Fake Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 (Lot 213), 1947 — CHF 3,297,000
Although not a record-breaker, the highest-grossing lot was no small change. It certainly had many tongues wagging because it was the perfect replica Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph Ref. 1518 in pink gold with a pink dial and moonphase. Known as the “Pink on Pink”, the last time this variant came up for auction was barely six months ago. Then, it scored a new world record for fetching nearly $10 million. You could imagine how many people held their breath last week to luxury copy watch this star of a watch go under the hammer.
Considered the “ultimate grail” among the upper echelons of UK AAA replica Patek Philippe collectors, Ref. 1518 was the world’s first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch produced in a series by the brand. It is incredibly scarce, and even more so in its pink-on-pink variant — only 14 pieces are known to exist. The stellar performer in this lot dated 1948 sold for almost CHF 3.3 million.
Replica Patek Philippe Ref. 3700/1 (Lot 178), 1978 — CHF 378,000
Have you ever seen a 1:1 fake Patek Philippe Nautilus with a discolored copper dial? This fresh-to-market vintage Nautilus “Jumbo” dons a tropical dial as a result of the paint going rouge. You could say that tropical dials are “mistakes” in an imperfect batch that made the paint unstable and change colors over time.
Some of these irregularities may result in unusual and attractive dials found on certain vintage sports replica watches for sale, and such pieces become highly collectible. In this case, you don’t need to be a connoisseur to appreciate how special and alluring this copper-tropic dial is. On top of that, the historical significance of an early Swiss made replica Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700 designed by Genta is a given. This watch, in particular, was snapped off the market in the ’70s, not to be seen in public until now.