UK auction house will put a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1300A under the gavel next week. The rare timepiece is said to have been seized by law enforcement. Monies from the auction will be invested into the government services in the UK.
Watches from Patek Philippe are seen as a sign that one has well and truly made it in life. As such, you’re only likely to see a Patek Philippe on the wrist of a celebrity or a billionaire. Now, us mere mortals can have a shot at owning one of the watchmaker’s rarer timepieces the Nautilus 5711/1300A.
UK auction house Wilsons Auctions will be putting this watch up for sale under the gavel later this month. The Nautilus 5711/1300A was only in production for a year as an ode to the 5711 model. So exclusive was the watch that it was only offered to VIP and VVIP Patak clients, including Sylvester Stallone.
For everybody else though, getting one was tough although not impossible. Local watch purveyor Chrono24 has a few listings for the watch starting at around R10 million and going up to R16 million. This particular model was released in April 2021 and features an olive tone and a border made up of 32 Wesselton baguette diamonds.
What makes this particular auction so interesting is that the watch was seized by law enforcement. “Seized and forfeited following an investigation by a law enforcement agency, UK auction house Wilsons Auctions offers bidders a chance to own this iconic timepiece at a price of their choosing as it will be sold to the highest bidder. The proceeds of sale will be reinvested by the government into public services and community initiatives,” Wilsons Auctions said in a press release.
The auction won’t feature a reserve so one could possibly pick this rare timepiece up at a steal. Given the rarity, it could also prove to be a good investment should the price of the watch go up in future. Bidding opens on 28th August at midday in a timed online format.
The bidding window will be open for 48 hours. All you need to do to place a bid is to register with the auction house here . “This is simply a remarkable opportunity for bidders and incredibly thrilling for us at Wilsons Auctions.
The global watch community will recognise this rare and important watch and I hope they will seize the chance to bid and own a very coveted model – excuse the pun!” Government Sales Coordinator at Wilsons Auctions, Michael Streight said. As to who this watch belonged to before it was seized, that isn’t disclosed by the auctioneers. Goods from luxury brands often pop up in seizures involving money launderers and drug lords so the watch may have belonged to any number of criminals caught in recent years.
Also being sold during this auction as a separate lot is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500ST. This watch is also being auctioned without a reserve price and reportedly still has stickers on it. If you don’t see yourself wearing a walking billboard announcing to the world that you have more money than you know what to with, we recommend picking up a wearable.
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