Pierre Brice watches and jewellery go under the hammer

Pierre Brice watches and jewellery go under the hammer

Jewellery from European aristocratic estates and exceptional wristwatches will be auctioned at the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna on 22 and 23 May 2025.

From remarkable aristocratic provenance, the auction will offer elaborately designed tiaras, necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and pendants, mostly set with numerous diamonds and rare coloured stones.

Other auction items can also point to a prominent previous owner: On 23 May 2025, wristwatches and jewellery belonging to Pierre Brice, who achieved great popularity in the 1960s thanks to his role as Winnetou in the Karl May films, will be auctioned off.

Jewellery with a noble history

Three exceptional pieces of jewellery come from the former estate of the noble Neapolitan La Francesca family, including a ring with a 5.63 ct brilliant-cut diamond solitaire in the finest white (estimate 150,000-250,000 e), which was given to Felicita La Francesca by her husband Baron Camillo Romano Avezzana.

The baroness was famous for her elegance and it is said to this day that King Umberto I could not resist her beauty.

An Art Deco diamond bracelet by the Parisian luxury jeweller Joseph Chaumet with a 12-carat untreated Ceylon sapphire (estimate €40,000-60,000) and a bracelet with a total of 13 ct diamonds from around 1940 (estimate €15,000-22,000) also come from her family estate.

More than almost any other piece of jewellery, tiaras are a sign of high status. They were worn on special occasions. An example set with 25 ct diamonds from around 1910 will be offered in the auction and is expected to fetch between €30,000 and €50,000.

Numerous other high-carat jewels will also be auctioned: A total of 58 ct of diamonds are set in a necklace (estimated price €60,000 - 80,000). A bracelet with 30 ct diamonds is valued at €28,000 to €40,000 and a pair of diamond ear clips totalling 22 ct at €20,000 to €40,000.

Watches in a class of their own

Watch enthusiasts will be able to choose from numerous Rolex models at the auction on 23 May 2025. Timepieces from A. Lange & Söhne, Patek Philippe (including a diamond-studded "Nautilus"), Cartier and Chopard will also be on offer.

The highlight of the auction is a "Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante Grande Complication" by Breguet, which was estimated at €60,000 to €120,000.

Breguet is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. We have the founder Abraham-Louis Breguet to thank for numerous pioneering innovations: he invented the tourbillon, a technical complication that was patented in 1801, the Breguet hand, whose filigree design gives the watches a special aesthetic and elegance, and the shock protection.

The model offered in the auction with the reference 5887BR with perpetual calendar shows the difference between real solar time and the standardised time in real time. The dial features wave-shaped decorations and engravings reminiscent of the brand's nautical roots.

From the estate of Winnetou alias Pierre Brice

Pierre Brice (1929-2015) achieved cult status in the 1960s with his portrayal of Winnetou in a total of eleven Karl May film adaptations. The French actor passed away in 2015.

Several objects from his estate will be auctioned on 23 May 2025: three Breitling ("Chronomat", circa 1990, estimated price €1,200-1,800) and Cartier ("Tank", circa 1965, estimated price €3,000-5,000, "Baignore", circa 1970, estimated price €2,000-3,000 (picture left), as well as cufflinks by Cartier and Tiffany and a set of tie bars with cufflinks (estimated price €2,000-3,000).

The auction of personal exhibits of the "Rainbow Man" - as Pierre Brice was called by the Winnebago tribe (Nebraska) - enables his fans to acquire unique memorabilia of the acting legend.