Wannenes back at Metropole for exclusive auction
Wannenes is back from Friday, July 5 until July 9 © Wannenes
An exceptional piece, a royal tiara, will be up for sale during the auction. Many other prestigious brands will also have that honour, such as Bulgari, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Hermès, Vuitton, Prada…
The Hotel Metropole is gearing up to host an extraordinary collection of jewellery, watches and bags. Wannenes will be back from Friday, July 5 until July 9 in the salons of the legendary hotel for an exhibition followed by an auction, with some 314 pieces of jewellery, 170 watches, 33 bags and other accessories. Significantly more than at its previous auction.
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Wannenes: a history of prestige
Wannenes was founded in 2001 by a Dutch family who had lived in Genoa since the 17th century. The company originated in Italy, and more specifically in Genoa, historically a major centre for jewellery and gold. Building on its success, it then grew in Rome, Milan and Turin, and continues to expand. Having arrived in Monaco in 2018, Wannenes has accustomed the Principality to sales of exceptional products.
A royal tiara for sale
Teresa Scarlata, head of the jewellery department at Wannenes, tells us that the collection includes a number of incredibly rare pieces of jewellery, both antique and modern, such as a choker/necklace that is for sale, produced and signed by Musy, the former official supplier to the Savoie royal family in Italy.
Musy Padre e Figli is a Turin-based jeweller and watchmaker, the oldest in Italy. Its pieces were so precious and so precise that it quickly became Casa Savoia’s most sought-after jeweller.
In 1868, Princess Margherita di Savoia entrusted the company with resetting two bracelets on the occasion of her marriage to her cousin Umberto. From then on, Musy became the trusted jeweller of the future first queen of Italy. Many jewels were created for her, and they later formed part of Italy’s Crown jewels.
Bulgari celebrates 140th anniversary
This year marks Bulgari’s 140th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, Wannenes is offering a particularly significant collection of jewellery by the Roman brand. With a dozen watches and about thirty pieces of jewellery, including some from the Tubogas collection, the selection includes necklaces from the famous “Monete” collection, earrings in coral, gold, and others, with a ring set with a 6-carat diamond. The “iconic brooch” from the Cartier platinum and diamond Panthère collection, created in the 1980s, will also be on sale.
Rare and precious watches
Among the 170 watches on display, two in particular caught the eye of Michele Rosa, watch specialist for Wannenes. The first is a 1969 Rolex Daytona, the same model worn by Paul Newman, but in yellow gold and with an exotic dial. There are only 300 copies worldwide. Estimated at between €350,000 and €450,000, the watch was put up for sale by the family of the original buyer, which for Michele Rosa means that it is in optimal condition and that few people have touched it.
Even rarer, an Audemars Piguet watch produced as part of a limited edition of just 25 stands out because of its appearance. “At first glance, it appears to be made of steel and gold, but in reality, it is made of platinum and red gold. It has a salmon pink dial and a perpetual calendar,” explains Michele Rosa. The model is number 20 in the series.
Practical information
The fabulous pieces can be seen during the open exhibitions at the Hotel Métropole from 3 pm to 8 pm on July 5, from 10 am to 8 pm on July 6 and 7 and from 10 am to noon on July 8 and 9.
The auction will be open to the public at the Hotel Métropole in Monaco and it will also be possible to bid online and by telephone.
Auction times:
- 8 July at 2 pm for the watches
- 8 July at 5 pm for jewellery lots 1 to 191
- 9 July at 2 pm for lots 192 – 314
- July 9 at 5 pm for lots 400 – 492
The full watches catalogue and the jewellery, bags and accessories catalogue can be seen on the Wannenes website.