Packard, the American auto manufacturer and inventor whose passion for watch collecting is the stuff of legend, was among the first of the great watch collectors to work directly with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, the world's most exclusive watch manufacturers, in his quest to build an exquisite personal collection of highly complicated, custom-designed timepieces.
One of the great revelations of Packard's rediscovered collection is documented proof of his design partnership with Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacturer in Geneva. In 1918, the firm created a completely unique 20k gold openface chronograph pocketwatch for Packard according to his specific instructions, incorporating a customized combination of complications, including trip minute-repeating, grande and petite sonnerie, chronograph, and half-quarter repeating functions (above). It's estimated at up to $500,000.
"In watch collecting circles, this is a true fairytale collection. James Ward Packard is the original icon who inspired generations of serious watch collectors that followed him," notes Sam Hines, Head of Watches for Christie's Americas and Asia. "As a mechanical engineer by training, he had a deep knowledge and passion for the craft of watchmaking that made him uniquely qualified to work directly with the best Swiss watch manufacturers and create completely unique, one-of-a-kind watches that do not exist anywhere else in the world.
Beyond this, he had a refined sense of style that was heavily influenced by the design motifs of his day, and it is a true delight to see Packard's personal taste reflected in the elegant, Art Nouveau styling of these timepieces, even down to the stylized monograms stamped on the case backs. These rediscovered watches are likely the last of the great Packard watches to come to market directly from his descendants, and we anticipate intense interest from collectors in the U.S., Europe, Asia and beyond."
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