AWCo back at PAN 2022
We are proud to announce that this year we will be back at PAN Amsterdam, on 20-27 November 2022.
By Hilde von Bannisseht on 25 October, 2022
PAN Amsterdam will celebrate its 35th anniversary as the Netherlands’ leading art, antiques, and design fair from Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th of November. Showcasing 125 art & antique dealers and galleries ranging from familiar PAN favorites to exciting newcomers the fair will offer a wide and diverse offering of art, antiques, and design from home and abroad.
For the second time in a row, AWCo will be present at the 2022 edition of the fair with a specially curated collection of fine wristwatches, which can be purchased at the PAN fair.
We are always highly critical of the watches we acquire, but for this special occasion, we have upped the ante. We have been hard at work, building a truly unique collection of watches that you simply never see in the same space at the same time.
Our debut at PAN, the leading national art and design fair in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, November 2021
A taster of watches you will find at PAN
We are happy to provide a sneak preview of what is to come. Please note that we do not take orders or reservations on these watches, nor do we share additional details or prices at this time. If you are interested, the PAN fair is the place to be.
Audemars Piguet “World Timer”
We did some digging through the history of the brand, trying to acquire relevant information about the World Timer we are speaking off. The watch dating back to 1951 and featuring a world-timer complication was very uncommon, with commercial air travel being only accessible to a very select group of people. Then it clicked, we argue that this watch was a very limited order delivered to different markets. If you have a very keen eye, you might have noticed that the time-zone subdial does not feature a hand of any kind. This was not necessary, the way it works is actually relatively simple for the person who possesses basic mental arithmetic. The arrow facing upward to Rome implies that the before-mentioned order was most likely allocated to the Mid-European time-zone (GMT+2) market, and is in this case specifically in Italy.
This particular watch is provided with an extremely rare VZ movement. The VZ movement line of Audemars Piguet is related to the, known by enthusiasts, Valjoux 23/72. However, there is an important difference between the two. The Valjoux 23s were being used by some different watchmakers simultaneously. Whereas the VZ series were purchased from Valjoux by Audemars Piguet, making this lineage of movements exclusive to Audemars Piguet.
This kind of purchase was rather uncommon as Audemars Piguet made a “movement blank” purchase, meaning that the blank was made up of all the structural elements of the movement and only primary machine work was finalized. This is in contrast to the more common way, purchasing as an ebauche, which essentially is a ready-made movement from which a watch can be instantly built. Because of the ‘’movement blank” purchase, Audemars Piguet was able to construct the movement to an incredibly high standard.
Did we get you curious about the complete story of this rare Audemars Piguet, that comes with the original box, 2022 service papers, and a ‘certificate d’authenticite’ from Audemars Piquet? We’d love to take you with us on its historical journey at the PAN fair. For now, you can read the full blog story on this watch here.
Omega DeVille Jeux d’argent cuff
We pride ourselves in bringing to market those watches you just do not come across very often. The exotic and the truly special. We are delighted to present such a watch today.
This is the Omega DeVille Jeux d’Argent cuff bracelet watch in 925 silver from ca. 1970.
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great experimentation in design, especially for Omega. They were seeking out the extremes of what was possible, often in cooperation with superstar designers such as Gilbert Albert or Andrew Grima.
Andrew Peter Grima was a man of multiple talents. Born in the roaring 1920s comes from a very artistic family. His father was an embroidery designer and his brothers became architects. Peter himself joined the army and when he came back he started working in the jeweler shop of his father-in-law. That is where his love for designing started.
And wow, he made the most beautiful pieces, in 1970 he designed a series of watches for omega, called “About Time”. The watch we have is from that particular series. Many years ago Sotheby’s had the same piece at an auction, it was sold for $16.000.-.
The influence of the latter can clearly be spotted in this cuff watch. Grima used colored gemstones such as tourmalines and peridots as faceted watch crystals. The example we see here might be a modest synthetic colorless sapphire, it is emerald-cut, reminding us of Grima’s radical designs.
This sculptural design was even more directly inspired by a concept watch drawn by Irene Spielmann for Montres et Bijoux in 1974. Her sketch features a crystal that reaches right up to the edge of the watch case, but otherwise, the shape is pretty much identical.
The watch is manually wound through its hidden crown. The time is then displayed on the pale blue, vertically brushed cross-hair dial.
This unique masterpiece of design is now available and can be seen at the PAN fair.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3800
In a world hunting for blue-dial steel sports watches, the Patek Philippe Nautilus rules them all. Okay, perhaps in a shared dominance with the AP Royal Oak. This is one of those grail watches. Near impossible to obtain and oh, so beautiful.
This is the Nautilus Ref. 3800/1 from 1992. The very first Nautilus was introduced in 1976 as the Ref. 3700. In 1980, a women’s size and a midsize version were added to the lineup. This is that midsize variant. And you know what, it might just be the most elegant in the history of the model. Measuring 37,5mm, this is just about the perfect size for any wrist.
The watch has been serviced by Patek Philippe and comes with 2022 service papers & Extract of the Archive.
This blue Nautilus, a Gerald Genta design icon, is now available and will be shown at PAN.
Visiting PAN Amsterdam
If you are curious to see the cutting edge in design, art, and antiquities, as well as our unique selection of high-end wristwatches, visit PAN at RAI Amsterdam, from Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th of November.
