On 9 and 10 May 2026, the Hôtel Président Wilson in Geneva will host the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XXIII. This sale presents over 200 exceptional timepieces, anchored by a rare collection of calendar and astronomical complications, historically significant prototypes, and special creations.
One of the most historically significant highlights is a unique Agassiz Watch Co. world-time pocket watch created in 1945 and presented to General Charles de Gaulle to commemorate the Allied victory in World War II.
Commissioned by Geneva citizens (led by Ernest Baumann) a series of commemorative watches honoured the leaders of the Allied powers. The Lot 24 was gifted to General Charles de Gaulle of the Free French Forces. It is a world-time pocket watch features a polychrome cloisonné enamel dial depicting Joan of Arc, France’s patron saint planting a staff with the Cross of Lorraine (widely recognized as a symbol of French resistance, freedom, and courage). The hour hand is shaped like the Cross of Lorraine, while the background shows a sailboat and warship, symbolizing the transition from conflict to peace.
The enameling was executed by Michel Deville of Maison Stern. The present example is engraved “1939 – General Charles De Gaulle – 1945” and a large “V” for victory overlays a map of the globe.
The piece utilizes the world-time system developed by Louis Cottier, a deliberate choice to reflect the global nature of the conflict.
For this exceptional occasion, Phillips created a short video about the context and some details of the pocket watch. Marcello de Marco, Senior International Specialist at Phillips Watches sat down with London historian Rory Welsh at No. 4 Carlton Gardens in London, the historic address of his Free French headquarters during World War II.
The Lot 22 introduces a Patek Calatrava with a very interesting background. The 2002 Patek Philippe Ref. 3998J-013 Calatrava featuring a dial making homage to the legendary German-Australian photographer Helmut Newton. The piece belongs to an exceptionally small group of Ref. 3998 examples commissioned with similar dials. On the dial of the 34mm 18k yellow-gold wristwatch a sequence of Egyptian hieroglyphs appears. At 12 o’clock, the hieroglyphs spell “NAUTUN,” while at six o’clock, they read “HALMUT.”
The timepiece was ordered by Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani and most probably intended to be given as a gift to Helmut Newton.
Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani (28 February 1966 – 9 November 2014), was a Qatari prince who served as Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage. He was one of the world most famous-infamous art collectors, and also the owner of the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication. The prince was a big supporter of photography as an art form too. He sat for Henri Cartier-Bresson and Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, David Bailey and Bruce Weber’, as The Sunday Times wrote.
The watch retains its original presentation box and hang tag, and the accompanying Extract from the Archives confirms both its production in 2002 and its unusual dial configuration. It first surfaced publicly in June 2014 as part of the legendary “Titanium Collection,” a group of unique Patek Philippe timepieces. Even within that remarkable group, the hieroglyphic Calatravas stood out as one of the most unexpected watches ever produced by the manufacture – as the auction house shares.
Discover a selection of independent watchmakers and eminent calendar complications of the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XXIII here.
Photo credits: Phillips Watches.
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