This week, QP stopped by the London showroom of Phillips auctioneers to check out the highlights from its upcoming sale in May. Here are six of our favourites.
By Chris Hall

As we have come to expect from Phillips, the standard of pieces in what will be its fifth Geneva watch auction is incredibly high, and consistent. The house is aware of the bar it has set since returning to the watch world in 2014 with Bacs and Russo as lead specialists, and you suspect it knows full well the impact its sales have had on the vintage market since – raising the profile (and prices) of steel chronographs in particular. 
Talking of impact, there is something arresting about seeing the watches from the next auction laid out together. Roughly £10m worth of watches, including eight or nine pristine Daytonas, all special in some way, and at least a dozen rare and complicated Patek Philippes. How do you pick a handful from a room like that" Well, we tried. Here are the six watches that sang out to us.  1. Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700/11

Estimate: CHF40,000 – 60,000

 
We wrote last year about the chance that the stock of the Nautilus might rise in tune with its 40th anniversary; aside from Christie’s themed sales it’s not immediately apparent that prices have shot up, but interesting examples will always draw our eye. This ref.3700 has such a brilliantly patinated dial – described as “tiger’s eye”, it began life as dark ...