ICONIC WATCH BRANDS HIGHLIGHT SALE AT NOONANS

Iconic watch brands at Noonans Mayfair on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in an auction of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu. Well known makers featured include Rolex, Bremont, Audemars Piguet, Cartier, IWC, Vacheron Constantin and Chopard
A stainless-steel Rolex Daytona (Ref: 116520) dating from 2009 is estimated at £12,000-18,000. It is in immaculate condition with all its accessories.
As Joanne Lewis, Watch Specialist at Noonans added: “The Rolex Daytona is certainly the most famous chronograph watch on the market. Having a long history of producing sports chronograph models in 1963 Rolex launched the Cosmograph Daytona, named after the 24-hours Daytona auto race in Florida which Rolex sponsored at the time.
In 2000 Rolex released the reference 116520 Daytona, this marked the introduction of Rolex’s first in-house calibre 4130 chronograph movement. It’s predecessor, the reference 16520 was powered by the calibre 4035 which was produced by Zenith.
Production of the ref. 116520, like the example in the sale, ceased in 2016 when Rolex launched the ref. 116500LN with a ceramic bezel.”
Also included in the sale will be a Rolex Sea-Dweller (Ref. 116600) dating from 2015 which carries an estimate of £7,000-£10,000.

Ms Lewis explains: “The Rolex Sea-Dweller was developed in the 1960s to meet the needs of professional divers working at greater depths. Helium particles that accumulate within a watch case of a diving watch would brutally expel the glass as the helium gas forced its way-out during decompression. So, Rolex invented the helium escape valve on the side of the case, this would allow the helium particles to escape through a controlled mechanism.
Rolex introduced the reference 116600 in 2014, produced for only three years this model is very desirable within the collector’s market. This ref. 116600 was sold in 2015 and is in perfect unused condition, still retaining the original protective stickers to the case and bracelet.”

Two other notable watches in the sale are by award-winning luxury British watch brand Bremont. Based in Henley-on-Thames, England, Bremont was founded by brothers Nick and Giles English in 2002, and produce watches inspired by their love of flying.

A rare, limited-edition stainless-steel diver’s wristwatch made for the members of The Royal Household for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 is expected to fetch £3,000-5,000. The limited production run of 50 pieces were only available to those working for The Royal Household and the dial displays the Royal Coat of Arms and the case back depicts the Royal Cypher of Queen Elizabeth II.



While a limited-edition stainless steel automatic pilots watch made for members of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, circa 2019 carries an estimate of £1,500-2,000.

As Ms Lewis explains: “The Fleet Air Arm was founded in 1914 and is the aviation component of the Royal Navy. Today the largest section of the FAA is the rotary wing section flying four types of helicopters: the Commando Merlin, Commando Wildcat AH1, Wild cat HMA2 and Merlin HM2. Bremont has a close working relationship with the military and produce timepieces that have been tested beyond any normal call of duty. The U-2/RN FAA watch was produced as a limited edition only available to current and former Naval Air Squadron members.”