SOLD: 1,000,000 CHF Patek Philippe 5131J Unique Piece for Children Action Charity

I’m excited to show you this Patek Philippe Ref 5131J in a one-of-a-kind “View of the City of Geneva” cloisonné enamel dialed version which will be sold on June 11, 2012 for charity.  But before I tell you more about this special watch, let me tell you about its special cause — Children Action.  While it’s been almost 3 years since I first showed you Two Titanium Patek’s You Didn’t Know Existed (a Calatrava Ref 5180T from 2009 and a Calatrava Ref 6000T from 2007), both unique pieces produced in support of Children Action –  the worthy cause of Children Action has never escaped my memory.  Children Action is a Geneva-based children’s organization dedicated to helping “children not helped by life, because the most fundamental of all human rights is the right to a childhood.”  Is there a more worthy cause than this?  Perhaps not.

So again in 2012 I applaud Patek for supporting this worthy cause with the gift of a Ref 5131J World Time with the unique “View of the City of Geneva” montage executed in the cloisonné enamelling technique.   As well, the time zone traditionally attributed to Paris is replaced with Geneva and is indicated in blue (see close-up below), and there is a special caseback.  While “regular” versions of the 5131J go for upwards of $150,000, don’t be surprised to see this one-of-a-kind Patek 5131 World Time sell for upwards of $500,000 –perhaps more if bidders are feeling particularly charitable tomorrow.  Christie’s will handle the hammer (Antiquorum handled the last two Patek Children Action auction).
Patek Philippe 5131J for Children Action Charity
39.5mm gold case, automatic mechanical Patek Caliber 240 HU, caseback enhanced
with a partly secret plating treatment to commemorate the 2012 Children Action event

The Patek Philippe Ref. 5131J specially made for Children Action  was sold on June 11, 2012 in Geneva for a new record price of one million Swiss Francs.  This is approximately 20x the price of the current collection Ref. 5131J with regular cloisonné enamel dial center.   This amount also exceeds by a factor of two the price achieved for the 2009 Patek Philippe unique piece for Children Action 2009.

This Ref. 5131J unique “View of the City of Geneva” model was bought by a Swiss client particularly fond of Geneva, no surprise there.  As a reminder, this particular 5131J features a dial center in hand made cloisonné representing Geneva Lakeview and the time zone traditionally attributed to Paris is replaced with Geneva indicated in blue.

Patek Philippe 5131J Unique Piece for Children Action Charity

Sold:  1,000,000 Swiss Francs

Proceeds to Children Action charity