Hi Georges,
I've missed you ! I thought you'd left us for some reason. It's good to "see" you again :-)
I too am amazed at some of the reserve prices ( & watches ). Some prices seem to be so High I can't imagine where Antiquorum got them from & some of them seem pretty close to eBay prices.
I Particularly like the pictures used for Lot # 149 in the Catalogue. On the left it has a WHITE & orange centre minute hand.... On the right it is BLACK & Orange..... This particular watch has an estimated value of 900-1100.... that is an example of one of the "reasonably" priced examples ( don't forget to add 20% + VAT + Import duties though ! )
Here's the picture in eBay, showing the BLACK/Orange combination
I reckon there will be 3 types of bidders.
1, the guys trying their luck - they know what the watches are, but try a "cheap" bid anyway. Everyone can get lucky.
2, The "Serious" collectors, who want that "last" rare piece. eg the MIR or Alaska speedmasters, prototype 1000M etc etc. These guys KNOW that they are bidding for an absolute rarity that will probably never be available again.
3, The "Rich" bidders. These guys don't care what it costs ( or to be dead honest if it is genuinely original ). Money is no object for them. They just want to buy a watch serviced & guaranteed by the Factory, with a certificate etc etc wshich was sold in the most prestigeous Omega Auction that the world has ever experienced. I expect there are enough of these people spread around the world to ensure that the minimum prices will be reached.
I think the next couple of days are a very exciting time for Vintage Omega collectors. The vintage collecting world could look very different from Monday morning onwards.
For me if Money was no object, I'd take either the 1000M prototype or the Alaska project Speedmaster. Is there anything that really excited you ?
I wonder if Antiquorum will accept a bid of "a used mercedes, a wife (with lots of shoes! ) & small child"...... [Steve now ducks as his wife dents his head with the nearest flightmaster] :-)
