16 Dec 2016, 04:20
A lot to comment on, here...
Yes, this is one of the the New York watches. There were 20 in total, which came in three lots of 15, 4, and 1; this watch was part of the original purchase (the others showed up later as the estate was more completely inventoried). Judging from its' location, this is likely the one I sold to Mike Barbaro in early 2005 (and which, when sold, DID have its' original setting magnet with it; incredible that this could have been lost). 14 of the 20 remain in my collection, including a unique consecutively-numbered pair. All of them fall into just two serial number blocks, 295 and 315. The condition you see here is typical of all the New York material...unworn, virtually flawless...true (much as I hate the term) new-old-stock. This auction ended July 11; it has not been re-listed.
The 18K Ladies watch is certainly from another source (none of the NY watches remained in their boxes..a shame, as they have never surfaced, and there would have been nearly 60 of them). Given the rarity of the special Gold Boxes, I would say this example went for about "melt" value, a dangerous circumstance, unless it went into the hands of a dedicated collector. Only one other 18K Ladies model has appeared (an Oval, on eBay, a few years ago). There were 21 pieces in the NY group, mostly in two serial number blocks (195 and 709); a single example in the 251 block is among the 13 remaining in the collection.
The solid-gold, Tiffany-branded, originally-boxed P3 currently on eBay is 14K, not 18K. The serial number (295308) is remarkably close to the 18K run...unfortunately, there is no way to pin down exactly where the 18K run stops (highest number I know of is 295063), and the 14K run picks up (unless, of course, a consecutively-numbered pair shows up, one of each carat fineness). It does, however, share a couple common features with the 18K watches...the Lynx stamp on the case back (a Swiss inspection hallmark, clearly visible in the sixth pic), and a similar, much smaller (1x2mm) punchmark on the upper right case lug (best seen in the fourth pic, as is the unusual structure of the bracelet). The box is correct and original (and, like the watch itself, quite rare). This watch also sports the rare, early, folded-tab, hollow-link bracelet (remarkably, this bracelet also occurs on the 7725 Pulse-Time; not sure how or why such an early bracelet ended up on such a late watch, but it did).