Drawn from Christie’s upcoming auctions to be held in Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York, auction highlights spanning various categories of a combined value of over USD 156 million are in Singapore for a preview show open to the public.

From art — modern, traditional Chinese — to jewellery, watches, handbags and even a trick-sized fossil, highlights from Christie’s upcoming auctions to be held in Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York are making their way to Singapore in what Christie’s has described as “an unprecedented global autumn auction highlights preview”. The preview will take place at two venues from between 28 to 30 October 2022.

Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall will house Shen the T. rex. According to Christie’s, this is the first tyrannosaurus rex skeleton to be auctioned in Asia. Shen the T. rex measure more than 12m in length, stands taller than 4m, and weighs 1,400kg. To view, register at this website. Estimate price is available on request.

The rest of the auction highlights will be displayed at The Arts House at The Old Parliament, comprising art works by contemporary artists (Yoshitomo Nara, Cheong Soo Pieng, Mai Trung Thu, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Marc Chagall), Chinese paintings by Wu Guanzhong, Xu Beihong, and Lin Fengmian, as well as a grand assortment of jewellery, watches and handbags, not least of which is The Fortune Pink, a fancy vivid pink diamond weighing in a voluptuous 18.18 carats with an estimated price of between USD 25 million to USD 35 million.

For the watch enthusiast, star picks from Christie’s upcoming Champion Collection and Important Watches sales await. The haul includes vintage watches from Patek Philippe, complicated watches from A Lange & Sohne, Rolex Daytonas, and Royal Oak models from Audemars Piguet.

Representatives from Christie’s management teams as well as subject-matter specialists will also be on hand to guide visitors through the exhibits. Some highlights from the preview:

Patek Philippe Ref. 5208

In production between 2011 and 2018, less than 100 pieces of the Ref. 5208 were ever made; this particular watch in unworn condition with full set is fresh to the market and only the fourth example to appearing at auction. In 42mm platinum case, this grand complication houses a minute repeater, monopusher chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar, driven by a self-winding Caliber R CH 27 PS QI composed of 719 parts. Includes Certificate of Origin, additional solid case back, presentation box with winding mechanism, and outer packaging. Circa 2014.

Estimate: USD 687,500 to 1,375,000

Patek Philippe Ref. 5004

Made as a bespoke commission for American collector Michael Steven Ovitz, this is an almost certainly unique sample of the Ref. 5004J-017 split seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar, with displays for moon phase, and leap year. It features a black monogram dial with initials “M.S.O” at 6 o’clock, with luminous indexes and hands and white tachymeter scale confirmed by the Certificate of Origin. In 36mm yellow gold case, with additional solid caseback.

Estimate: USD 625,000 to 1,250,000

Patek Philippe Ref. 1415

This gold-cased world timer from 1948 has been carefully preserved in the last decade as part of an important private collection. It is especially rare even for this reference, being one of a small number of 1415HU to bear the post-1948 ‘short’ Patek Philippe signature. Of a total of 115 made, 82 were cased in yellow gold, of which 65 featured a silvered dial. Of these watches, fewer than 20 bear a fully applied hour marker dial with ‘short’ signature. In 31mm case, with Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives and presentation box.

Estimate: USD 187,500 to 375,000

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual

The first watch from the manufacture to combine a chronograph with a perpetual calendar, the Datograph Perpetual also features a moon phase display that is accurate to a day in 122 years. The Datograph Perpetual was first introduced in platinum case and was in production for five years, till 2011. The white gold version of this present example was only made between 2009 and 2011.

Estimate: USD 75,000 – 150,000

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold ‘Carolina Bucci Edition’

In 37mm frosted gold case, this is arguably the definitive ladies’ Royal Oak. Yet only 300 pieces were made available worldwide. Florentine goldsmith and designer Carolina Bucci was first invited to envision a new look for the Royal Oak in 2016; this present example that was created in 2018 is the third collaboration between Carolina Bucci and Audemars Piguet, replacing the traditional ‘tapisserie’ dial with a mirror smooth dial to match the frosted case. According to what clothes you’re wearing, the décor of the room, the lighting, the time of day, the weather”.

Thanks to Audemars Piguet’s vision, the generations-old technique of Florentine finish has been brought to a contemporary audience ensuring its survival in the 21st century.

Estimate: USD 30,000 to 60,000

RSVP for Christie’s Singapore preview here