Al Capone's pocket watch will go under the hammer at Sotheby's Important Watches auction on June 10 in New York.
The bespoke clock, circa 1919, bears his initials, «AC», on the back of the case. It is inscribed in Art Deco style with 90 single-cut diamonds.
The side of the dial features an «open face» design with Breguet numerals. Also a period-correct «long signature», the auction house said.
«The dial has aged dramatically over the years and the minute hand is no longer with the watch. We can only speculate how or why this happened. But suffice it to say that this watch has more than a few stories to tell,» Sotheby's said.
His family informed the auction house that they do not know where he bought the watch. But they do know that he threw away its original plain case and ordered a new one made of solid platinum.
Capone, one of the most notorious figures in American popular culture, was also known for his fashion choices.
The American businessman turned gangster had flamboyant style and lavish taste. According to Sotheby's, this watch «suited a man known for his inimitable style. He alone defined the American gangster's look.».
The watch has a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 to $160,000.
The watch was auctioned in 2021 as part of a sale at Witherell's in Sacramento, California. Titled “A Century of Infamy: The Estate of Al Capone”.
May Capone, Al Capone's widow, bequeathed her husband's heirlooms to their only child. Sonny Capone, and to their son's daughters, Barbara, Diane and Ronnie.
Al Capone's granddaughters helped organize the auction at Witherell's.
At the time, the pocket watch sold for $229,900, beating the estimate of $25,000 to $50,000.
The previous buyer is the person selling the pocket watch, according to a Sotheby's spokesman.
It is one of the many Patek Philippe watches on sale on June 10 in New York.
The auction series also includes six minute repeater watches. An «unprecedented» number in a single sale, Sotheby's said, and a sapphire Nautilus.
There are also three double signed vintage watches. Also included is a rose gold 2nd series Ref. 2499 sold by Gobbi Milano. This, according to Sotheby's, is the only one known to exist.
«These are not just rare watches. But they are the finest examples of the rarest Patek watches,» Sotheby's said.
The «Important Watches» auction will be on display, free of charge and open to the public, from 6 to 9 June at Sotheby's galleries in New York.
Source: nationaljeweler.com
