The so-called Swatch “superlot” will on exhibition in Hong Kong from 2 to 6 April 2015 before being auctioned as part of Sotheby’s Important Watches sale on 7 April.
Believed to be one of the world’s largest known private Swatch collections, the lot includes exclusive prototypes, limited and special edition watches and artwork relating to the brand’s designs.
It was compiled by Paul Dunkel – who has been described by Sotheby’s as a “passionate European collector” – over a period of 25 years from 1983 to 2007.
“Collecting both the Swatch and the artworks is like having an intriguing marriage that works perfectly well, affording people the luxury of admiring art objects on their wrists,” Dunkel said.
“Over the years I have built an encyclopaedic collection comprising nearly every model of Swatch produced in their first 25 years.”
Among the timepieces included in the offering are those that were designed in collaboration with famous and up-and-coming artists like American graffiti artist Keith Haring; French painter, moviemaker and designer Christian Chapiron, Swiss visual artist Alfred Hofkunst; and American fashion designer Jeremy Scott.
Commenting on the collection, Sharon Chan, Sotheby’s head of watches in Asia, said, “Each watch in this collection translates into a chapter of contemporary art, or even an attitude and an approach to life. It is also a wonderful revelation to me how many serious luxury watch collectors around us are also passionate Swatch lovers.”
According to reports, The Swatch & Art from the Dunkel Collection is estimated to sell for US$1.3 million (AU$1.7 m).
The late Nicolas Hayek founded Swatch, a subsidiary of Swatch Group, in the early 1980s. The company is widely credited with reviving the Swiss watch industry at a time when Japanese quartz watches dominated the market.
The 'superlot' collection
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