A Tiffany & Co.-signed Patek Philippe wristwatch once owned by Paul Starrett is heading to auction with a story that reaches beyond horology and into New York’s skyline.
Phillips will offer the yellow gold watch in The New York Watch Auction: XIV on June 13, with an estimate of $15,000 to $30,000. Produced in 1929 and delivered in November 1930, the piece comes from the family of the businessman who led construction of the Empire State Building. Starrett’s grandson is consigning it after the watch remained in the family for nearly a century.
The watch reflects a moment when wristwatches were still relatively new status objects for men. Paul Boutros, Phillips deputy chairman and head of watches, said that in the late 1920s and early 1930s, watches were often tucked into a pocket or hidden beneath a cuff, while the Great Depression pushed brands toward smaller, more affordable gold models. Boutros estimated that this watch would have retailed for about $200 in 1930, with its solid gold bracelet adding another $50. By comparison, the Ford Model A cost $495 that year.
Phillips said the sale would have been a meaningful one for Tiffany & Co. during a difficult economic period. The watch’s details help explain why: it has Starrett’s initials on the caseback, along with engraved floral scrollwork and Breguet numerals. Its manually wound 10-ligne caliber and solid gold bracelet underscore the level of craftsmanship that made such pieces desirable even in leaner times.
The auction house also suggested that Starrett may have worn the watch to the Empire State Building opening ceremony. Whether or not that can be proven, the object carries the aura of a specific civic moment, when luxury, engineering, and ambition briefly converged on the wrist of one of New York’s most consequential builders. Before the sale, the watch will travel on Phillips’ world tour and then go on view at the auction house for two days.
