Patrizzi & Co To Auction Rolex Watch Collection Of Davide Blei

Patrizzi & Co, the new watch auction house headed by former Antiquorum luminary Osvaldo Patrizzi, will present the world-class Rolex watch collection of Davide Blei.  Set for December 14 in Milan, the sale will feature approximately 130 Rolex watches, which carry an estimated value of 7.2 million Swiss Francs.  The sale of Blei's Rolex collection was first announced by Antiquorum in Fall 2007, but the seller did not proceed due to concerns over a bank guarantee.

Compared to the renowned collection of Rolex expert Guido Mondani, who strove to amass the widest range of Rolex references, Blei focused more on obtaining the rarest specialties produced by the famous Geneva brand.  The sale catalog, which will be presented in an exclusively digital format according to Patrizzi, contains such exceptional pieces as a Ref. 6062 in 18K rose gold--a triple-calendar moonphase watch with "star" dial, a range of Rolex chronographs which predate the Daytona, and an early 1950's Submariner watch whose nearly new condition may boost bids to 150,000 Euros.  

Davide Blei has long been devoted to collecting exceptional watches with an emphasis on rare Rolex and Patek Philippe references; in addition to watches, Blei is also passionate about Lalique glass, English silver from the 17th century, and international contemporary art.