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The last emperor of China wore this Patek Philippe watch
Photo: PETER PARKS / AFP
The wristwatch of the last emperor of China has been auctioned for more than six million dollars (about 5.6 million euros) in Hong Kong. The British auction house Phillips was "thrilled" on Tuesday about the sale of the watch from the manufacturer Patek Philippe, which achieved a record sum for a watch of its type, it said in a press release.
At the auction, proceeds of about three million dollars were expected. However, after a lively five-minute auction, the watch was sold for around $6.2 million.
The Ref 96 Quantieme Lune model with a moon phase display once belonged to the last emperor of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Aisin Gioro Pu Yi. According to the auction house, Pu Yi had taken the watch to a Soviet prison camp in 1945. When he left the camp, he entrusted the watch to his Russian interpreter for safekeeping.
Known from the film »The Last Emperor«
Chinese Emperor Pu Yi came to the throne in 1908 at the age of only two. His fate became known worldwide through the film »The Last Emperor« by Bernardo Bertolucci, which was awarded nine Oscars.
Pu Yi was overthrown in 1912 in the course of the Xinhai Revolution at the age of six. 20 years later, Japan made him the leader of the puppet state of Manchukuo. After Japan's defeat in the war, Pu Yi was captured in 1945 and taken to a Soviet prison camp.
Although the historically valuable wristwatch of the last Chinese emperor fetched high revenues, it is far from the most expensive Patek Philippe watch sold at auction. A copy of the luxury watch manufacturer's Grandmaster Chime model changed hands in 2019 for $31 million.
ktz/dpa