The Henry Graves ‘Supercomplication' Watch - Sold for $24.4 Million
As the result of a friendly competition between prominent banker, Henry Graves, and luxury automobile manufacture, James Ward Packard, to see who could produce the most impressive timepiece - the Supercomplication was born.
Created by Patek Phillipe, this timepiece took went through eight years of production, from its commission in 1925 to its delivery in 1933. While Packard’s attempt was a pioneering feat, with the first ever watch to feature a sky chart and 10 complications - Graves’ Patek Phillippe timepiece had 24!
The Supercomplication features a sidereal time dial, which tracks the Earth’s rate of rotation in relation to fixed stars. Additional complications include grande and petite chimes to emulate the bells of Westminster, sunrise and sunset indications, and a celestial map of the New York sky.
The Henry Graves ‘Supercomplication' timepiece sold for an astonishing $24.4 million at Sotheby’s 2014 Important Watches Sale earlier this week.
"It's amazing that they did all that without computers," says Larry Pattinelli, the president of Patek Phillippe. "You are talking about one of the most collectible pieces ever put up for auction, if not the most collectible.” - via CNN
Learn more in CNN’s article here »
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