Auction of Last Emperor's watch expected to hit $3 mln

STORY: The high estimation can be attributed not only to the watch's rarity as one of the eight known Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune timepieces, but also to the captivating backstory associated with it, according to Perazzi.

Noteworthy features of the 1.2-inch-diameter platinum timepiece include a moon phase and triple-date calendar, with two windows showing the day of the week and the month, and a long central hand that gives the date.

Perazzi said only three watches previously owned by an emperor are known to have been put up for auction, including this one, which will go under the hammer on May 23 (Tues). “The watches that previously were sold belonging to emperors were another Patek Philip that belonged to the last emperor of Ethiopia. And it was a Rolex that belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam.”