We’ve still a ways to go until auction season comes around but thanks to Hart Davis Hart, you don’t have to wait till November to start bidding for a new watch. The specialist wine auctioneer has entered the luxury watch space just this month, and already its first timepiece auction is slated to take place this week on 25^thAugust at 9am EDT (3pm CET or 9pm Singapore Standard Time). Among some of the top lots to go under the hammer is the first Akrivia timepiece to ever surface at auction.

The First Akrivia On Auction

As all watch enthusiasts know, Akrivia is the brainchild of watchmaking wunderkind Rexhep Rexhepi and the brand is extremely sought after by collectors all over the world. Notoriously elusive, scoring an Akrivia timepiece at retail is a challenge and finding one on the pre-owned market is an even loftier quest — until now. The upcoming Hart Davis Hart auction will put an Akrivia AK-06 up for bidding.

Akrivia’s AK-06 is of course the brand’s first non-tourbillon timepiece, focusing purely on time-telling yet also offering a stellar 100-hour power reserve. Its open-worked dial showcases all the components supporting the power reserve and the pair of steel hands are manually blued over a bed of heated brass filings in a slow process deliberately designed to produce an even hue all throughout the component.

With an estimate of USD 200,000 to USD 300,000, this stainless steel timepiece consigned by the original owner has garnered considerable interest from eager buyers. It joins 29 other beautiful timepieces in the Hart Davis Hart upcoming watch auction.

A Small But Formidable Catalog

Indeed, with just 30 lots up for bids, Hart Davis Hart’s watch auction catalog is a pretty modest one. But it certainly delivers the goods where it matters most — every timepiece is certain to catch the watch enthusiast’s eye. For starters, the selection greatly favors independent watchmakers. In addition to Akrivia, expect to see timepieces by Czapek Geneve, Gronefeld, Sarpaneva, FP Journe, URWERK and H Moser.

The selection also raises the stakes when it comes to all-time auction favorites such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Omega, A. Lange & Sohne and Audemars Piguet. Star lots among this hallowed circle of brands include a Patek Philippe Tiffany-dial Aquanaut, a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5800, a Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, a Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 126720VTNR Destro, an Omega Speedmaster CK2998, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 6009 BA, and an A. Lange & Sohne Langematik Perpetual in platinum.

When And How To Bid

Other coveted lots include a C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition One, a Maximilian Büsser M.A.D 1 Friends Edition, and several Daniel Roth watches such as the Premier Retrograde Ref. 807.L.10. With such a wide range of collectors’ dream watches, this is truly an auction of finest and rarest watches, and it could only have been curated by a team of passionate watch collectors.

Says president of Hart Davis Hart, Ben Nelson, “As a group we have a strong interest in independent watchmaking, which we like to celebrate. [For our first watch auction] We have tried to put forward pieces that are interesting to all levels of collectors and watch lovers.”

The Hart Davis Hart watch auction has already flagged off on 3rd August 2023. You can download the mobile app here or visit the website here to browse lots and place bids. The company accepts absentee bids on watches as well, and hammering will begin on 25th August 2023 at 9am EDT (3pm CET or 9pm Singapore Standard Time) via a ‘live’ bidding method available on both platforms.

Contact [email protected] with any questions about buying or selling watches in this inaugural watch auction.