Must-have Mustangs: Premium horse embryos sold at Asia Horse Week
As Hong Kong geared up for the second iteration of The Asia Horse Week earlier this year, the organisers of this unique equine expo added a surprise item to the programme – Asia’s first-ever auction of premium horse embryos.
Run by Arqana, the renowned French auction house, this inaugural event had 18 premium in-utero lots on offer, each derived from some of the world’s most illustrious show jumping bloodlines. In addition to the hopeful purchasers gathered within AsiaWorld-Expo, buyers the world over were offered the chance to partake via the miracle of online bidding to secure their very own future equine champion.
Right from the off – and much to the delight of an enthusiastic in situ audience – the digital bids flooded in. The first lot (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Coriana Van Klapscheut [Darco]) sold to a Canadian buyer for 41,000 euros (HK$367,770), the largest single bid of the night. By close of play, all horse embryos had been successfully auctioned off, with the evening’s takings totalling more than 416,000 euros (HK$3.7 million).
Bag Baggers: A bonanza of Hermes Birkin bags fetch top dollar at auction
On the very rare occasion that a HermèsBirkin bag comes up for auction, it offers buyers an irresistible opportunity to jump the minimum two-year queue for this notoriously luxurious item of ladies’ luggage.
Imagine the delight, then, when news rippled across high-end Hong Kong that the local Christie’s had somehow managed to wrangle a whopping seven of them into one of its most-widely-anticipated-ever winter sales. Sure enough, with a brigade of Birkin-bereft buyers making a beeline for the auction house, it was no surprise that total takings for the much-talked about-totes topped US$5.5 million, with half of their bags going for well beyond the initial estimates.
While none of the items of haute handbaggery failed to impress, most impressive of all was the Rare Matte White Himalaya Nilocticus Crocodile Retourné Kelly 28 with Palladium Hardware (2015), which went for a rather grand US$208,644 – more than double the estimate of US$77,038. Also of note was the sale of a Rare, Shiny Ombré Salvator Lizard Birkin 25 with Gold Hardware (2007), which went for US$60,988, and a Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Sellier Mini Kelly 20 with Gold Hardware (1994) that went for a cool US$56,173.
Star Wars Sketches: Darth drafts to go under the gavel on 11 December
Movie-minded auction-goers wouldn’t want to miss one of Bonhams London’s sales later this month (December 11), especially if they want to secure some truly stellar movie memorabilia. Up for grabs is no less than a 62-lot archive featuring many of the personal notebooks, sketches and drawings that once belonged to John Mollo, the Oscar-winning British costume designer whose Star Wars sketches laid the foundation for the distinctive look of the best-known characters in the Star Wars’ universe.
Early Star Wars sketches to sell at upcoming Bonhams auction
Perhaps the most coveted item among this veritable treasure trove is Mollo’s personal sketchbook, which covered the period April 1975 to July 1976 and features many the initial sketches of the costumes ultimately destined for such Star Wars stalwarts as Darth Vader, Han Solo, Chewbacca and, of course, the franchise’s ever-iconic stormtroopers. Alongside these provisional sketches are scribbled details of costume budgets, brainstorming sessions and notes from meeting with Star Wars creator George Lucas
Putting this lot into due perspective, Katherine Schofield, Head of Entertainment Memorabilia at Bonhams, said: “Without a doubt, John Mollo created costumes that elevated many characters to cult cinematic status. These sketchbooks are a unique part of cinema history – in my experience nothing like this has ever been seen at auction before.”
Top Hat: Indiana Jones’ iconic fedora fetches big bucks at auction
Both Marty McFly’s hoverboard from Back to the Future II (1989) and Anakin Skywalker’s light sabre from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) were on offer to movie-minded auction-goers last month as part of the latest Entertainment Memorabilia Live sale organised by Prop Store, the London and Los Angeles-based purveyor of fine movie mementos.
Iconic Indiana Jones fedora sold for a heroic £320,000 at auction
Even the abiding appeal of time-travelling teenagers and Jedi weaponry, however, was not enough to steal the top spot at the sale, with that accolade undoubtedly going to the iconic fedora worn by Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the franchise’s 1981 debut, which went for a heroic £320,000.
Mind you, even Indiana Jones might have been topped had another of the auction’s most illustrious lots – the jacket worn by Han Solo (Ford again) in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the second tranche of the original Star Wars saga – gone for anything like the initial estimate of £500,000 to £1 million. Sadly, it failed to meet its reserve price, with the highest bid clocking in at just £450,000 – not enough to Force the sale through.
Highlights from Poly Auction Hong Kong’s Important Watches auction
While many were still dazzled by the National Day fireworks that lit up the sky in early October, the region’s haute horology enthusiasts were gearing up for yet another Major Event – Poly Auction Hong Kong’s Autumn Sale. As ever, this saw a horde of high-earning horologists gather in eager anticipation of bidding for one or more of the hundreds of timeless timepieces – from classic chronometers to wacky one-off watches – going under the gavel during the event’s Important Watches auction.
One of the most talked-about lots was undoubtedly Patek Philippe’s Ref. 6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon. Billed as the most mechanically-complex chronogram ever created by the legendary Swiss watchmaker, its eye-catching white gold case houses a staggering 12 complications, including a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, a moon phase, a sky chart and a minute repeater. Coming complete with a calibre 89 movement and a deep-blue dial, only five watches comprise this very limited edition.
Patek Philippe’s Ref. 6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon
Another key lure for big-spending bidders at Poly Auction Hong Kong was a collection of rare Zodiac-inspired timepieces from Vacheron Constantin. Dubbed the Métiers d’Art “Les Masques”, each of the 12 pieces in the set features hand-carved masks as a cultural nod to the more baroque traditions that once prevailed in such far-flung locations as Tibet, Java, Gabon and the Congo. While otherwise unique, four incisions on the dial of each watch show the day, date, hours and minutes, with each design also featuring an engraved verse courtesy of Michel Butor, the renowned French writer.
Cartier is another marque that has had occasion to eschew the traditional dial style, as exemplified by its Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier – Cockatiel, one of this year’s other leading lots. With almost every inch of this limited-edition ladies’ watch dazzlingly decked with diamonds and sapphires, its look is heightened still further by the bejeweled rose gold cockatiel perched enticingly on its sapphire crystal case.
Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier – Cockatiel
Never one to be outdone, Jacob & Co.’s Brilliant Flying Tourbillon is another timepiece sure to set tongues wagging at Poly Auction Hong Kong’s Important Watches showcase. A staggering 330 baguette-cut pink sapphires grace this 18-piece limited release model’s case, crown and dial, while a further 346 brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the movement’s splint, with all of them eminently evident via its transparent caseback.
Jacob & Co’s Brilliant Flying Tourbillon
Equally alluring was an offering from Richard Mille – the Ref. RM003 AO Ti-CA. Taking its inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s Formula One track, this elegant wrist adornment features the Yas Marina Circuit’s signature white and blue hues on its inner bezel and straps, while a map of the race track keeps things interesting on its caseback. In keeping with the Swiss label’s love of all things outré, its entire tonneau-shaped case has been constructed from North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) carbon, apparently a first in the world of watchmaking.
Ref. RM003 AO Ti-CA by Richard Mille
Another lot boasting the very finest horological craftsmanship was HYT (Hydro Mechanical Horologists)’s Skull – Guns N’ Roses Edition. Despite its status as something of a newcomer, having only entered the market in 2012, HYT’s trademark hydraulic movements have already won it legions of devoted followers, including Axl Rose, the lead singer of LA rockers Guns N’ Roses, who actually designed this piece. Featuring a dominant skull dial motif ringed by a water-filled capillary, its way of telling time sees the water level passing the corresponding hour markers as the day progresses.
Skull – Guns N’ Roses Edition by HYT
Of course, it wasn’t all about recently-released avant garde timepieces, with several fine vintage watches that harked back to a far more understatedly elegant era also up for auction. Taking pride of place among these carefully-curated classics was a 1947 RolexCloisonné Enamel “Dragon”, featuring a unique cloisonné enamel dragon motif created in partnership with Stern Frères, the legendary Swiss dial maker. One of only five such watches ever created, this rare artefact has become somewhat synonymous with the very best of post-WWII horological precision engineering.
Vintage 1947 Cloisonné Enamel “Dragon” by Rolex
From bejewelled designs and outré models to historic timepieces from yesteryears, Poly Auction Hong Kong’s expansive Autumn Sale did indeed boast a fine selection of rare high-end watches, many of them guaranteed to tempt even the most discerning of collectors. It was a strategy that paid huge dividends for the auction house, with its total takings for the day said to be in the region of HK$900 million.
Text: Tenzing Thondup
Special-edition Leica Q ‘Khaki’ camera is both vintage and cutting-edge
For well over a century now – ever since Oskar Barnack invented the world’s first 35mm camera, the Ur-Leica – the renowned German camera brand Leica has been setting the benchmark for photo quality and image capturing technology. Across the intervening decades, its cameras have stood at the frontier of unfolding historic events, capturing iconic moments that have become world-famous.
To pay tribute to this long legacy, a nostalgic, special-edition Leica Q ‘Khaki’ has just been released. This classic model features a genuine leather trim and a matching strap in a nostalgic khaki reminiscent of WWII-esque army camouflage fatigues. The engraving of the classic Leica script at the top plate has also been accented in the same hue.
But don’t be fooled by its vintage-looking exterior. In terms of mechanics, the Leica Q ‘Khaki’ boasts the same technical specs as a standard Leica Q – a speedy Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7ASPH lens, a full-frame sensor, an integrated viewfinder with a 3.68MB resolution, full HD-quality video recording of up to 60 frames per second and WiFi capabilities for remote control and digital file transfers. Merging the classic with the high-tech, this 495-piece limited edition Leica Q ‘Khaki’ is almost sure to be a guaranteed collectors’ item for any vintage Leica lover.
Old China Yangcai Vase: Attic-found premium porcelain sold at auction
It’s not often that sifting through an attic turns up anything more valuable than sepia-toned photos of distant relatives. One Parisian family that recently discovered an ornate vase stowed away in a shoebox had rather more luck. When Olivier Valmier, Asian Arts Specialist at Sotheby’s Paris, was granted a peek into the box, he soon realised the true value of this particular piece of porcelain. It was nothing less than an imperial Yangcai vase, custom-made for the 18th-century Qing dynasty Qianlong Emperor.
While Sotheby’s claims that it is the only existing such item not safely stashed in a museum, it is undeniable that the vase is an intact specimen of the Yangcai style. And there isn’t many of those to be had. Produced during imperial Chinese times, such items were either unique one-offs or part of a specially commissioned pair.
This particular rediscovered relic has been hailed as a splendid example of the porcelain of the period, with its mixed landscape of deer, cranes and pine trees showing both Western and Chinese influences. With the only comparable piece kept in Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris, it’s no wonder the yangcai vase got snapped up for a staggering €16,182,800, almost 23 times the original estimate.
Make the write choice with Cross’s new pen collection
Cross has just launched an elegant addition to the Zodiac Series with the Year of the Dog pen collection. The Cross Year of the Dog pen is a stylish affair in black with deep-etched engravings on 23KT gold-plated inlays.
Cross has also added to its Sheaffer’s Calligraphy Collection this season. To mark the occasion, the maison invited two expert calligraphers to demonstrate the art of calligraphy on Sheaffer’s new calligraphy tools.
Ideal for beginners and experts alike, Sheaffer’s writing instruments add a touch of elegance on every piece of paper, from scrapbooks to formal invitation cards.
Opulence Revealed: Rémy Martin’s newest X.O. cognac unveiled in Hong Kong
Iconic French cognac house Rémy Martin has just unveiled the prestigious Rémy Martin X.O. Cannes 2017 Limited Edition in Hong Kong in an exclusive event titled ‘Opulence Revealed’.
Originally launched as a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, the cognac went on to become a runaway success in France, the US, the UK, China and Taiwan before being released in Hong Kong.
Limited to just 300 bottles in the Hong Kong market, the Rémy Martin X.O. Cannes 2017 cognac is strictly elite. Justifying the letters X.O. – extra old – the cognac has been aged for three decades using only the best-quality grapes from the Fine Champagne region of France.
Blended from up to 400 aged eaux-de-vie, the cognac creates a perfect balance of exquisite and refined notes. The rich amber colour, together with the fragrant aromas of jasmine, plum, figs, candied orange, cinnamon and hazelnuts, create a beautiful anticipation even before the first sip. Surprisingly, the Rémy Martin X.O. cognac is quite light on the palate and can be paired with any kind of protein.
The decanter is equally delightful to behold – a beauty in black and gold, reminiscent of film reels and with a gift box that also includes a film on the cellar masters and the craft of cognac-making.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Get a taste of Louis XIII’s royal history with limited-edition cognac
Premium cognac brand Louis XIII, from the house of Rémy Martin, has just launched a limited-edition collection as a tribute to history.
In 1874, Paul-Émile Rémy Martin bought an ancient royal flask unearthed by a farmer near a historic battlefield. Inspired by its striking shape and regal fleur-de-lys medallions, he created a similar decanter for storing a special cognac made with only the oldest and rarest eaux-de-vie from his cellars.
More than 100 years later, the legacy of the unique decanter still lives on. The recently launched collection, titled The Origin – 1874, recreates the exclusive decanter. It contains a rare cognac made from a blend of up to 1,200 eaux-de-vie drawn from Louis XIII’s signature Grande Champagne.
Speaking about the new collection, Louis XIII’s global executive director, Ludovic du Plessis, says, “The greatest stories often have humble beginnings and ours is no exception. It was 1874 and a new, yet very old cognac was born. The Origin – 1874 marks one of the landmark moments in Louis XIII’s fascinating story, and it will become part of your own personal legacy and tale.”
