Sotheby’s to Auction Watches from the Legendary Personal
Collections of Reginald H. Fullerton, Jr. & Grandfather, Henry Graves, Jr.
TO BE OFFERED IN A SINGLE OWNER SALE IN NEW YORK ON 14 JUNE 2012
Highlights from the collections will travel to Sotheby’s Geneva from 10-14 May and to Hong Kong for the opening of Sotheby’s new gallery space from 18-22 May, before returning for exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 9 June alongside the various-owner auction of Important Watches & Clocks.In December 1999, Sotheby’s New York offered The Henry Graves Supercomplication as part of its famed auction of Masterpieces from The Time Museum. The pocket watch, which was commissioned from Patek Philippe by Mr. Graves and features 24 complications, had descended to Mr. Fullerton, who later sold it to the owner Seth Atwood at the Time Museum. In Sotheby’s 1999 auction, the watch sold for a remarkable $11,002,500 – a price that remains the worldwide record for any timepiece at auction.
in literature and has remained unknown to the public, as well as the entirety of Mr. Fullerton’s impressive assemblage of iconic vintage and modern pieces. Together, this represents what is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors in today’s market. The auction record price for the Patek Supercomplication serves as a testament to this family’s renown, and the lasting importance of their name among connoisseurs worldwide.”
Henry Graves, Jr. (1868-1953) was born into a banking family who lived in Orange, New Jersey. Eventually he joined his father in the financial industry and moved to New York City, where they became one of the country’s most prominent families by the turn of the century. Among his collecting interests, which included paperweights, coinage and Old Master prints, Mr. Graves was most passionate about watches, and over the course of four decades beginning shortly before the start of World War I, he assembled the world’s most important collections of Patek Philippe in private hands.
Mr. Graves left the majority of his spectacular watch collection to his daughter, who in turn passed the pieces to her son Pete Fullerton (1933-2012). Mr. Fullerton picked up his grandfather’s passion and connoisseur-ship, and assembled a collection of his own that is distinguished for the exceptional condition of each piece. In addition to his thorough record-keeping and personal daily maintenance, Mr. Fullerton presciently insisted that cases and dials not be touched during cleaning and servicing, and that almost all of his watches retain their original accompaniments. The result is a collection that acts as a time capsule, with each timepiece seemingly untouched since its construction – an exceptional opportunity for collectors.
Watches from the Collections
Another highlight of the watches commissioned by Mr. Graves is A Fine and Rare 18K Yellow Gold Split-Second Chronograph Wristwatch with Breguet Numerals, Patek Philippe, Ref. 1436 (pictured left, est. $200/300,000).
The timepieces from Mr. Fullerton’s collection will be led by 11 examples of the most iconic perpetual calendar watches by Patek Philippe from the 1950s to the 1990s, including A Superb 18K Yellow Gold Perpetual Calendar Center Seconds Wristwatch, Patek Philippe, Ref. 2497 that is distinguished by its unusual case design, dial and early number indicating it is possibly the first such example of this well-known reference (see photo above, est. $200/300,000). In addition, A Fine and Rare 18K Yellow Gold Automatic Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch with Leap Year Indication, Patek Philippe, Ref. 3450 featuring a rare white enamel dial was purchased by Mr. Fullerton at Sotheby’s New York in 1990 (pictured left, est. $200/300,000).Mr. Fullerton was also a keen collector of modern pieces, which will be highlighted in the sale by a group of seven complicated Breguet wristwatches, complete with their original boxes and papers – a signature of Mr. Fullerton’s attention to detail.
