05 Aug 2015, 00:33
This was an interesting auction. I was watching, and bidding, on all six items. I went as high as reason would allow, but came away empty-handed. Seems like everything, except the module case, went for pretty silly money, especially the last module, and the sample piece itself. $2100 for a dead watch module has to be a high-water mark for overbidding, and $4500 (plus about $900 in buyer's premiums) for the salesman's sample took on an air almost of panic-bidding, after it went past $2500 (my limit). This, especially, when you consider this wasn't
A: a solid gold case watch, B: working, C: a correct sample, D: a P1. Don't get me wrong; I would have loved to get this, but the price just spiraled out of control (I guess it might be a good sign for the economy, that there are still people out there that can throw money around with such reckless abandon). Now, I do not say that just because I don't have one in my collection; to put this in perspective, I paid $4579 for the unique, double-boxed, complete 14K P1 a couple years ago, which is everything this offering wasn't, and is of vastly greater significance, since, until it came to light, no one was even sure such a watch existed (well, one source was positive they didn't, but that's another story). Anyway, I think I spent my money to far better effect...
I had a long talk with the guy who ran this auction about this watch, and tried to get the story straight on this, but, he essentially ignored everything I told him and went with the "Bergy promo" stuff. He could not offer a single fact to support any of that; not surprising, considering it is well-documented that Bergy donated what is certainly a sample watch to the Smithsonian many years ago. The samples were originally issued with a goldfilled bracelet similar to the P2, but with a Hamilton-marked clasp. The cases, presumably from the same molds that produced the solid gold ones (I'll be able to be certain about that, when I eventually have one "in-hand"), carry no manufacturer's marks or serial numbers, and were certainly never intended to be sold to the public. They were produced solely for the purpose of showing potential distributors what the watch would look like, without tying up salable solid gold examples (which were too valuable and important, to not sell, and the whole "wear-test" story is just nonsensical, since the finished watches would be solid gold, not plated). This one, on a leather strap, is almost certainly NOT in the configuration it was in when it left Lancaster, and is thus not even a correct example. As for this being a P1, I will go out on a limb here, and state categorically that it (and the other samples) are NOT, and I base that on holding them to two standards which they do not, and were never intended to, meet. First, not a solid gold case, and second, carry no makers' marks or serial numbers. The 14K watch meets both these criteria. As a parallel example, I once saw a copper trial striking of a double eagle. Here was a coin that came off official government dies, under a mint roof...but, was it a $20 gold piece? Of course not, and the sample watches are thus not P1s, even though made under similar circumstances. If there are those who would argue the point, we can take it up on another thread; but, I will say in advance, even after I own one (which I'm sure will happen), it will still not be a P1, just a salesman's sample.
Lloyd...the two watches you mention impressed me as "pieced-together". The P2 has an unmarked case back, which will probably turn out to be an Omega part. And the strap buckle has a magnet holder for a P4, so I'm sure this watch didn't leave the factory that way. Hope it works...otherwise, there's nothing rare or exotic here. The P4 is also an odd mix of parts that never happened under Time Computer's roof. First, stainless backs never went on goldfilled cases, and this one is also from a "roundface" SS case (all these case backs have serial numbers in the 90xxxx range, and are not made by Star). The bracelet has been altered to fit the case lugs, by removing the top link, and this type of construction, which I call "folded-tab, hollow-link", is seen only on P3 cases (and the 14K Pulse-Time). I have not seen a complete SS version of this bracelet, but I'm sure they exist, as I have a single SS expansion link for one. Again, the value here is embodied primarily in the working module.