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Pierre Kunz wristwatch, ref. PKB0655DHRSN, Triple Retrograde Limited 01, circa 2001 — view 1 of 2
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Pierre Kunz wristwatch, ref. PKB0655DHRSN, Triple Retrograde Limited 01, circa 2001

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Pierre Kunz (brand / maker)
Date
c. 2001
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k pink gold
Dimensions
length 38 mm; width 38 mm
Lot
Lot 369-8
Credit line
Auction lot record: LOT 8, Hong Kong,June 1st, 2024
Catalogue title (original)
PIERRE KUNZ, REF. PKB0655DHRSN, TRIPLE RETROGRADE, LIMITED 01, 18K PINK GOLD (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 369-8), this is a wristwatch by Pierre Kunz, dated c. 2001. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k pink gold. Recorded dimensions: length 38 mm; width 38 mm. The record is illustrated with 2 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Antiquorum catalogue description

A fine and possibly piece unique, manual wind 18K pink gold, square shaped wristwatch, with silver colour regulator-type dial with retrograde hour at 12 and double retrograde subsidiary seconds at 6.

Lot specifications (Antiquorum)

Model: Triple Retrograde; Reference: PKB0655DHRSN; Case No.: 1; Bracelet: Pierre Kunz 18K pink gold buckle; Length: 38mm; Width: 38mm; Signature: dial, case and movement; Accessories: Pierre Kunz fitted box, certificate of origin, instruction booklet

Inscriptions & marks

dial, case and movement

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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