The Curious Case Of John Lennon's Lost Patek Philippe
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For decades, the watch world has been captivated by the mystery surrounding John Lennon's missing Patek Philippe Ref. 2499, gifted to him by Yoko Ono for his 40th birthday.
Only two photographs exist of Lennon wearing this iconic timepiece, which makes its disappearance all the more enigmatic.
According to legend, Yoko Ono presented Lennon with the Patek Philippe 2499 on October 9, 1980, his 40th birthday, at The Hit Factory studio in New York, along with a knit tie and a diamond American flag tie pin from Tiffany & Co.
Tragically, Lennon's life was cut short just two months later. And thus began the mysterious journey of the Lennon 2499.
One theory suggests that it was sold to a dealer in New York. However, when the dealer attempted to auction it, the Lennon family claimed it had been stolen. The watch seemed to vanish into thin air.
However, Phillips auction house's watch specialist, Arthur Touchot, recently revealed that Lennon's former driver had pilfered the watch, which eventually changed hands in Turkey, ending up with another man in 2010.
Subsequently, the watch made its way to a German auction house and was eventually acquired by an Italian collector in 2014 for 600,000 Swiss francs.
However, the collector's attempt to have the watch appraised by a Geneva-based auction house revealed the shocking truth – it had been stolen.
This revelation ignited a legal battle between Yoko Ono and the Italian collector, both claiming ownership rights to the watch.
In June, a Geneva court ruled that Ono was the rightful owner, but the collector has appealed the decision.
The estimated value of this watch could be worth up to 4.4 million USD.
Touchot dropped a tantalizing clue by revealing that the watch is engraved with a word in reference to the first song from an album that Lennon and Ono co-wrote after separation.
As the legal battle unfolds, there's an anticipation that the Lennon 2499 might once again see the light of day.
The watch's worth is not merely in its monetary value but in the rich narrative it carries, adding another layer to the story of a music legend whose influence transcends generations
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