Webdesk: Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the final Qing emperor and inspiration for “The Last Emperor,” sold a fine watch for $6.2 million in Hong Kong.
An Asian collector won the Patek Philippe timepiece after a six-minute phone bid. Phillips, a London auction house, reported that this figure set a new record for both an emperor’s wristwatch and the Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune, of which only eight exist.
Phillips Asia’s head of watches, Thomas Perazzi, pleased with the result, citing the three-year research that verified the watch’s authenticity. Hong Kong’s reputation for superb watches and collectible timepieces strengthened by the auction result.
Moreover, After World War II, Puyi gave his Russian interpreter, Georgy Permyakov, the 86-year-old watch. Puyi’s watch’s origins are unknown.
In 2019, a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime sold for $31.2 million, making it the world’s most expensive watch.
While, John Ng, an independent watchmaker, believes the sale of the emperor’s watch may start a new trend. Given the popularity of larger, simpler watches, he thinks smaller, more complicated watches will receive attention.
The Hong Kong auction included Puyi’s watch, a manuscript notepad, a leather-bound copy of Confucius’ “Analects,” and a red paper fan he gave Permyakov in Tokyo. The fan sold for $77,846 and the other two products for $121,634, exceeding their pre-sale predictions.
