Fine jewellery in aid of supporting young designers

Botero, Degas, Giacometti, Picabia celebrating the female figure

The incredible Charles-Edouard Duflon collection reflecting his unusual character

First Ferrari Memorabilia sale

The Château Le Rosey library of rare books

SALEROOM AUCTIONS: 14 – 16 JUNE

ONLINE ONLY AUCTIONS: 2 – 16 JUNE

Total Estimate: CHF 5 – 7.5 million

Viewings: 10-12 June 12noon to 7pm

By appointment 7 to 9 June

44 & 51, rue Prévost-Martin 1205 Geneva

Piguet is pleased to organize a jewellery sale to benefit the Eric Horovitz Foundation, which supports young talent in the jewellery industry and further education in this field.

Created in 2020 as a tribute to Eric Horovitz, an internationally renowned jeweler and co-founder of the Horovitz & Totah company, this foundation has been organizing a jewellery design competition for CFC school students since 2021 at GemGenève, following which a student is offered personalized support in his or her professional projects.

Between CHF 200,000 and CHF 300,000 is expected to support this initiative with attractive pieces of antique and modern jewellery estimated between CHF 300 and CHF 30,000 (lots 211 to 226 and lot 228 to be sold in the saleroom as well as 35 lots in the Online only auction).

For several years now, Piguet Auction House has been exhibiting top lots at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage in Geneva in May and November to promote forthcoming sales in parallel with international auctions of fine jewellery and fine watches. This May, a very fine selection of jewellery was unveiled for preview and received considerable attention. Jewellery collectors have marked their diaries with the auction on 16 June with 1,000 lots of jewellery and watches.

Among the top designers are a Harry Winston ring set with a 10.13 carat diamond (lot 241 above, estimated at CHF 250,000-350,000), an Ostinato cuff bracelet by Adler in Burmese rubies, diamonds and ebony (lot 210 estimated at CHF 30,000-50,000) and a 7.5 carat Cartier solitaire (lot 229 estimated at CHF 30,000-50,000). An Art Deco ring, set with a rare Ceylon cabochon star sapphire weighing approximately 75 carats, is a worthy representation of the creations of this iconic period (lot 236 opposite, estimated at CHF 60,000-80,000).

A relatively unknown figure, Antide Janvier was nonetheless a near genius in clockmaking during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as witnessed here by this astronomical clock dated 1810.

Very quickly, his timepieces were noticed by the elite and most importantly, by King Louis XVI, to whom he became very close. Despite this success, Antide Janvier met a tragic end.

Marked by the political changes brought about by the French Revolution, this exceptional creator died in 1835 in total destitution.

Estimate CHF 150,000-200,000

Lot 107

Works of modern and contemporary art worthy of the greatest international museums are on sale at Piguet! In this new selection, the female figure takes the leading role…

Fernando Botero (1932) opens the Wednesday 15 June auction with a major oil painting from 1965 entitled ‘Dolorosa’.

Here the Colombian artist returns to the traditional subject of Mater Dolorosa – ‘Mother of Sorrows’ – while adding a modern, satirical touch and a strong political message. He uses his own Aestheticism and apparent ease in expressing a contemporary tragedy, reflecting his own powerlessness in the face of the problems of societal violence in his native Colombia.

Estimate CHF 300 000-400 000

Lot 139

Another female figure in the spotlight is Francis Picabia’s (1879-1953) Spaniard, who immediately captivates the viewer.

With this work, the non-conformist artist breaks away from the Dada movement and returns to formal conventionalism.

Picabia relates to his Spanish-Cuban roots by depicting a traditional theme with a modern twist for a spectacular result.

Estimate CHF 80 000-120 000

Lot 129

Degas, Giacometti and the Martel brothers celebrate women through sculpture

Degas with one of his famous Dancers (lot 124, estimated at CHF 20 000-30 000)

Giacometti with his characteristically slender “figure” (lot 132 above, estimated at CHF 100 000-150 000) and the Martel brothers with a reinterpretation of the birth of Venus, considered to be the most significant and emblematic work of their career (lot 125 opposite, estimated at CHF 80 000-120 000). 

In 1990, Charles-Edouard Duflon took over the renowned Galerie Témoin on the Grand’Rue in Geneva and became the leading specialist in Switzerland in the field of primitive arts.

The Duflon Collection offered at auction today is noteworthy in more ways than one and reflects the complex personality of Charles-Edouard.

On the one hand, it includes lots within his specialized field: African and Oceanic art. On the other, it reflects the marginal personality of this curious, eclectic, sometimes dark collector, who was passionate about all contemporary art: from erotic, sometimes disturbing photographs to provocative sculptures by Gerard Mas (1976), including figurines of Darth Vader and his stormtroopers (lot 3070) or creations by Murano glass masters decorated with devils and erotic scenes.

For the first time, Piguet Auction House is organizing a specialized sale of Ferrari items.

53 lots in the colors of the famous Italian brand will thrill fans of this kind of horsepower.

These include a Formula 1 suit and Puma Dragon Carbon “Michaël Schumacher” driving shoes signed by the driver (lots 4798 and 4800), a Nardi steering wheel from the 1950s (lot 4801, estimated at CHF 3 000-5 000), and original black leather seats from a 1971 Ferrari GTB/4 “Daytona” (lot 4802, estimated at CHF 8 000-12 000).

Among the collections from a prestigious provenance is a set of coins and medals given by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi before 1979 to a member of his family which have remained in his family to this day (lots 3333 to 3364).

The Pahlavi collection also offers jewellery, including a 1970s bracelet and sautoir by Van Cleef & Arpels (lots 192 and 193), and watches by Cartier, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin (lots 185 and 4969).

The sale of antiquarian and modern books also benefited from choice provenance, with around one hundred works from Château Le Rosey and a collection dedicated to botany from the Château de Gingins.

In the tableware category, there are pieces of 1784 Sèvres porcelain from the service of Queen Marie-Antoinette and King Gustav III of Sweden (lots 69 and 70).