Christie’s will auction Joe DiMaggio’s Patek Philippe Reference 130J Chronograph in a sale of rare watches in New York on the evening of December 7.
It’s an unusual variant gifted to the star by the management of the New York Yankees in 1948, in thanks for his sterling performance that season.
Joe DiMaggio received this watch as a gift from the New York Yankees' management
It displays gold Breguet numerals, along with an eye-catching blue second hand.
The watch last sold for $85,000 at Hunt Auctions in 2006. This time around it’s valued at up to $300,000.
More recently it was one of the stars of Patek Philippe’s Art of Watches exhibition in New York, which showcased some of the company’s top designs.
There’s also a Tiffany & Co travel watch belonging to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.
Earhart received the lot as a gift from British pilot Amy Johnson in 1932, soon after her monumental solo trans-Atlantic flight.
The reverse is inscribed: “To Amelia, In Sincere Admiration, Amy.”
Johnson was herself an accomplished flyer, receiving her pilot’s licence in 1929. In 1930, she became the first woman to fly from Britain to Australia and the following year set a record time from the UK to Japan.
The watch is offered with an estimate of $60,000-120,000.
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