New York, April 4, 2011- Several months ago jeweler and watchmaker Steven Richardson invited
Antiquorum experts to guest lecture at his watchmaking class at Benjamin Banneker High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. After creating his own watch brand, Nkiru America, Steven began teaching, feeling this was the best way to share his knowledge with young people. Having first taught at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, Steven is currently offering an eight-week "Art of Horology" course at Benjamin Banneker High School. The school is named after the African-American mathematician, scientist, astronomer, and watchmaker.
Last Wednesday,
Antiquorum Watch Specialist Nate Borgelt responded to Steven's invitation. Mr. Richardson had warmed the class up by quizzing them on important dates in horological history. The class, made up of students 14-17 years old, was well versed in both horological history and terminology, after only three previous one-hour classes. Nate's lecture included an explanation of Antiquorum's grading system and an overview of past Antiquorum world records. Nate used pieces from past Antiquorum catalogues to show how the grading system provides detailed information on each lot's condition, which is an important factor in determining final results at auction. The students were extremely receptive to the lecture; they asked many questions about the grading system and marveled at some of the exceptional timepieces offered in past Antiquorum sales. After an exhilarating afternoon and lecturing for the first time, Nate commented: "This was truly a fantastic experience for me. After spending an hour with these students, I was impressed by their knowledge and inspired by their enthusiasm for horology."
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| Antiquorum's Nate Borgelt lecturing to students at Benjamin Banneker High School |
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| Steven Richardson lecturing to his students |
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| “Art of Horology” students listening to Nate’s lecture |
About Antiquorum:
Established in Geneva in 1974, Antiquorum has carved its own unparalleled niche in the auction world by cultivating a thriving collector’s market for timepieces worldwide. An impressive 51 of the 85 watches sold publicly by major auction houses for over SFr. 1,000,000 were sold by Antiquorum. In 2002, Antiquorum set the all-time world record for a wristwatch at auction, selling a unique 1939 platinum Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 1415 for US$ 4,026,524 (SFr. 6,603,500) - more than double the previous world record. Another record price for a modern watch was achieved in 2004, the unique white gold Calibre 89, also by Patek Philippe, was sold for SFr. 6,603,500 (US$ 5,002,652). Among the world records in 2005, the “Tour de l’Ile”, at US$ 1,564,000 (SFr. 1,876,250), set a world record for a contemporary wristwatch and the “King Fouad I”, at US$ 2,755,000 (SFr. 3,306,250), achieved the highest price ever paid for a Vacheron Constantin. Another record was achieved in 2009, when Gandhi’s pocket watch, sandals, glasses, bowl and thali, sold for an astounding $2,096,000. Antiquorum holds approximately ten auctions a year, in Geneva, New York, and Hong Kong, with previews held in major cities worldwide. In addition to its auction centers in Geneva, New York, and Hong Kong, Antiquorum maintains offices and agents in Paris, Milan, London, Munich, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Moscow.
