Auctions: A Mysterious Unsigned Chronograph Minute Repeater is Coming Up at Phillips

In 1991, a collector walked into Jean-Pierre Hagmann's workshop in Geneva with an unusual request. He wanted to commission a custom chronograph and minute repeater in the same watch. Hagmann was – and still is – known for his incredible casemaking, but he knew just the person to ask about solving the problem when it came to the movement. The workshop next door belonged to F.P. Journe, and Hagmann was delighted to learn that Journe had actually produced a module for Piaget that exactly met the customer’s request. According to Phillips, Journe supplied the module to Hagmann, who produced the case for this commissioned piece. This is where the story starts to get unclear. It's not known exactly who assembled the watch, but what we do know is that the watchmaker affixed the Journe-supplied module to a Valjoux 7750 and installed it in Hagmann's case. The dial is unsigned. According to Paul Boutros, Head of Watches in the Americas for Phillips, "No one knows who created the dial or fitted the module to the movement, a very complicated task that isn't something a novice watchmaker could do. Unfortunately, while Hagmann does remember the project happening, he doesn't remember the specifics or details concerning the dial or movement, beyond the Journe connection." HODINKEE reached out to François-Paul Journe, who declined to comment on his contribution to the project. Hagmann was unavailable to elaborate on his involvement. So the watch retains a bit of mystery. Notice the lack of branding on the dial. What we do know is that the original collector sold his one-off watch to another collector about 15 years ago, and now the second collector has consigned the watch to Phillips. It's coming up in the  Geneva Watch Auction: XIII . The watch carries an estimate of $10,900 to $16,300, and that's a decent value proposition for a minute repeater, let alone one cased by Hagmann with movement tech supplied by Journe. In the past 30 years, F.P Journe has made quite a name for himself. Hagmann's perhaps less well known among rank and file enthusiasts but his career includes making cases for the "Holy Trinity" of horology: Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe. This unusual watch is the product of a rare collaboration from two talents who would go on to become industry titans. An example of a highly complicated striking watch made by F.P. Journe for Piaget in the 1990s, in a very small series.  Image via Antiquorum. Hagmann started his career in '84 and quickly became a big name in casemaking, creating designs for the likes of indies Franck Muller and Roger Dubuis before going on to make cases for high-end legacy manufacturers, including Blancpain, which Jean-Claude Biver discusses in his Talking Watches episode . Hagmann retired in 2017 but came out of retirement to pair up with Rexhep Rexhepi, the young star behind Akrivia. You may remember his contribution to Only Watch 2019 . Now Hagmann is overseeing the casemaking side of the business for Rexhepi. But it's Hagmann's work on minute repeater cases for Patek Philippe that remains his calling card. Watches bearing his "JHP" stamp are sought after by Patek collectors. "His Patek cases are my personal favorites, especially his cases for minute repeaters," says Patek expert and Collectability founder John Reardon. "You can literally hear the difference in minute repeater cases made by Mr. Hagmann, and it is comforting to know his voice will always be heard firsthand through his watches even after all of us are long gone." Hagmann produced the case for the ref. 3974 and ref. 3979, and a number of examples have crossed the block in recent years, bringing in strong results, like this ref. 3974 from Christie's in 2019 and this example sold by Phillips in 2018 . Chronomètre Contemporain Only Watch with a case by Hagmann. As Ben points out , F.P. Journe isn't your average watch executive. In fact, he's not quite an executive at all, he's a bona fide watchmaker first and foremost. His distinctive style has earned him a sterling reputation in the industry, and his watches fetch stratospheric prices on the secondary market. Simply put, Journe is one of the most sought-after independent watchmakers today. Journe has come a long way. His steel Astronomic Souveraine is some of  his recent work that's been universally lauded by the industry. Since the watch doesn't come from a brand or named watchmaker, lot number 91 is cataloged as "Anonymous." The nomenclature may sound mysterious, but it simply means "unsigned" in auction-catalogue parlance. Boutros says the watch could easily go unnoticed. "But it has a surprisingly interesting story and a wonderfully complex movement." Journe's module actually sits between the dial and the mainplate of the movement, obscuring the view of the striking hammers through the display back. At the time, there weren't many other options when it came to chronograph movements on which a module could be installed. To anyone peering through the caseback, it looks like a rather simply finished Valjoux 7750. The "Anonymous Watch" on the wrist. An unmarked watch won't draw those who collect to demonstrate their fine taste with a highly recognizable timepiece. This is a watch that will appeal to those who have a passion for historic independent timepieces, and don't necessarily need the branding on the dial to appreciate the complexity of a minute repeater module on a Valjoux 7750, especially one created by two industry heavyweights. Phillips’ The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII takes places May 8-9. The "Anonymous Watch" is lot 91 , a middle lot, so it may cross the block on either day, however, advance bidding is open.Tucked behind a common chronograph caliber, you'll find something very special.