Why do we collect? For some, it is a pursuit of pure passion – those who appreciate the wristwatch as an artform: the intricacy of its mechanics, the finesse of its form. Yet for others, collecting is an investment, and a watch’s value is of as much importance as its appearance. All collectors ought to have a guide to models and market value. Rolex: Investing in Wristwatches offers detailed insights into the world of authenticating and pricing high-value wristwatches, which will be of use to collectors from amateur to connoisseur.

This publication includes the vast majority of key Rolex models, along with their relevant auction results. The timepieces featured have been carefully selected by Senior Horological Expert, Osvaldo Patrizzi. These wristwatches excel for a diverse range of reasons, including technical excellence, auction records, design and anecdotal history. A description of each watch is accompanied by its picture, reference and sales values (rights included).

A comparative analysis of auction results, compiled through close collaboration with the Sotheby’s auction house, shows, by brand and timepiece, the evolution of prices over time, leading from the Eighties up to the present day. A system to calculate the currency exchange rate at the time of auction sales will also be included in this vital work of reference.

_An important new reference for all Rolex lovers and collectors
_Written by experts Osvaldo Patrizzi and Mara Cappelletti and introduced by the Chairman of Sotheby’s International Watch Division, Daryn F. Schnipper
_385 key models, with analysis of details and prices realised at auction
_Contains a history of luxury wristwatch auctions and relevant information for collectors looking to invest
_The first part of a series, with Patek Philippe: Investing in Wristwatches to follow

About the Authors:

After graduating in 1989 from the IULM University of Milan, Mara Cappelletti attended the ‘History of Jewelry’ course and the ‘Art of Islamic countries, India, China, Korea and Japan’ short course at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in 2005. She is founder and president of Associazione Culturale Stile e Storia, working in art, fashion and jewellery. From 2011-2012, Cappelletti was the curator and author, together with Osvaldo Patrizzi, of The Masters of Time (24 Ore Cultura): a collection of 25 monographs dedicated to the world’s finest watchmakers and founders of the greatest Maisons. In January 2020, Cappelletti was the main curator of the exhibition Stile Milano (Milano Style). She had previously curated 2015 exhibition Jewels Of Taste as part of the Expo In Citta, supported by the University of Milano, Associazione Orafa Lombarda, and The World Jewellery Confederation CIBJO.

Osvaldo Patrizzi has held a long fascination with horology. He served as an apprentice watchmaker in Milan from 1965-1973, before being employed as a restorer of antique watches. He went on to become an Expert of the italian Association of Antique Horology Dealers and a consultant for the Swiss Custom. He founded the Galerie d’Horlogerie Ancienne, which became Antiquorum in 1981. In 2007, he founded PATRIZZI & CO. AUCTIONEERS. Across the course of his long and illustrious career, Patrizzi has been responsible for selling over 75% of all the watches ever sold for over one million dollars. His ‘Grading System’ is the most reliable way for collectors to gauge the condition of their prospective investments.

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Пролистать книгу Rolex: Investing in Wristwatches

The book covers the details and technical wonders of 60 wristwatch models that went down in history for their innovation in shapes, materials, and production methods.

Time is a great mystery. A changeable element, which expands or vanishes, but that appears concrete as it is marked by the passing of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. The path toward the capture of minutes and seconds coincided with the phases of scientific evolution that allowed man to manufacture watches that are increasingly reliable, but that are also in tune with changes in customs, social needs, and aesthetic canons.

This book covers the art of watch manufactory as well as 60 great models, covering both their technical evolution and style trends. In each chapter in-depth studies will guide the reader to the history of the most important manufacturers, the personalities linked to the models treated, technical innovations, styles of the period, or records achieved by the wristwatches: from the watch that helped Charles Lindbergh during the first transatlantic solo flight, to the one worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on the top of Mount Everest, the most iconic models will be discussed in detail.

About the Author:

Mara Cappelletti is a journalist and author of several titles about watches, jewellery, and ethnic jewel traditions. She’s a professor of a laboratory at the University of Milan, teaching the history of jewellery, and she is the president of the association Stile e Storia (Style and History) focused on the valuation of historic treasures.

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Пролистать книгу The Style of Time: The Evolution of Wristwatch Design

A meticulously illustrated journey through all things Rolex.

Rolex, the great creation of inventor and entrepreneur Hans Wilsdorf, is a worldwide phenomenon. This rich photobook uses images, direct testimonials, unpublished interviews, contemporaneous ads, archive materials and excellent narration to recount the path from the inception of this world-famous watch brand to the present day.

Follow the evolutionary path of the innovative techniques and extraordinary designs that made Rolex the powerhouse it is today. Discover the true and unique, inimitable Rolex philosophy – the identity at the heart of a century-long success.

Written by author and jewellery expert Maria Cappelletti, Rolex Philosophy is a meticulously illustrated journey through all things Rolex. With technical details, auction results, and background insights, this is a must-have for all collectors and enthusiasts.

- Includes images, direct testimonials, unpublished interviews, contemporaneous ads and archive materials.
- A must-have for all collectors and enthusiasts.
- Written by author and jewellery expert Mara Cappelletti.

About the Author:

After graduating in 1989 from the IULM University of Milan, Mara Cappelletti attended the ‘History of Jewelry’ course and the ‘Art of Islamic countries, India, China, Korea and Japan’ short course at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in 2005. She is founder and president of Associazione Culturale Stile e Storia, working in art, fashion and jewellery. From 2011-2012, Cappelletti was the curator and author, together with Osvaldo Patrizzi, of The Masters of Time (24 Ore Cultura): a collection of 25 monographs dedicated to the world’s finest watchmakers and founders of the greatest Maisons. In January 2020, Cappelletti was the main curator of the exhibition Stile Milano (Milano Style). She had previously curated 2015 exhibition Jewels Of Taste as part of the Expo In Citta, supported by the University of Milano, Associazione Orafa Lombarda, and The World Jewellery Confederation CIBJO.

The history of Rolex is inextricably linked to its founder Hans Wilsdorf, who took the first steps in the world of Swiss watchmaking as he dreamed about a timepiece that could be worn around the wrist. This experimental research led Rolex to achieve its highest goals in both technological innovation and in the use of the finest materials alone. Its models have been photographed on the wrists of political leaders, sports champions, and film and fashion celebrities, transforming each Rolex into a fully-fledged status symbol, a synonym of elegance and precision. Including essays with a historical and technical slant, in-depth descriptions of the most representative pieces and a brief glossary, the pages in this book sparkle with golden hands, diamond-studded dials and patent-leather watchbands, illustrated in period photographs and macro-detail. The volume ends with a chapter dedicated to the most amazing auctions that saw the sale of the Geneva-based company’s vintage watches.

About the Authors:

Mara Cappelletti is a journalist and consultant for many publications by antiquarians and jewellery historians. She is also a professor of the history of jewellery at the Istituto Superiore di Arte Orafa Galdus. She wrote this book in collaboration with Osvaldo Patrizzi, watch collector and world-class watch expert.