Rare Rolex, Omega, Cartier Models to Headline at Salcedo Auctions

While a wristwatch is a utilitarian accessory for most, it is something much more for casual collectors and their hardcore counterparts—the horological connoisseurs. For them, a watch’s value is all about the technical features and their backstories, which are intertwined with great historical moments. But before its widespread popularity, the wristwatch went through some awkward years.

Rare Timepiece at Salcedo Auctions

A Rolex left-hand wind rectangular watch from the 1930s with the distinctive Snowite chrome finish, estimated at P240,000-P280,000 (top); a rare Rolex military watch from 1916, estimated at P160,000-P190,000.

Mid-1800s gentlemen considered it effeminate to wear a watch on one’s wrist. Only women of wealth sported what was then called a wristlet, with men checking the time with a pocket watch. It took a war to dismantle that notion with the emergence of the trench watch designed for precision and efficiency in combat. Though officers in previous battles already wore the wristwatch’s early predecessors, the First World War degenderized its image as civilians adopted the trend after seeing soldiers sporting timepieces that had survived the battlefield. 

In the years that followed, watchmakers competed to make the best timekeepers for everyday wear, sports, aviation, and expeditions that reached the ocean’s deepest trenches and the farthest frontiers of the earth and outer space. Watches also evolved stylistically to suit the tastes of different generations. Each timepiece, no matter the vintage, has become a cultural artifact that encapsulates the zeitgeist of an era.

Top to bottom: An Omega Seamaster Quartz dress watch in gold, with patented push-time crown adjustment, estimated at P43,000-P55,000; the Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark II, estimated at P140,000-P180,000; Omega de Ville dress watch estimated at P26,000-P35,000; sculpture by Arturo Luz, estimated at P26,000-P35,000.

Some of the most iconic watches in the horological cosmos are up for bidding at Salcedo Auctions’ “The Well-Appointed Life” live and online auction—its first marquee event for its 15th anniversary—which starts at 2PM on March 8. Among the rarest models on the room list is a respected elder of the wristwatch family, a Rolex timepiece from 1916 that most likely saw action in World War I. It has the distinctive features of the military watches of that era, such as the luminous steel skeleton hands (so soldiers can tell time in the dark without cueing an unfriendly marksman) and a bigger crown for easy handling by gloved, manly hands. 

A Rolex watch from the 1930s, on the other hand, is a representative model from the decadent post-war years. It has imprints of the Art Deco style, as seen in the numerals and the sleek tank shape. Another distinction is the Snowite finish of its metal casing, a trademarked feature that gives it a unique sheen.

In the 1960s, Omega emerged as a dominant brand. Its de Ville dress watch, with its TV-shaped casing and elegant lines, embodied the spirit of the era it was born in and marks a significant period in the Omega’s history. Few brands could match Omega’s ’60s-era celebrity affiliations, which include the US President John F. Kennedy, who wore an Omega Slimline—“the thinnest, most elegant wristwatch,” according to First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy—to his inauguration in 1961.

A trio of brand new Rolex watches is listed in the auction catalogue: An Oyster Perpetual 36 with turquoise dial, estimated at P1,000,000 to P1,200,000; a Datejust 36 with slate Wimbledon dial estimated at P950,000-P1,100,000; an Oyster Perpetual 34, estimated at P450,000-P500,000.

While the de Ville epitomized restrained elegance, Omega launched the watch’s chest-beating kin to welcome the ’70s—the Speedmaster Professional Mark II. The Speedy, as the popular model is fondly called, is a direct descendant of the Omega Moonwatches that accompanied Apollo 11’s astronauts on their historic lunar stroll. Another ’70s-vintage Omega piece up for bidding is a stunning Seamaster Quartz watch in gold with a unique feature—the patented push-time crown adjustment.

In contrast to Omega’s futuristic branding, Cartier leaned on its glamorous past as “the jeweler to kings and the king of jewelers,” according to an early fan, Britain’s King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria. Lately, there has been an increased clamor for the iconic Cartier Tank, two gold versions of which (a ’70s and an ’80s vintage) are listed for the upcoming auction. It is a timeless classic that has remained popular due to its elegance and simplicity, a flexible model that one can wear from day to night.

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Rolex swaggered into the world of watches in 1905, making it a latecomer compared to Cartier and Omega, both of which were founded in the mid-1800s. But Rolex caught up quickly to build a following, which includes the Hollywood royals and deposed emperors whose watches drew big-game collectors at auction. Among them, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, the ‘Bai Dao’ Rolex (which takes its name from its owner, the last emperor of Vietnam), Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie’s 1949 pink gold Rolex (with gorgeous ruby hour markers), and Marlon Brando’s Apocalypse Now GMT-Master, which he wore while filming in the Philippines.

But it was Newman’s Daytona that electrified the watch market in a 12-minute bidding that broke the world record for the most expensive watch sold at auction then. Rolex’s spectacular auction outings certainly added to its cachet, making it one of the most desired watch brands in the market.

A trio of Rolex classics is listed in “The Well-Appointed Life” catalogue: An Oyster Perpetual 36, a Datejust 36 with slate Wimbledon dial, and an Oyster Perpetual 34. All are new, without the patina of a storied past. But watches like these are built to last generations and carry the unique imprints of life in their owners' hands.

Salcedo Auctions’ “The Well-Appointed Life” live and online auction will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2025, starting at 2 PM. For inquiries, email [email protected] or phone +63 917 107 5581 | +63 917 591 2191 | +63 917 825 7449. For the latest updates, follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook.