Over 150 Patek Philippe watches are being offered at auction this weekend in New York, and the horological World Cup is right here in the Big Apple. Forget soccer, hockey championships and even basketball finals for a few minutes and dig into the world of Patek Philippe auctions. This is the real action this weekend for the watch obsessed.
Across Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s, New York is about to host one of the densest concentrations of important Patek Philippe watches we have seen around here for a very long time: from neo-vintage beloved trophies, Tiffany-signed masterpieces, Anita Porchet enamels, Gilbert Albert beauties, Patek Philippes with Presidential provenance, and even a watch that once belonged to Henry Graves, Jr. Many collectors have asked for my advice on bidding, so here it is, 100% transparent for the whole world read. And my bottom line bidding advice?? Do your homework, know your budget and go for it. Now or never. Sometimes you get only one chance to take that shot or shoot the puck — or make that one last bid.
And just for fun I have a rating system to help you along the way. “How Bad I Want It” is purely emotional and only you can answer that – I just have my opinion. “Historical Importance” is my view of its place in Patek Philippe collecting. “Chance You See Another Soon” is probably the most important bit of bidding advice since it is my estimated probability that a comparable example comes up publicly in the near future. The lower that percentage, the more careful I would be about letting the watch go. After all, these auctions are often once in a lifetime opportunities!
So here we go – have fun with this and please let me know what you think. These are numbered 1-14 but in no particular order. Each description has a link so you can go directly to the site. And remember, register now and not the last minute — I have made that mistake one too many times.
1. Christie’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 2526 “Golden Rule” Tiffany & Co. for Lyndon B. Johnson
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6590151?ldp_breadcrumb=back
Estimate: $70,000–120,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 10/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 5%
This watch is the perfect vintage storm: early ref. 2526, Tiffany New York, American political history, and extreme scarcity. The listing states that approximately 15 “Golden Rule” examples have surfaced publicly, and this example is described as fresh-to-market. It is also accompanied by an 18k gold C+B Tiffany & Co. bracelet, which looks great on this watch. Pure presidential sports-chic.
Would I pay over the high estimate? Yes, within reason, these are becoming more difficult to find especially fresh-to-market.
2. Sotheby’s — Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr.’s Twenty Dollar Double Eagle Coin Watch, Sold in 1928
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/1904-s-twenty-dollar-double-eagle-coin-a-rare-and?locale=en
Estimate: $300,000–500,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 10/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 0%
This is the kind of watch that makes the weekend feel less like an auction weekend and more like a museum event and this is my favorite historical object on offer for the entire weekend. Made in 1925, sold to Henry Graves in 1928, and one of the first coin watches ever sold by Patek Philippe. That alone is enough to stop the room. Graves is not just another name in Patek history. He is the collector whose Supercomplication defined the very idea of the best of the best. Graves pushed Patek Philippe to make the impossible possible. He collected watches, coins, rare objects, and commissions. This coin watch connects those worlds. It is not simply a novelty: it is a clue into how Graves thought. The choice of a Double Eagle feels too perfect: an American gold coin, an eagle motif, concealed horology. and a whole lot of “Esse Quam Videri”.
Would I bid over high estimate? Yes. This is one of those cases where I would almost ignore restraint. There may be more complicated watches this weekend. There may be flashier watches. But there are very few objects with this level of provenance and narrative clarity. You are buying Patek Philippe, Graves, early coin-watch history, and a watch from collecting royalty in one small object. If you are building a world-class collection, this is exactly the type of thing that separates the merely expensive from the truly important.
3. Sotheby’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 788/1 Gilbert Albert “Ricochet”
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/reference-788-1-gilbert-albert-ricochet-a-yellow?locale=en
Estimate: $30,000–60,000
How Bad I Want It: 9/10
Historical Importance: 8/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 75%
This is the sleeper that should not be a sleeper. The Gilbert Albert “Ricochet” is finally being recognized as one of the artistically most important Patek Philippe designs of the twentieth century.
Gilbert Albert led Patek Philippe’s creative department from 1955 to 1962 and brought a sculptural, modernist, nature-inspired vocabulary into a company better known for symmetry and restraint. The “Ricochet” is not a watch for someone who wants another safe design. It is a watch for someone who understands that Patek Philippe’s design history has avant-garde edges. The hammered, asymmetrical case, the textured gold dial, and the crosshair motif all make this feel more like wearable sculpture than conventional watchmaking.
Would I go over high estimate? Maybe. It’s a strong estimate but these still have runway.
4. Phillips — Patek Philippe Ref. 5970P-001 “Factory Double-Sealed”
https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/234113
Estimate: $150,000–300,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 10/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 3%
The 5970P is one of the definitive modern Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronographs. It sits at the end of a lineage and at the beginning of a new market consciousness. It has the Lemania-based caliber 27-70 Q, the classical 40 mm case, and the black dial in platinum arguably the most compelling configuration of the ref. 5970. Phillips’ example is factory double-sealed, dated 2009, and estimated at only $150,000–300,000, truly a teaser estimate.
Would I bid above the high estimate? Yes. This one is truly factory double-sealed and the odds of seeing another ref. 5970P full-set, factory double-sealed is increasingly miniscule. Go for it.
5. Sotheby’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 5971P-001, Certificate in the Name of President George W. Bush
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/reference-5971p-001-a-platinum-and-diamond-set?locale=en
Estimate: $200,000–400,000
How Bad I Want It: 8/10
Historical Importance: 8/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 1%
This ref. 5971P is a fascinating watch because it brings together three different collecting languages: grand complication, gem-set Patek Philippe, and presidential provenance. It is a platinum and diamond-set perpetual calendar wristwatch with certificate dated 2007 in the name of President George W. Bush from the Geneva Boutique. I want to know who gave it to the President? This is much better than a bar of gold on one’s desk if you know what I mean.
The Bush certificate adds a layer that the market will have to process. The watch is not described as personally worn by the president; the certificate is in his name. Kinda cool in my opinion.
Would I bid over high estimate? Yes, but not recklessly. At the right number, I think it is a genuinely important modern Patek Philippe and the fact that it has the Bush story is just the sugar on top.
6. Christie’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 2552 “Golden Rule” Tiffany & Co. for Lyndon B. Johnson
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6590213?ldp_breadcrumb=back
Estimate: 70,000-140,000 USD
How Bad I Want It: 8/10
Historical Importance: 9/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 10%
If the ref. 2526 is the headline LBJ watch, the ref. 2552 is the connoisseur’s companion piece. Christie’s describes this as a reference 2552 “Golden Rule” Calatrava, manufactured in 1956, with cream dial bearing the “Do Unto Others” inscription by Tiffany & Co., and accompanied by an 18k gold C+B Tiffany & Co. bracelet. The listing states that approximately three reference 2552 “DUO” dial watches are known. That is an astonishingly small number.
The ref. 2552 matters because it takes the same LBJ/Tiffany “Golden Rule” story and moves it into a rarer reference family. It is also automatic, still powered by caliber 12-600 AT, still 36 mm, still stamped HOX for the U.S. market, and still connected to one of the strangest and most compelling special-order narratives in American Patek Philippe collecting. But compared with the ref. 2526, the ref. 2552 is the less commonly seen vessel for the story.
Christie’s includes a family note stating that the original owner’s family had a connection to LBJ, while also making clear that they cannot say with certainty whether LBJ personally gave the watch. That nuance actually strengthens the scholarship. It is better to have careful attribution than inflated romance. This watch could go crazy…
Would I bid above high estimate? Yes, assuming the condition supports it.
7. Phillips — Patek Philippe Ref. 5740/1G-001 Nautilus Perpetual Calendar “Tiffany & Co.”
https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/234116
Estimate: $150,000–300,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 10/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 5%
The ref. 5740/1G is the modern Nautilus with complication done right. It is thin, white gold, perpetual calendar, bracelet, and unmistakably Patek Philippe. This example has a Tiffany signature, a complete collector set, original-owner consignment, and virtually unworn condition. The teaser estimate is $150,000–300,000 is sure to spark a bidding war – the bidding for this one will be fun to watch!
Historically, the 5740/1G matters because it was introduced in 2018 as the first Nautilus to feature a perpetual calendar. Now with the 50th anniversary of the Nautilus, all eyes are this family again. And a ref. 5740/1G with Tiffany signature is the patriarch.
Would I go over high estimate? Yes, you will be seeing this one on the cover or auction catalogues for decades to come.
8. Phillips — Patek Philippe Ref. 5960/1A-001 “Tiffany & Co.”
https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/234114
Estimate: $40,000–80,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 9/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 20%
The ref. 5960/1A is one of the great neo-vintage contrarian Patek Philippe watches. The reference itself is important because the ref. 5960 was Patek Philippe’s first automatic chronograph, and pairing an Annual Calendar with a flyback chronograph gave it a uniquely practical complication profile. The steel bracelet version has aged much better than many expected. It feels casual, usable, and unmistakably Patek Philippe, but not overexposed like the Nautilus and Aquanaut. Why do I like this example? The Tiffany signature makes a difference, but the bigger point is value. Compared with the other Tiffany-signed watches at Phillips, this is the accessible one. It has real complication, modern daily wearability, full-set appeal, and a collector-friendly estimate. If someone asks me where they can buy a genuinely interesting Patek Philippe this weekend without entering the seven-figure arena, this is one of the first lots I mention.
Would I bid above high estimate? Yes, I think you will need to get up there to be competitive but you never know in the world of auction!
9. Phillips — Patek Philippe Ref. 974/24J “Blue-headed Macaw” by Anita Porchet
https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/234679
Estimate: $70,000–140,000
How Bad I Want It: 9/10
Historical Importance: 9/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 5%
The Anita Porchet pocket watches at Phillips are exactly the kind of lots that sophisticated collectors should study. The “Blue-headed Macaw” is a yellow gold, open-face pocket watch with an enamel scene by Anita Porchet, dated 2001, accompanied by an Extract from the Archives confirming manufacture in 2001 and sale in 2004. Phillips describes it as fresh-to-the-auction market and in excellent case condition. Anita Porchet is one of the great living enamel artists. Her work matters because it sits at the intersection of Patek Philippe’s rare handcrafts tradition and the broader survival of miniature enamel artistry. These watches are not “just pocket watches.” They are portable paintings and true works of art. Bid accordingly.
Would I go over high estimate? Yes, worth every penny.
10. Christie’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 3746/900G Golden Ellipse, White Gold with Lapis Lazuli Dial
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6590172?ldp_breadcrumb=back
Estimate: 15,000-25,000
How Bad I Want It: 8/10
Historical Importance: 8/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 2%
This is the kind of Patek Philippe that would have been overlooked ten years ago and is now exactly where collector taste is moving. Christie’s describes it as the only known ref. 3746/900 in white gold with a lapis lazuli dial, manufactured in 1976. The Golden Ellipse is no longer merely the thin dress watch your grandfather owned. It has become one of the key design canvases for understanding Patek Philippe in the late twentieth century.
The appeal is obvious: white gold, hard stone dial, Golden Ellipse case, and “only known” status. Lapis lazuli gives the watch a completely different, emotional temperature from standard Ellipse dials. The deep blue, natural variation, and mineral quality make the watch feel less like a timekeeper and more like a design object.
Would I bid over high estimate? I would – the “only one-known white gold lapis Ellipse” is exactly the kind of thing that gets my attention.
11. Christie’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 5130G-013 World Time “Guatemala”
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6590251?ldp_breadcrumb=back
Estimate: 50,000-100,000 USD
How Bad I Want It: 8/10
Historical Importance: 8/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 8%
The 5130G “Guatemala” is a modern, special-order Patek Philippe watch with exactly the sort of small dial change that can create major collector interest. Christie’s describes it as a white gold automatic World Time reference 5130G-013, circa 2012, with a special-request world time disk replacing “Mexico” with “Guatemala” in red lettering. The Certificate of Origin confirms the Guatemala dial.I haven’t seen one of these before.
Would I go above high estimate? Yes, but it depends on how important your connection to Guatemala is. If it said my hometown on it (Bristol, CT) I think I would pay anything.
12. Sotheby’s — Rolex | Patek Philippe Pair of Subsidiary Desk Clocks Made by Patek Philippe for Rolex
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/a-pair-of-subsidiary-desk-clocks-made-by-patek?locale=en
Estimate: $15,000–30,000
Bid Above High Estimate: 9/10
How Bad I Want It: 9/10
Historical Importance: 9/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 15%
These are not wristwatches, and that is precisely why I love them. They are a pair of subsidiary desk clocks made by Patek Philippe for Rolex circa 1975, with black dials signed Rolex and Patek Philippe caliber 33 electro-mechanical movements. The estimate is $15,000–30,000. In a weekend full of six-figure and seven-figure wristwatch drama, this is one of the most fun, strange, and collectible objects on the board.
The magic is the Rolex-Patek Philippe collision. In modern collecting, those brands are treated almost like rival kingdoms. Here, you have Rolex on the dial and Patek Philippe inside. That is catnip for collectors because it complicates the simple brand narratives we all repeat. It reminds us that horological history is full of supplier relationships, technical overlap, and practical solutions.
Would I bid over high estimate? Yes. This is the kind of thing you need to have on your office desk. And an amazing story to tell.
13. Sotheby’s — Patek Philippe Ref. 5050J-019 Perpetual Calendar Retrograde
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/reference-5050j-019-a-yellow-gold-automatic?locale=en
Estimate: $40,000–80,000
How Bad I Want It: 7/10
Historical Importance: 8/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 25%
The ref. 5050 is one of the best arguments for neo-vintage Patek Philippe. This ref. 5050J-019 is a yellow gold automatic perpetual calendar with retrograde date, moon phases, and leap year indication, circa 1999, with papers and accessories. The estimate is $40,000–80,000. This model matters because it was Patek Philippe’s first serially produced perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases and retrograde date. That is a real historical marker. It bridges the classical perpetual calendar world and the more contemporary complicated Patek Philippe language that followed. The case is restrained, the layout is practical, and the retrograde date gives the dial a visual identity that separates it from the more familiar ref. 3940-style perpetuals.
Would I bid above high estimate? Probably not needed but I would go up to hammer 50-55k usd.
14. Phillips — Patek Philippe Ref. 5168G-010 Aquanaut “Tiffany & Co.”
https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/234115
Estimate: $80,000–160,000
How Bad I Want It: 10/10
Historical Importance: 9/10
Chance You See Another Soon: 15%
The ref. 5168G Tiffany Aquanaut is the modern market in one watch: white gold, khaki green dial, rubber strap, Tiffany stamp, unworn condition, and full set. Phillips lowball estimate is $80,000–160,000 and describes it as virtually new, unworn, and consigned by the original owner. The ref. 5168G was introduced for the Aquanaut’s 20th anniversary, and the khaki green dial gave the reference a distinct identity. The Tiffany signature adds another layer of scarcity and desirability. For someone who wants a modern, wearable, recognizable Patek Philippe with a collector hook, this checks the boxes.
Would I bid above high estimate? Would need to in order to win – this is quite the trophy!
Final Advice
My strongest advice this weekend is to think beyond the obvious. The market will understand the Tiffany Nautilus, the Tiffany Aquanaut, and the sealed ref. 5970P. Those are great watches and it will be a good fight based in rational choices and comps. The bidding for the ref. 5970P might get a bit aggressive considering the strong prices we are seeing for unsealed USD, so this one could go crazy.
Bidding with my own money, I would prioritize the irreplaceable. This weekend I hope to see you out there not just buying a Patek Philippe but rather building a Patek Philippe collection. So register now and hope to see you at the auctions!
