October 15, 2024

1966 Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 42mm 105.012 tropical dial $9,000.00 CAD. 510-00173

In the 1960s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was charged with the task to land a man on the surface of the moon before the end of the decade by John F. Kennedy. While many of the systems on the heavy lift Saturn rockets were electronic NASA also required analogue and mechanical devices incase the electronic systems failed. For many timing procedures and old fashion hand wind wristwatch made the most sense. A NASA employee purchased a variety of high end chronograph equipped watches from Dallas jewellers to test it they were suitable for NASA’s requirements. The watches were subjected to rigorous testing to their failure points under extreme conditions to determine suitability for “manned space fight”. Even the Rolex Cosmograph eventually succumbed to the testing leaving Omega Speedmaster that would go on the be “Officially Certified for all Manned Space Flight Missions” by NASA. Our latest watch is an early example with the word PROFESSIONAL proudly printed on the dial and dates from 1966. Beating away inside the 42mm stainless case is the famous Omega calibre 321. This slow beat (18,000 cycles per hour) movement is what every Moonwatch collector is looking for. The 321 is the movement that was used by the moon landing astronauts. By 1969 the 321 had been retired and replaced by the 861 that was used up until only a few years ago. This example displays a beautiful stepped dial that has colour shifted to a very dark tropical brown colour from black. The tritium pigment has mostly fallen out of the hands over the last 58 years but are typical for their age. The bezel is in great shape for an older replacement showing a lovely faded black patina and maintaining a mostly ding free thick edge. The 19 link stainless steel bracelet is a genuine Omega replacement style that clearly displays the part number 1171/1 on the buckle. It remains in very good condition despite the sag, these bracelet were never tight even when new. The watch is in good overall condition given the age and the fact it was regularly used for most of its life. The curved lugs are a beautiful as even and still nice and thick. Our watchmaker has just performed a full service the the vintage 321 movement and it is running flawlessly with all features operating as designed. The October 2024 Vibrograph shows a accuracy rate well withing Omega’s tolerances and a practically perfect beat error of just 0.1 milliseconds. We are confident and please to provide the next owned with a 1-year warranty (prorated 4 additional years). This is quite a rare watch. We see Omega Speedmaster moonwatches pass through our estate department several times a year, but this is the first 321 equipped example I can even remember. The brown tropical dial is an added bonus. Estate priced at $9,000.00 CAD. Stock #510-00173.

SOLD

October 14, 2024

18kt. Mimi So 17″ diamond necklace/pendant, 8.3gr., 0.10ct. VS-H. $1,450.00 CAD. 161-00323

Mimi So is a New York based jewellery designer who has been creating unique jewellery for 30 years. She was the first woman to open a jewellery boutique in New York’s famous diamond district on 47th street. This exposure helped her earn a strong celebrity following starting in New York. Her pieces were could be seen regularly on the television show Sex and the City. Mimi So creations have also been seen on the red carpets for the Oscar’s, Grammy’s, Golden Globes, and Met Gala. This is the first time we’ve had a Mimi So item pass through our estate department. This organic looking oval pendant is no longer featured on the Mimi So website, but you can other playful designs priced from around $2,000.00 and up. This one showcases a high quality VS-H 0.10 carat round brilliant cut diamond in a bezel setting. The offset placement makes an interesting focal point within the slightly asymmetrical frame. Solidly attached to the frame is a white gold Figaro style chain. The chain with pendant measure a total of 17 inches long. There is no question of quality when it comes to Mimi So; this one is has been created from 18 karat white gold that is surprisingly hefty given the airy look. It weighs in at 8.3 grams and is in perfect condition, showing zero wear. It is secured by a large and easy to use lobster clasp. Comes in our traditional blue Bill Le Boeuf Jewellers presentation box. Estate priced at $1,450.00 CAD.

SOLD

October 13, 2024

Skull pendant & 28.5 ” backbone chain, 132.8gr., 10kt., $10,500.00 CAD 436-00246 431-00819

Our little friend has returned, now even more sinister since you last saw him. We recently added a pair of 6.5mm lab grown ruby eyes. The rubies have been bezel set in deep 14 karat white gold bezels resulting in an evil blank stare. He now looks like a cross between the Terminator and a possessed C3PO. A custom pendant isn’t unheard of, but custom made chains are practically never seen. We’ve had a couple come through our estate department over the years, but nothing like this before. What is jaw-dropping (forgive us) about this pendant and chain is the scale of custom work! The extra-long 28.5 inch chain is made up of a link design we have never encountered before, individually linked 6.5mm wide spinal cord inspired cages. Heavily carved for a thick and durable wall gauge ensuring the chain can survive almost any kind of daily wear. The 72.3 gram chain terminates in heavy custom made end caps and an oversized riveted lobster clasp that is somewhat redundant as the chain will easily slip over you head without the need to release the catch. The clasp allows you to wear the chain without the skull or substitute a different pendant you may have. The back bone inspiration could be overlooked as just an unusual design link pattern, but there is no chance of missing the subject matter of the pendant. The human skull depiction looks pretty accurate to me. An empty, expressionless, three dimensional depiction of what anyone can instantly recognize. It has been hand crafted with excellent detail and heavy construction. The large pendant measures 4.9cm tall (without the bail). It has a pierced repeating pattern on the backside that we really don’t know anything about. The pendant is suspended from a large hinged triangular bail that will accommodate a chain up to 13mm in width. On its own the pendant weighs a substantial 60.5 grams. Together the chain and pendant weigh a combined 132.6 grams. The necklace and pendant are accompanied by a November 2020 appraisal stating a retail value of $23,400.00 plus sales tax. In excellent condition showing little evidence of wear, this custom made, skeletal inspired piece of jewellery is estate priced at $10,500.00 CAD for the set. The skull can be purchased separately for $5,299.00 and the chain is available for $5,201.00.00 CAD. Stock #431-00819.

October 12, 2024

2024 Rolex 41mm Submariner 126610LV “Starbucks” like new. $18,500.00 CAD. 505-00545

By the time you read through this posting your may already be too late for this one. The “Starbucks” Submariner 126610LV is possibly the most in demand sports watch in the world. These are often sold before we even get a chance to add them to our website. The juggernaut within the watch and jewellery industry is without a doubt Rolex. There are other important brands within the business but Rolex is all powerful. Love them or hate them you have to respect them. Rolex, no question is the most significant watch brand ever. Though they use scrambled serial numbers to keep production numbers a secret, it is widely accepted the brand produced over a million watches per year with revenues in the billions. Hans Wilsdorf the founder of Rolex owned all the shares in his company. He had no close heirs to pass along his 100% ownership to. Upon his death he wanted the company to continue what he started. A trust was set up to run the organization and oversee its operation, appropriately named The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In theory, it’s a charitable not for profit organization. The trust does contribute to worthy causes, but the foundation’s mandate is for the continued dominance of the brand by reinvestment and promotion. It has no shareholders to pay dividends to or share profits with, only a group of well paid trustees who decide how to reinvest the vast revenue. Some of the profits are dumped back into state of the art automated factories that continually update their technology. They also pay very good wages to the most talented engineers and watchmakers they’re able to recruit. No one really knows just how much money the trust has squirreled away over the decades but it must be in the billions. There isn’t another watch company that operates in such a manner. The main function of the trust is to promote and protect the brand’s position as the number 1 Swiss watch manufacturer at all costs. You can buy into a little bit of the enigmatic brand with this green bezel Submariner. This is the current Submariner model that everyone is after. The green bezel black dial combination has been one of their hottest models since it was introduced in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Submariner. The green dial, green bezel of the previous generation 116610LV is now retired and the green on black is back, with the introduction of the newest generation Submariner with a slightly larger 41mm case. Once news leaked of the new green bezel Rolex Submariner it generated an instant waiting list extending years and things haven’t changed much. Demand for this and many other sports models have some Rolex boutiques no longer even taking orders, as the wait time has extended to many years. The 126610LV has earned the nickname “Starbucks” among the Rolex collector community. This watch was traded in from a long time Bill Le Boeuf Jewellers customer. It was only worn occasionally, and in rotation with other watches from his collection. It is in like new original condition. We can’t see any scuffs or scratches with the naked eye. These watches are trading hands on the secondary market for significant premiums over their suggested retail price. The resale market for hard to obtain Rolex sport watches is still very strong for properly priced examples. The previous owner is an important Bill Le Boeuf Jewellers collector customer with many other watches. This watch is 100% correct in every way without exception. It comes with its full compliment of 11 full sized links, 1/2 link and glide lock buckle to fit any wrist size. Buying this watch in Canada will NOT trigger a 5% import duty or significant brokerage fees compared to importing a watch purchased out of the country. This watch remains under the 5 year international warranty until well into 2029. It comes complete with everything originally delivered when purchased earlier in the year. We even discovered a protective delivery sticked on the bracelet that was never removed before delivery. Estate price for the Starbucks is $18,500.00 CAD. Stock #505-00545.

SOLD

October 11, 2024

Michael Dawkins pearl bracelet, 36.3 grams, 14 karat, 7 12/”. $2,400.00 CAD. 241-00098

If you’re familiar with the designer Michael Dawkins you may have seen his creations on websites such as ebay, Etsy, The RealReal, Poshmark etc. Most of the products we’ve seen are fashion jewellery items crafted from sterling silver, using semi-precious stones. High quality pieces made from heavy 14 karat gold and cultured pearls are the rare exception. It’s hard to speculate the why items like this vintage this 14 karat gold and pearl bracelet are rarely seen in the marketplace. We imagine the higher end luxury market segment was an brief experiment by the brand that wasn’t as successful as hoped. Perhaps the trial didn’t work out, but we’re happy to showcase this rarity. Besides the obvious two different looks, you immediately notice just how heavy this bracelet is. It weighs a substantial 36.3 grams in total. Of the total weight, the 7.75mm round cultured pearls contribute only around 7 grams. For those interested in knowing, at the current price of gold ($3,600.00 per ounce CAD, Oct. 7, 2024) this bracelet contains close to $2,000.00 in just the recyclable metal value!!! The bracelet is secured by a signed plunger style barrel clasp that is simple to close. It easily locks into the barrel in any orientation. Including a Bill Le Boeuf Jewellers presentation box, this loke new condition Michael Dawkins pearl bracelet is estate priced at $2,400.00 CAD. Stock #241-00098.