Phillips will give collectors a big, beautiful blast from watchmaking’s past this summer.

The auction house is offering up some incredible vintage timepieces in the upcoming New York Watch Auction: XIV, taking place in the Big Apple from June 13 to 14.

The sale will be led by Patek Philippe Reference 1518. Produced from 1941 (throughout World War II) until 1954, this model was the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, marking a major step forward for the Swiss maison from pocket watches to high-complication wristwatches. It featured a distinct dial layout that has influenced many perpetual calendar chronographs made in the decades since, along with a compact 35 mm midcentury-inspired case. Patek produced just 281 examples, most in yellow gold with a few in either rose gold or stainless steel. That makes the 1518 what Phillips describes as the most coveted vintage Pateks in existence.

This particular rose-gold example, crafted in 1948 and previously unknown to the public, is presented in “extraordinary, museum‑quality condition,” according to the auction house. Phillips didn’t provide a pre-sale estimate, but a similar pink-gold piece made in 1946 sold for $3.8 million at Sotheby’s in 2023. Another steel example sold for 11 million Swiss francs (about $13.9 million) at Phillips back in 2016. 

“Collectors today are increasingly focused on watches that define categories and establish benchmarks, and few references embody that ideal as powerfully as the Patek Philippe reference 1518—one of the most important and sought‑after vintage wristwatches ever produced,” Paul Boutros and Isabella Proia of Phillips said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to present a pink gold example that is both fresh-to-market, in stunning condition, and one that will be immediately recognized as perhaps the best-preserved example to ever surface.”

Other standouts from the upcoming auction include an exceptionally rare F.P.Journe Tourbillon Souverain Anniversaire “Hong Kong,” which ranks as one of only five ever produced, and a 1980s Tiffany & Co.–signed Patek owned by Paul Starrett, the legendary American builder behind the Empire State Building.

There will, of course, be several, well-preserved vintage Rolexes up for grabs, too, including two Daytona “Paul Newman” chronographs. One is a 1967 yellow-gold Reference 6239 with a pristine champagne dial, the other a 1970 stainless-steel Reference 6263 with the iconic “Panda” dial. 

The lots will be displayed ahead of the auction via a public exhibition at 432 Park Avenue from June 10 to 12.