The Patek Philippe watch of Emperor Pu Yi, a Reference 96 Quantieme Lune, is estimated to be worth up to 3 million USD not only because of the rarity of this version, but also because of the fascinating “historical story” associated with the watch.
The 1.2-inch platinum watch, the first version equipped with a Calatrava case, has a moon phase and a triple calendar: two windows showing the day of the week and the month, a long hand in the middle showing the date. There are only eight similar products, of which three have the same configuration.
Emperor Pu Yi's Patek Philippe watch was auctioned for up to 3 million USD. (Photo: Reuters)
“The 96 Quantieme Lune is the most complicated Patek Philippe wristwatch in the Patek Philippe catalogue from the 1930s,” said Thomas Perazzi, Head of Watches at Phillips Asia. “The reference 96 is extremely important not only to watch collectors but also to Patek Philippe itself, as it was the first reference introduced when the Company changed hands in the 1930s. The movement was produced in 1929 and it was one of the finest Patek Philippe produced at that time.”
Phillips Auction House spent three years collaborating with watch experts, Chinese historians, journalists and scientists to research the watch's history and conduct thorough verification of its provenance.
Born in 1906, Pu Yi was the last emperor of China's Qing Dynasty. His extraordinary life, which also inspired the Oscar-winning film "The Last Emperor," begins when he ascended the throne in 1908, when he was not yet three years old.
It is unclear exactly how Pu Yi acquired the watch, although records show it was originally sold through a Parisian jeweler. The watch was with Pu Yi during his reign in Manchukuo and during his five years in a Siberian prison camp, and the night before Pu Yi returned to his homeland in 1950, he gave the watch to Georgy Permyakov, his close friend and Russian interpreter.
“This watch is special because it fully witnessed the historical life of the last emperor, Pu Yi, especially during his time in Russia,” said Wang Wenfeng, a Chinese historian. “Because there are very few documents, only that this watch was eventually given to Mr. Permyakov by Pu Yi, it has even greater historical significance as a testament to that period.”
Other “historic” wristwatches previously owned by emperors that have been auctioned include a Patek Philippe watch belonging to the last Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, which sold for $2.9 million in 2017. Similarly, in the same year, a Rolex watch belonging to the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, sold for $5 million.
In addition to the Patek Philippe watch, other items that Pu Yi gave to his interpreter Permyakov, such as a red paper fan engraved with Chinese characters and a notebook containing Pu Yi's writings, will also be included in the upcoming auction on May 23.
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