Nick, Kristian and Simeon made a wrap up of his three favourites, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel, Rolex Explorer II and the Patek Philippe Aquanaut. Who do you agree most with?

Nick Meijer – LOT 378 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel at Bonhams Montres de Prestige

Not the archetype Royal Oak

“The 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak brings a lot of interesting examples of this icon to the global auction rooms this year. This 25800ST from the 1990’s is a good example. A stainless steel Perpetual Calendar Moonphase in a 33mm case might not be the archetype Royal Oak, but collectors will certainly appreciate its rarity and beauty.”

– Nick Meijer

The watch is in a great condition and accompanied by the Audemars Piguet outer card. In addition, an extract from the archives has been ordered. Estimated price is €50-70,000.

Kristian Haagen – LOT 371 Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 at Bonhams Montres de Prestige

Aka Freccione

“The Rolex Explorer ref. 1655 aka Freccione is an oddball. When launched in 1971 it was made to cater to speleologists and potholers and hence did go rather unnoticed for many years. It was however featured in the Rolex catalogue until 1985, when the updated ref. 16550 was launched. Today, of course, it is celebrated for its oddity.

And hence considered very collectable. The large orange central hand, the fixed 24-hour bezel and the confusing hour markers make this it its very own. It is not a GMT-Master, nor a Milgauss. It most certainly is not a Submariner nor a Sea-Dweller. Instead, it is The Freccione which is Italian for big arrow.”

– Kristian Haagen

The 38mm stainless steel watch is in a great condition and the expected price is € 20 – 25,000.

Simeon Kremzow-Tennie – LOT 365 Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5065A-001 at Bonhams Montres de Prestige

“The Patek Philippe Aquanaut was designed to be a different approach to the sports watch than its older brother the Nautilus. While not designed by Gerald Genta, it still retains some of the most striking design codes, such as the beautifully executed round edged bezel.

Waffle shaped dial

Coming on a rubber strap that continues the waffle shaped of the dial, the Aquanaut without doubt has a younger and sportier appearance. The ref. 5065A-001 was produced from 1997 to 2006 and this piece was purchased in september 2006, making it one of the last 5065As ever produced.

I personally prefer this piece over its successor, because the dial has a more symmetrical appearance due to the date not cutting or replacing the three o’clock index, as well as the smaller 36mm case size.”

– Simeon Kremzow-Tennie

Bonhams has estimated to sell between €30 – 40,000, coming as a full set with service receipts included. This auction is not accessible anymore.