Christie’s will offer the timepieces in three batches during its spring live auction calendar.
Christie’s just announced that they will be offering 128 contemporary Patek Philippe timepieces this spring.
Called The Kairos Collection: Exceptional Contemporary Timepieces by Patek Philippe, they will be offered by the auction house in three parts during the spring 2022 live auction calendar.
On May 9, 30 pieces will be presented in Geneva as Part I, with highlights including grand complications such as a Ref. 5959R-001 Split-Seconds Chronograph in rose gold with black dial and a Ref. 5074R-001 Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar in the same livery.
Christie’s Hong Kong will then present a further 30 lots as Part II on May 24, with similarly sought-after standouts, including a platinum Ref. 5951P-012 Perpetual Calendar Split-Seconds Chronograph and a Minute Repeater Ref. 5078R-001 in rose gold.
On June 8, the remaining 68 timepieces of The Kairos Collection will be presented at Christie’s Rockefeller Center salerooms in New York as Part III, showcasing the modern evolution of Perpetual Calendar Chronographs, Split-Chronographs, Métiers d’Art artisanal techniques, World Time references and Complications—and not to be missed highlights that include several Tiffany & Co. dual-signature dials.
Provenance, curation, condition
Each watch of The Kairos Collection is in exceptional condition, accompanied by its original Certificate of Origin and all associated product literature, presentation box and outer packaging. Each watch was stored in a transparent, protective clamshell-shaped box to both preserve its original condition and allow its unencumbered beholding.
The Kairos Collection was formed by a private collector who has actively collected watches for over 35 years. Impeccable taste, a deep appreciation for the highest level of horology, and a passion for Patek Philippe only begin to characterize this collection, the fruit of years of dedicated focus, educated curation, and personal vision.
Its name comes from ancient Greece. Then, there were two sides to the concept of time: chronos and kairos. Both are still used today. The former simply refers to all time. The latter refers specifically to opportune, auspicious time, and thus its preciousness. Chronos is quantitative, Kairos qualitative. Indeed, it is called The Kairos Collection for this reason.
Leading up to sales across Geneva, Hong Kong and New York, a global series of previews at select Christie’s locations will showcase highlights from this exceptional collection.
Open to the public, these special events will have Christie’s Watches specialists present to provide insights into the evolution of the brand’s fabled complications.
The tour schedule is as follows: April 5 to 8 London; April 30 to May 11 New York; May 6 to 8 Geneva; May 13 to 16 Dubai; May 15 to 18 Hong Kong; May 21 to 24 still in Hong Kong; May 24 to 26 San Francisco; and June 3 to 7 back to New York.