Saturday, October 18, 2008

Einstein's Longines Watch Sells at New York Antiquorum Auction for $596,000.


"Time is an illusion."–Albert Einstein

On October 16, 2008, the New York Antiqourom Auction house sold Albert Einstein's Longines watch for $596,000. in U.S. Dollars. This is close to 20 times the initial estimated value of between $25,000 to $35,000 and it sets a world record for the price paid for a time only watch. [time only meaning no complications.]


Einstein's watch was manufactured in 1930 and presented to Einstein in 1931. It is made out of 14 Kt gold and has an art deco design. Albert Einstein was a Nobel prize winning physicist and is best known for his theory of relativity from which the speed of light formula was derived.

Albert Einstein was also voted the Time Magazine Man of the Century.



Also of significant note from the Antiquorom New York auction of October 16, 2009 is this 18K Yellow Gold first series Patek Philippe square button chronograph [Reference 2499, manufactured 1956] which sold for a record breaking $1,514,400.


People Are Talking Rolex...


Talking Rolex

I have been following a fascinating thread at WatchTalkForums.com where the original poster asked a question that has brought out many very interesting answers. 

Mephist from Norway posed the simple question "Why Rolex? What is your personal reason for why you own and like Rolex?"

Asser1 from Springfield, Missouri shared a fascinating answer:

"I got bit by the bug with my dad owning a Sub (no date). By about 13, I wanted one and I finally got a Sub (no date) at 18–the only kid and probably teacher at my high school who had one. Fast forward less than a year just back from basic training and traded the Sub for a GMT II, wish I could have kept the sub."

"Fifteen years later I was over Rolex (or so I thought). I flirted with several other luxury makes including Tag (Carrera, Monaco) Omega (Speedmaster) Longines (Hour Angle) and Cartier (tank). Finally, sold my GMT II to dad and was Rolexless for 2 days. The other great watches left couldn't fill the void, something inside me said you are not finished with Rolex. I stewed for a month about which one to drop the dough on and ended up with a S/P Yachtmaster and then a month later another Sub no date for $1300 more than I paid for my first one (hence why I wished I could have kept the Sub)."

"There is something unexplainable about a Rolex, that I feel no other watch possesses. I know for a fact that lesser luxury makes do not instill the pride in ownership my Rolexes do. My Speedmaster probabaly comes closest. I doubt very seriously that a more prestigious make I admire would fascinate me more than a Rolex either (Vacheron, Breguet, A. Lange or Patek)."

"The spell a Rolex holds over me is nothing more than an unsolved mystery. I look at other watches with admiration but I haven't got that "I must have this now" that I get when I go to the Rolex shop."


You can view the thread on WatchTalkForum.com by clicking here.