A Swiss-made wrist watch sold for $480,000 was the most expensive item at an an auction titled ‘The Gentleman’s Sale’ yesterday at Al Bahie Auction House in Cultural Village Foundation – Katara. Unique and exquisite collections of time-pieces, fancy pens, intricately crafted daggers and swords, and high-quality oud incense and other luxury items went under the hammer at the event.
The fancy items on sale were submitted by multiple sellers with 135 online bidders taking part in the bidding process yesterday. There were 51 items on sale. Around 40% of the bidders were from the US, while the others were from different countries, including Qatar. In addition to the bidders who were physically present at the event, three bidders took part through telephone calls.
Jennifer Bishop, director at Al Bahie, pointed out that almost 50% of successful bidders were Qataris. The most expensive item sold, a Swiss watch, is made by James Pellaton with a unique royal marine skeleton, made of 18k red gold, with a brown hand-stitched alligator bracelet/strap. The watch is described as one-of-its-type.
The cheapest item sold, for $500, was a French mantel clock with a gilt-bronze and painted marble double columns surrounding gold dial with filigree, made in the early 20th century.  Another wristwatch was sold for $280,000, also Swiss-made. Described as the Artya, it has the first worldwide three gongs minute-repeater, regulator, and double axis tourbillion wristwatch. It is made of quenched tungsten, gold, titanium grade five and steel.
A Swiss clock made in 2014 was sold at $220,000. It is called L’Epee – a unique 175th anniversary two-hands flying double tourbillon clock with guilloche black dial and appliques. It is made of gold-plated massive brass with black enamel.
Regarding oud incense, the most expensive in this category was 800gm of triple super grade Cambodian oud, sold at $17,000. The cheapest oud, sold at $4,800, was Indian, from the state of Assam, weighing 500gm, and super grade.
For fancy pens, the most expensive one was sold for $6,000. It is a Mont Blanc, great character limited edition, Albert Einstein fountain pen and the cheapest pen at the collection sold for $550. It is a vintage range Vendome De Cartier fountain pen, produced between 1981-1984.
Swords, daggers, a Mughal-style letter box, and an Ottoman calligrapher’s box were on sale as well among the 51 items on display, which were all sold at the auction held in Katara yesterday.
The auction was considered the opening of this season with a number of similar events scheduled for the upcoming months.
Al Bahie is the first-of-its-kind in the region. An auction house locally-owned and operated, it aims to promote culture affinity through artistic practices and mediums by offering works in diverse sale categories from arts of the Islamic worlds, watches, banknotes and coins, special plate numbers, orientalist art, and rugs and carpets.