Weekly Wind Down | Sales Highlights including watches from Artisans De Genève, Rolex & Vacheron Constantin

Aside from two-tone and 4:30 date wheels, there’s nothing more controversial in the watch world than aftermarket customisation, especially when it comes to Rolex. Depending on your viewpoint, you’re either open to a fresh take on the Crown’s often conservative design, or offended by the blatant defacing of a timeless classic. Whatever your take, it’s hard to deny the skills of customisers Artisans de Geneve who remodel and transform standard manufacturer specifications with some pretty impressive attention to detail. 

The brand boasts an impressive client list including racing drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Rubins Barrachello, all the way through to film director Spike Lee and musician Lenny Kravitz. This example, named ‘The Maggiore Challenge’, is based on the Daytona ref. 116505, and has a case and bracelet crafted in rose gold. Artisans De Genève created a skeleton dial for this piece, and in doing so, revealed a heavily re-finished version of Rolex’s calibre 4130 movement. 

There’s plenty of hand-bevelling and polishing going on here which really serves to enhance the visual appeal of each of its individual components. Factor in a sapphire-capped bezel, and this watch delivers a heavy dose of individuality into a ubiquitous model line. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £58,000

Rolex launched the ‘Kermit’ back in 2003 as an unofficial 50th anniversary tribute to its most beloved model line. This watch is like the perfect storm for collectability, being a milestone celebration of the world’s most recognised diver. With a lot of tenuous limited editions floating around these days, this one feels like the real deal.

Of course, when it comes to Rolex, it’s never as simple as buying any version of the watch. With collectors paying attention to small changes in fonts over a model’s lifespan, there’s always certain versions to look out for. This ‘Flat 4’ is among the most desirable and refers to the flat-topped ‘4’ on the green bezel insert. We only saw this at the very beginning of the production period before it was promptly updated, making it very rare and highly sought-after. 

This watch also has the added desirability of being a ‘new old stock’ example, with its factory protective stickers still attached to the case and bracelet. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £24,100

Introduced in 2017, this Triple Calendrier 1942 from Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques collection draws inspiration from the brand's vintage reference 4240. This model offers the best of both worlds, with vintage-inspired lines complemented by some contemporary updates.

The case has been enlarged to a more modern 40mm, but retains those signature claw-shaped lugs which Vacheron Constantin are so well known for. The cream-coloured dial with blue accents adds a subtle touch of colour and pays tribute to the watch it was inspired by. For a watch with this kind of classic styling, a manually-wound movement seems like a perfect fit, and Vacheron’s Geneva-sealed calibre 4400 is on display through the sapphire case back. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £10,750