A SUPERB PATEK PHILIPPE MEN’S CHRONOGRAPH WATCH STRIKES HIGH NOTE AT BRUNEAU & CO. AUCTIONEERS

CRANSTON, R.I. –A men’s Patek Philippe platinum perpetual calendar chronograph watch soared to $88,750, a platinum 5.99-carat diamond engagement ring sold for $33,750, and three oil on canvas paintings by the Ukrainian expressionist Mychajlo Moroz (1904-1992) sold for a combined $5,062 at a Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers sale July 22. Absentee and Internet bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

They were just a few of the top lots at the 352-lot fine art and jewelry auction, held online and in the firm’s gallery.

The Patek Philippe wristwatch was the top lot of the auction, and bidders weren’t deterred at all by the watch’s condition report that indicated it was in need of cleaning. The watch, made in Switzerland around 2000, featured registers and 24-hour and leap year indication with moon phases crafted by Patek Philippe. It was powered by a 24-jewel mechanical movement and came with the original presentation box, a platinum case back, a black leather band and its setting tool.

The runner-up top lot was the diamond engagement ring, boasting a four-prong set, 4.92-carat emerald cut diamond with a bright polish, flanked by two bar-set baguette cut diamond shoulders for a total of 5.99 carats. The size 7½ ring was in overall very good condition and came with an appraisal report from a GIA-certified jeweler. The large diamond had SI-I clarity and E-F color.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ORIGINAL AUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT

CRANSTON, R.I. – A men’s Patek Philippe platinum perpetual calendar chronograph watch, a large neoclassical bronze sundial sculpture by Anna Coleman Ladd (Am., 1878-1939), and an Expressionist rendition of the Pieta by modern artist Jurij Solovij (Am./Ukraine, 1921-2007) will all be part of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ Fine Art & Jewelry Auction on Saturday, July 22^nd.

The 352-lot sale, starting at 12 noon Eastern time, will be held live in Bruneau & Co.’s gallery, located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, as well as online, via Bidlive.Bruneauandco.com, Invaluable.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Bidsquare.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken. It will be preceded at 10 am by a 150+-lot live-only DiscoverIt sale (no online bidding).

(Above right) Patek Philippe platinum perpetual calendar chronograph watch, made in Switzerland circa 2000, powered by a 24-jewel movement (est. $70,000-$100,000).

Categories will include fine art, decorative art, Asian art, sterling silver, cars and motorcycles. “It will be our usual eclectic mix of merchandise,” said Travis Landry, Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer. “It was great to be able to put together a broad selection of modern and contemporary art. Bidders will find interest in exciting works by artists such as Jurij Solovij and Gam Klutier.”

(Above) French bronze and marble mantel clock set originally retailed by Tiffany, having a black and rouge marble case decorated with elaborate cloisonné work (est. $2,000-$3,000)

Kevin Bruneau, company president and auctioneer, was equally excited about the fine group of watches in the sale. “After being able to handle a family’s fine art collection out of Westport, Massachusetts that we sold this past March, we’re proud to offer such a wonderful collection of wristwatches from the same estate,” he said. “The Patek Philippe chronograph is simply superb.”

The Patek Philippe watch is, in fact, the auction’s expected top lot, with a starting bid of $35,000 and a pre-sale estimate of $70,000-$100,000. The chronograph, made in Switzerland circa 2000, features registers, 24-hour and leap-year indication with moon phases crafted by Patek Philippe. It’s powered by a 24-jewel movement and has the original presentation box and a leather band.

The fine and large rendition of the Pieta by Jurij Solovij is impressive, at 68 ¼ inches by 48 ¼ inches (in the frame 74 inches by 54 inches). The signed and dated (1964) painting depicts an unidentifiable mother and child with loose form in a disquieting color palette meant to symbolize the suffering of all mothers and children throughout the Ukrainian Diaspora (est. $2,000-$3,000).

The neoclassical bronze sundial sculpture by Anna Coleman Ladd is also large and depicts three male figures holding laurel garland, encircling a Corinthian-style column with an acanthus leaf base. The figures represent the three stages of a man’s life – boyhood to adulthood. The work is artist signed, marked (“Roman Bronze Works, N.Y.”) and is dated 1910 (est. $10,000-$15,000).

(Left) Russian patinated and ormolu bronze sculpture of a Mamluk soldier on horseback wearing a billowing lampas robe, circa 1830 (est. $3,000-$5,000).

A welded steel rolling sculpture by the contemporary Dutch-Peruvian artist Gam Klutier (b. 1946), as part of his “Riders” series, carries a starting bid of $400 and an estimate of $800-$1,200. The balanced sculpture was formed with a large fin painted pink and white, bringing to mind a cockatoo. Klutier was greatly influenced by the famous mobile artist Alexander Calder.

Headlining the ladies’ jewelry category is a 5.99-carat diamond engagement ring. The platinum four-prong set solitaire ring consists of one prong-set 4.92-carat emerald cut diamond, graded SI-1 for clarity and E-F for color, flanked by two bar-set baguette cut diamond shoulders (1.07 ct., VS1/VS2 clarity, F-G color) . The size 7 ½ ring should slip on a new finger for $30,000-$50,000.

Shifting gears to vintage vehicles, a 1948 Chevrolet advanced design 3600 series stake body ¾ ton truck, professionally restored and with a fully detailed engine compartment, undercarriage and original interior, is expected to roar off for $15,000-$25,000. The red truck, powered by a 3.5-liter, inline 6-cylider, 216 cu. in. engine, shows just 21,000 original miles on the odometer.

(Above) Exceptional 2005 Harley Davidson 15-year anniversary Fatboy motorcycle with approximately 2,000 miles on the odometer (est. $12,000-$16,000).

A large steel wire rod sculpture of a nude dancer attributed to John Risley (Conn./Mass, 1919-2002), 70 inches tall including steel four-leg stand, is expected to hammer for $2,000-$3,000. The work depicts a woman balancing on her right foot, with the other foot extended and arms bent. Risley exhibits attentiveness to angles, utilizing triangular forms and a diamond form head.

A rare and original example of a J. & E. Stevens (Conn.) mechanical cast iron magician bank, made around 1901, 8 ¼ inches tall, in fine working order with no apparent sign of repainting, should sell for $2,000-$3,000. When activated by the push lever, the magician lowers his hat, making the coin disappear into the table. J. & E. Stevens banks are highly prized by collectors.

(Right) Oil on board landscape painting by contemporary Luminist William R. Davis (Mass., b. 1952), one of three works by Davis in the auction (est. $15,000-$25,000).

An oil on canvas nautical rendering by the American Impressionist George A. Renouard (N.Y., 1885-1954), depicting two fishing boats docked on a summer’s day, has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-$2,000. Renouard uses loose but effective brush strokes to create a reflection in the foreground and a distant mountainous background. The 18 by 22 inch (sight) painting is signed.

Previews will be held on Thursday, July 20^th, from 9-5; Friday, July 21^st, from noon to 9 pm; and on Saturday, July 22^nd, the date of auction, from 8 am until the start of sale at 12 noon Eastern.

Learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, visit www.bruneauandco.com. To contact Bruneau & Co. via e-mail, use info@bruneauandco.com.

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