Watch Owned by China’s Last Emperor Sets Auction Record
A Patek Philippe timepiece, previously owned by Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, has fetched an astonishing $6.2 million (W8.08 billion) at a live auction in Hong Kong. The auction established a new record for a wristwatch associated with an emperor and set a benchmark for the Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune itself. The renowned auction house Phillips oversaw the proceedings, during which a bidding war ensued for a mere six minutes before an Asian collector in Hong Kong secured the watch.
Thomas Perazzi, Phillips’ head of watches for Asia, was elated at the groundbreaking sale. With only eight known examples worldwide, this particular model is extraordinarily rare. The sale of the emperor’s watch further enhanced the allure of Patek Philippe watches, long revered by collectors worldwide. For three years, a dedicated team of researchers diligently verified the provenance of the 86-year-old timepiece, significantly contributing to the auction’s success. The researchers found that Puyi had bestowed the watch upon his Russian interpreter, Georgy Permyakov, during his incarceration in the Soviet Union after World War II. However, the circumstances surrounding how Puyi obtained the watch remain unknown.
The life of Aisin-Gioro Puyi was an unhappy one. Ascending to the throne at the tender age of two in 1908, he left his family to move to Beijing’s Forbidden City. His reign abruptly ended in 1912 following the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, yet he continued to dwell within the palace complex for several years. In the 1930s, he became a puppet leader of Manchuria, a region in Northeast China occupied by Japan during its invasion. Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, Puyi attempted to flee but was apprehended by Soviet troops and imprisoned in Siberia, where he kept the watch by his side. Eventually repatriated to China by the Soviet Union in 1950, he endured nearly a decade of imprisonment before spending the remainder of his life as a private citizen until his passing in 1967 at 61.
The auction also featured other artifacts connected to Emperor Puyi, such as a manuscript notebook, a leather-bound edition of Confucius’ Analects, and a red paper fan inscribed by Puyi and gifted to his Russian interpreter in Tokyo. The fan reached an impressive price of $77,846 (W101.47 million), surpassing its pre-sale estimate by six times. Similarly, the notebook and book exceeded expectations, the two adding to make $121,634 (W158.54 million), nearly five times their pre-sale estimate.
Sean Jung Director
1. According to paragraph 1, what happened at a live auction in Hong Kong?
2. What is the implication of the sale of the emperor's watch? Who bestowed the watch upon whom?
3. How was the life of Aisin-Gioro Puyi? Describe some events in detail.
4. What other artifacts of Emperor Puyi were featured at the auction? How much were the artifacts?
1. Have you ever participated in or watched an auction? What is your opinion of auctions in general?
2. How valuable are artifacts from the past? Can you name any artifacts that may be valuable when sold?
3. How do you think emperors lived in ancient China? Do they have similar life experiences?
4. What can be done to discover and preserve artifacts better?
A Patek Philippe timepiece, previously owned by Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, has fetched an astonishing $6.2 million (W8.08 billion) at a live auction in Hong Kong. The auction established a new record for a wristwatch associated with an emperor and set a benchmark for the Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune itself. The renowned auction house Phillips oversaw the proceedings, during which a bidding war ensued for a mere six minutes before an Asian collector in Hong Kong secured the watch.
The life of Aisin-Gioro Puyi was an unhappy one. Ascending to the throne at the tender age of two in 1908, he left his family to move to Beijing’s Forbidden City. His reign abruptly ended in 1912 following the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, yet he continued to dwell within the palace complex for several years. In the 1930s, he became a puppet leader of Manchuria, a region in Northeast China occupied by Japan during its invasion. Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, Puyi attempted to flee but was apprehended by Soviet troops and imprisoned in Siberia, where he kept the watch by his side. Eventually repatriated to China by the Soviet Union in 1950, he endured nearly a decade of imprisonment before spending the remainder of his life as a private citizen until his passing in 1967 at 61.
