Schwarzenegger ‘Time to Give’ Piece Unique up for auction

Antiquorum’s next "Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces" auction on June 8, 2011 in New York includes an item which was most likely included in the sale before the rather public revelations of watch collector/ex-actor/ ex-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s infidelity, ten year old child, and the resulting marital breakup. No doubt the current situation will lead to greater interest in watch, though whether that will translate to a higher realised price is another question altogether.

Lot 351 is an Audemars Piguet Piece Unique made in 2000 for the company's 125th anniversary, its caseback engraved with Schwarzenegger's signature. Made for the inaugural 'Time to Give' charity auction co-hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Muhammad Ali, the catalogue description is as follows :

“AUDEMARS PIGUET - TITANIUM & PINK GOLD GRAND COMPLICATION MADE TO CELEBRATE THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF AUDEMARS PIGUET SPECIFICALLY FOR THE INAUGURAL 'TIME TO GIVE' CHARITY AUCTION AND BEARING THE SIGNATURE OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER - PIECE UNIQUE Audemars Piguet, Genève, “Grande Complication," case No. E 24036.

Made for the 125th Anniversary of Audemars Piguet and offered as a unique piece for charity in 2000. Extremely fine and unique, large, minute-repeating, water-resistant, self-winding, titanium and 18K pink gold wristwatch with co-axial round button split-seconds chronograph, register, perpetual calendar with indication of the weeks, moon phases and an integrated titanium and 18K pink gold Audemars Piguet link bracelet with deployant clasp. Accompanied by the certificate of authenticity and instructions. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, octagonal bezel with 8 hexagonal recessed polished stainless steel nuts screwed to 8 screws on the case back, transparent case back with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s laser engraved signature, co-axial button on the winding crown to operate the split-seconds function, sapphire crystals. Textured copper colour with luminous white gold baton indexes, outer 1/5th seconds track with 5-minute/seconds Arabic markers, subsidiary dials for the 30-minute register and days of the week at 3, the months and leap years at 6, the seconds and date at 9, the weeks of the year at 12 concentric with the aperture for the moon phases. Luminous white gold baton hands. M. Cal. 2885, rhodium-plated, oeil de perdrix decoration, 52 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, hand-engraved gold rotor, repeating on gongs by activating slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 45 mm. Thickness 15 mm. Approx. overall length 200 mm.”

Estimate: 250,000 USD - 350,000 USD/ 215,000 CHF - 300,000 CHF/ 170,000 EUR - 235,000 EUR

You can see (and hear) the watch here :

The rest of the catalogue can be viewed here.

Happy bidding!

[AP]


9 June 2011 : The watch fetched a hammer price of USD310, 000. That's 374,500 USD with the buyer's premium.