Shortly before John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, a Patek Philippe watch gifted to John Lennon by his wife Yoko Ono was found in Geneva and reappeared after years of disappearance.
The former Beatle’s watch is reportedly in the custody of a lawyer for an Italian watch collector who bought it from a now-defunct German auction house. official legal documents From the Geneva Court.Ono gave Lennon the watch for his 40th birthday, the Japanese artist’s former driver suspected of being stolen A timer from long ago.
The Patek Philippe 2499 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is the focus of a years-long legal dispute between Lennon’s widow and an unidentified watch collector, which is only now coming to light. In June, a Geneva court ruled that Ono was the rightful owner of the watch, and the collector is appealing, court documents show.
The missing timepiece has long been considered a collector’s holy grail and may be one of the most valuable timepieces in the world.
While the court ruling does not name Lennon and Ono, biographical details clearly identify them. The suit cites her nationality and the fact that he was assassinated in front of his home two months after he turned 40. The document also mentions a song engraved on the watch, which refers to a song the couple “co-wrote after a period of separation”.
Michèle Wassmer, a Geneva-based lawyer representing Ono in the case, did not respond to phone and email requests for comment.the court’s decision was first reported Swiss legal blog Gotham City.
Marc Montagne, the author of the book, said: “This is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after watches that the watch industry has always wanted to see.” Investing in Watches: The Art of Watch Collecting.
In 2014, a Geneva-based company contacted Ono to try to value the watch, which was bought by an Italian watch collector living in Hong Kong for 600,000 Swiss francs ($672,000), court documents show of.
That sparked a legal battle, with Ono suing to reclaim what she said was legal ownership of the Patek Philippe. The collector argued that Ono failed to report the watch as stolen or take action within three years of the theft as required by law in the state of New York, where she lives, the documents show.
Ono’s lawyers said the watch could be worth 4 million francs, or $4.5 million, according to court documents. However, experts say the watch could be worth more, given the singer’s place in musical and cultural history.
Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold at auction in 2017 for $17 million, a record price for a watch at auction.
Montagne said Lennon’s Patek Philippe watch would fetch between 5 million and 10 million francs if it went to auction.
“Obviously, the provenance and the mystery of the piece are key factors,” he said.
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