You’d Never Guess What’s Hidden Inside This $20 Gold Coin | Sotheby’s

Why It Matters

Provenance and rarity make this an exceptionally valuable horological artifact, reinforcing Patek Philippe’s status among collectors and likely commanding premium prices at auction. Its discovery and documentation deepen understanding of early bespoke watchmaking and the market for museum‑quality collector pieces.

Summary

A Sotheby’s feature reveals a $20 Double Eagle gold coin that conceals an ultra‑thin Patek Philippe wristwatch, activated by a hidden latch and spring‑loaded cover. The piece—made by hollowing and reconstructing a genuine gold coin around the movement—is one of the earliest known Patek Philippe coin watches, dating to 1925. It formerly belonged to legendary collector Henry Graves Jr. and was part of his famed collection sold in 2012. This watch is unique for bearing Patek Philippe’s full long signature on the dial and exemplifies the brand’s inventive craftsmanship.

Original Description

What appears to be an ordinary $20 Double Eagle gold coin is actually one of the rarest and most ingenious creations ever produced by Patek Philippe.

Produced in 1925, this extraordinary coin watch conceals an ultra-thin mechanical watch hidden inside a genuine gold coin. A discreet latch built into the coin’s edge activates a spring-loaded cover, revealing the miniature timepiece within. Even more remarkably, this watch once belonged to Henry Graves Jr., the legendary collector who commissioned the Patek Philippe Supercomplication — the most complicated watch in the world for over 50 years.

This Patek Philippe coin watch will be on offer as part of the Important Watches auction happening 15th of June at the historical Breuer building in New York.

Learn more about the Coin Watch ►► https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/important-watches/1904-s-twenty-dollar-double-eagle-coin-a-rare-and

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