as both one of the most adept Chinese artists of the 20th century and one of its most prolific, a reputation that ensures his splashed ink landscapes are sought out by art aficionados the world over. So, when an extant example of his work – Manchurian Mountains – took centre stage at the recent Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Paintings auction in Hong Kong, the bidding war that ensued was no surprise.

Completed in 1969, this immense 2m x 1m landscape was originally gifted by Zhang to the daughter and son-in-law of Zhang Xueliang, an official in China’s Republican Army and a personal friend of the artist’s. Depicting the stunning Yiwulü Mountains in Northern China’s Liaoning province, its evergreen peaks were captured in beguiling mineral colours as a symbol of coming prosperity, with the snow-capped summits also signalling that auspicious times lay ahead.

Given its unsullied provenance and the fact that it was the first time this particular piece had ever come to auction, it is perhaps understandable that it inspired a truly staggering winning bid of HK$162 million – more than double its pre-sale estimate.

Pink Performance: Pink Floyd guitar sale fetches stunning sums

David Gilmour, the legendary lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, that most cosmically-inclined of British rock bands, has played stunning solos on some of the world’s bestselling albums – most notably The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon.

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour with his 1969 Black Strat — Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour with his Black Strat, which sold for US$3.975 million

When news broke out, then, that he intended to auction off his personal guitar collection, it was no surprise that music memorabilia aficionados the world over went into something of a meltdown. Nor was it a huge shock that the collection raised the undeniably grand figure of US$21 million when Christie’s New York brought the gavel down on the final lot, the proceeds of which have been earmarked for Gilmour’s charitable foundation.

By far the star performer of the day was a 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster – also known as the Black Strat – which went for a stunning US$3.975 million, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of US$150,000 by some 2,650 percent. It has to be said, though, that the initial valuation was somewhat conservative, seeing as this was the very instrument that gave the world some of the most memorable Pink Floyd tracks, including Money, Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Comfortably Numb.

Pink Rock: Bubble Gum Pink diamond ring took top billing at Christie’s

While the words ‘bubble gum pink’ may not quite segue into the mystique and rarity that characterise haute joaillerie, one particularly stunning rosy-esque diamond ring that more than matched this description took top billing at the recent Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong, ultimately selling for an eminently wallet-lightening US$7.52 million.

Precisely crafted by London-based jeweller Moussaieff, the centrepiece of Bubble Gum Pink’s white gold ring is a 3.43-carat, cushion-cut, internally flawless fancy vivid purplish pink diamond. Surrounding this iridescent gemstone are four D-colour, internally flawless, marquise-cut diamonds and several pear-shaped pink diamonds.

Highlighting the unique nature of this salmonesque showstopper, Francois Curiel, Chairman of Christie’s Europe, said: “It’s probably the strongest pink I have seen in my 50 years as a jewellery specialist. What is particularly rare about it is that it is also internally flawless, meaning it has no imperfections whatsoever.”

Child Star: Daughter Gets Diamond Name-checked as Manami Star

By all accounts, a truly special father-daughter bonding moment took place at a recent Sotheby’s auction when, after a fierce bidding war, a gargantuan 88.22-carat oval diamond was sold to a Japanese collector for US$13.8 million. Immediately upon completing the sale, the purchaser then renamed the precious stone the Manami Star after his eldest daughter.

This poignant gesture only further added to the undoubted allure of the gemstone, one of only three oval diamonds of 50 carats or more to have been offered for auction in living memory. Officially deemed a category D, Flawless, Type IIa, Brilliant diamond, it holds the particular distinction of notching up a perfect score across all the 4 C’s that count – cut, colour, clarity and carat weight.

The original rough diamond that morphed into the 88.22-carat gem was mined in Botswana at a site co-owned by the De Beers diamond merchants and the Botswanan government, a site that was already renowned as a source of stones of the highest quality. Weighing in at a staggering 242 carats, the original was then painstakingly professionally polished and cut over several months, before emerging in its ultimately symmetrical, iridescent form.

Money Bunny: Jeff Koons’ Rabbit shatters records

Since bursting upon the art scene back in the ’80s, American artist Jeff Koons has been no stranger to controversy. Indeed, his ostentatious artworks have long been decried and celebrated in equal measure. All the controversy surrounding his sundry creations has, of course, only driven up their value. A clear case in point is his Balloon Dog (Orange) – a stainless steel sculpture of a toy balloon dog – which sold for US$58.4 million in 2013, the then-record for any auctioned artwork produced by a living artist.

Now, that record has been shattered and by yet another of Koons’ animal-inspired creations – a 41-inch stainless steel sculpture simply known as Rabbit. Completed in 1986, this cartoonish figure is widely regarded as one of the most iconic examples of 20th-century art, hailed as being exuberant and celebratory by his admirers, while dismissed as vacuous and disposable by his many detractors.

Regardless of its artistic value, none can deny its monetary worth, with this best-in-show bunny snagging US$91.1 million at a recent Christie’s auction, surpassing the US$90.2 million record set last November by David Hockney and reaffirming Koons’ reputation as a genius cash-generating creative talent.

Auto Exotica: Shelling Out on ’60s Super Car Shelby Cobras

Auto enthusiasts got a treat when the Mecum Indianapolis 2019 Spring Classic auction revved into action. In total, 1,000 vintage cars were sold over the six-day event, with three near-mint ’60s Shelby Cobras – the rump of the estate of Steven Juliano, a New York night club impresario and classic car collector – commanding top billing and collectively selling for over US$7 million.

All created by Carroll Shelby, the celebrated American car designer, whose works spanned such iconic models as the AC One and the Shelby Mustang, the star billing went to a 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C Roadster. One of just 27 such roadsters ever made, its all-original parts, factory-delivered Goodwood tires and an odometer reading of just 10,760 miles saw it fetch US$2.86 million.

Coming in a close second was a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster. Lauded as one of the best-maintained original Cobras still in existence, it sold for truly impressive US$2.42 million. Rounding out the list was a 1964-built 289 Roadster with its attention-grabbing Ford Rangoon Red livery. One of the most customisable designs of its day and the only one of its kind built specifically for road use, it went under the hammer for a very creditable US$1.76 million.

George Daniels Prime Pocket Watch Headlines Auction

While ‘modern pocket watch’ may seem somewhat oxymoronic in terminology terms, a particularly prized example of just such a haute horological highlight – a George Daniels Grand Complication pocket watch – stunned industry insiders recently when it sold for a staggering US$2.4 million, an all-time high among the specially-sourced lots going under the gavel in Geneva this season.

While many may not be familiar with the name ‘George Daniels’, he is an English horologist of a 1926-2011 vintage and oft considered one of the greatest watchmakers of his generation. His chief claim to fame lies in his invention of the co-axial escapement, a monumentally innovative mechanism that continually keeps precise time without the watch’s movement requiring any conducive lubrication.

This particular pocket watch, created at the height of the ’70s Quartz Crisis, features that very mechanism, as well as Daniels’ first-ever instantaneous perpetual calendar, a retrograde date, a minute repeater, a thermometer, an equation of time and a power reserve indicator.

Obviously only too aware of its value, Alexandre Ghotbi, head of sales for Phillips Geneva, described this unique statement timepiece as “the greatest horological invention of the last 200 years.” And he should know.

Blue Up: New blue-hued gem set to sink pink diamond reign

With pink diamonds currently the only gems any self-respecting member of la beau monde will be seen out and about with, it’s all too easy to forget the allure of the more earthy and calming coloured precious stones, notably those distinctly blue of hue. In fact, given that the largest blue diamond ever to be unearthed in Botswana has just seen the light of day, overlooking such luminescently luxurious items may just have become a degree or two more difficult.

The as-yet-unnamed brilliantly blue diamond was dug up by the Okavango Diamond Company, a state-run jewel mining conglomerate and, even in a country that prides itself in producing the most pristine of precious stones, this 20.46-carat giant of a gem was instantly hailed as Something Very Special Indeed.

Estimated to have coalesced into its current form some 500 million to 3 billion years ago, this Type Ilb Fancy Deep Blue boasts one of the most keenly sought-out colour classifications of any blue diamond, leaving any pale pink pretender to the throne looking distinctly pasty by comparison.