An intricate Patek Philippe clock decorated with diamonds and rubies achieved $2.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong this weekend.
“The Magpie’s Treasure Nest Clock,” which stands 52 centimeters high and weighs 15.1 kilograms, depicts an intricate scene. The bulk of the clock was sculpted out of calcite, onyx and agate, among other materials, with diamonds (24.95 carats) and rubies (13.17 carats) studded among its carved flowers. Strewn from the bird’s beak is a large oval tanzanite – a blue-colored gem stone — weighing 104.75 carats.
Made in 1992, the clock was sold to an Asian buyer who paid more than three times the high estimate of $640,000.
The item was part of a record-setting sale of watches and clocks in which the house sold $28.4 million worth of timepieces, the most it has ever reaped for a sale in the category in its history.