GENEVA ? 17 July 2016 ? Phillips In Association with Bacs & Russo is preparing for its Fall 2016 auction season, and is pleased to announce its Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR sale. This auction follows Phillips?s record-breaking Spring 2016 auction season, where it achieved nearly US $53 million in just two selling locations.
Stainless Steel Patek Philippe ref. 1518 ? The Featured Top Lot of Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR

Taking place on 12 & 13 November, Phillips is proud to offer the nec plus ultra watch of the 20th century ? the mythical, stainless steel Patek Philippe reference 1518 ? in its Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR sale. A historical model produced from the 1940s to the 1950s, the reference 1518 was the breakthrough model that defined the state-of-the-art when it was introduced, as it was the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch ever manufactured in series by any brand. For collectors, a lifelong dream is to own any example of this reference, of which a total of 281 were made ? the vast majority in yellow gold. Far rarer are examples in pink gold, owned by a fortunate few who consider them a trophy watch in their collections.
For the most experienced collectors, a stainless steel 1518 is the ultimate summit to achieve. After over 40 years of international watch auctions and hundreds of books written on the subject, only four are known to exist. Of the four, three have at some point appeared at auction, with the last one selling over a decade ago.
The four...