The 2014 Geneva watch auctions achieve record results

Each autumn, three of the world’s most respected auction houses – Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Antiquorum – descend on Geneva to offer a selection of important watches for sale. This year’s results eclipsed previous years; we bring you the most important…

There appears to be no stopping the continual upward trend in prices for rare vintage watches – and the latest results from Geneva provide further evidence. 

Sotheby’s: ‘Supercomplication’ beats its own record

Watch auctioneer Tim Bourne showed strong nerve as he settled the audience down ahead of an intense 15-minute bidding war over the 1933 Patek Philippe Supercomplication pocket watch. Famously created for Henry Graves Jnr. with no fewer than 24 complications, the well-known Patek – last wound in 1969 and still ticking – quickly surpassed the $11m record it set in 1999, the bids culminating at CHF 23,237,000 ($23,983,140).

The winning bidder was not revealed, but rumour has it that Patek Philippe itself tabled the final bid in order to display the piece in its museum, alongside others made for Henry Graves Jnr.

Christie’s focuses on vintage Rolexes

At the Christie’s auction, vintage Rolexes were the toast of the evening, contributing towards a large portion of the CHF 14.7m sale total. Highlight results included CHF 100,000 each for the ultra-rare platinum Rolex Prince and a Paul Newman Daytona, the latter of which was first registered to the Peruvian Air Force in the 1970s. The results show that there is no sign of stagnation in the historic Rolex market either.

Antiquorum: Patek, Blancpain and Rolex are the stars

While Rolex was the Christies’ brand of the hour, Antiquorum’s lotlist was a little more varied. A rare Patek Philippe golden chronograph with perpetual calendar and moonphase achieved CHF 381,750, confirming its place as one of the brand’s most collectable watches. Meanwhile, a Blancpain Grande Complication – of which only 30 were produced – sold for the same price. Collectors also had the rare opportunity of securing an Audemars Piguet concept watch, the Royal Oak concept CW1 fetching CHF 225,750: a good price for a watch of which 150 were made.

Photos: Sotheby's / Christie's / Antiquorum

Videos: Sotheby's 

You can view a full list of results from the Geneva auctions at the websites of Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Antiquorum. If you weren’t able to find what you were looking for in Geneva, we recommend browsing the catalogues for the forthcoming auctions from Bonhams and Fellows. 

MR SWALLOW’S CX500

Usually when a first time build story is submitted to the Bike Shed it comes baited with the promise of future projects now that the first born has flown the nest. But for Sebastien from Normandy, news of his freshly completed Honda CX was swiftly followed by the sentence,  “Since her I’ve made a 400 cx, a 1976 Honda GL 1000 Goldwing and a 125 Suzuki Gn, I’m just an amateur but would like to make a shed in the next year…” Four builds down and you have only just got around to telling us about the first of them? His passion and dedication to shed building bikes is truly infectious. Hats off to you sir.

Sebastien was given this 1981 Honda CX500 by a friend, but before we all get too carried away praying for mates like Seb has, he points out that it came to him in a terrible state of repair, good for little but the rubbish bin. Despite the condition Sebastien gleefully accepted the project and promised his generous friend that he would reinvent the trusty CX as a cafe racer. Taking inspiration from the many fine CX customs to be found on the internet Seb started the process of stripping and rebuilding.

“I’ve tried to make something really homogeneous regarding the frame curves.” With a CX the main area in need of modification is the rear section of the frame. The twin shocks mount high on protrusions creating an obvious dip in the frame line, Seb has built his seat to reflect this curve accentuating its presence as oppose to trying to mask it. Beyond the shock mounts the remaining frame has been cut away, seamlessly blending into the classic cafe seat hump.

Sebastien was a little light on information in his email, he was probably too busy building more motorcycles, but he did mention a full rewire and that he had to source the tank from the USA after France came up short in his search for a suitable receptacle. His build choices include clip ons with bar end indicators, crash-bar mounted spotlights, pipe wrap, shortened forks, original clocks, and a vintage tail light above the side mounted numberplate. All his hard work is crowned with that lustrous retro black and orange paint job, executed to perfection.

Sebastien goes by the curious nickname Mr Swallow which he intends to expand to Mr Swallow Customs as customer’s start to come his way. He does not elaborate as to the reason he was bestowed this particular nickname but from certain angles it appears as if his lovely CX has in fact swallowed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with its yellowed spotlights sitting astride the radiator just like the old car’s headlights.

“This bike isn’t a thunder but the twin is really nice to ride, flexible and player… I really take pleasure to ride with it even if the position is like riding a horse for your legs…”

We already know what bikes Mr Swallow transformed for build numbers 2, 3 and 4 so what lies next in his busy production line?

“My next projects are so multiple, I really want to make a GS 750 from Suzuki, maybe a CB550 four for a customer and probably a Ducati 750 SS in a few months.” 

This CX was but the first of many. Keep feeding the addiction Mr Swallow.

via The Bike Shed

Kawasaki W650 “Bean” by Revival Cycles

Written by Martin Hodgson.

If I sat down with pen and paper and began to brainstorm my perfect café custom I could never limit myself to just one influence. I’d want the vintage appeal of 1950’s British bikes, the beauty and charisma of Italian styling, the function and reliability of Japan’s best and then I’d entrust the whole build to a workshop of builders who understand the beauty of raw mechanics and properly engineered fabrication. Pen and Paper can be pushed aside, silence and admiration is all you need and join me in feasting your eyes on Revival CyclesKawasaki W650 “Bean”, my dream bike come true.

Revival Cycles from Austin Texas are a no nonsense workshop of craftsmen who restore motorcycles so that part of their aesthetic appeal is their mechanical purpose. The Kawasaki W650 is an often overlooked modern motorcycle that lends itself extraordinarily well to a custom make over. Japanese mechanicals and electronics provide the function, the parallel twin engine is the perfect tip of the cap to the golden age of British bikes and a bevel drive is straight from the Ducati playbook. Immediately your eyes are drawn to the tank inspired by both the Ducati “Jelly Mould” tank and the Gilera Rossa Super Sport tank. The tank has its own “spoiler”, side wings and flows seamlessly into the tail section. All of which is then lovingly coated with the bright blue and grey paint work following the strong influence of the 1957 Mondial Dustin Road Racer.

But much of the bikes detail comes straight from the great minds at Revival, the front forks are Yamaha R6 items that maintain the vintage look while providing modern day technology and full adjustability. Revival engineer Stefan then turned his attention to make the perfect set of triple trees. Rather than just knock out something that would fit he ran full simulations with all the relevant suspension and geometry data inputted to create a piece that is as beautiful in its form as it is its function. And that front brake, a reproduction of the 260mm four-leading-shoe front drum brake used on the 1974 Yamaha TZ350 GP racing bikes, I could look at it all day!

Then there are the details, the stunning custom stainless exhaust system that weaves through the frame never obscuring the beautiful bevel drive while saving weight along the way. The hand-built leather seat pad by “New Church Moto” of Portland, the AMAL style cleaners, the bespoke rearsets and the new progressive shocks. With such a clean bike an untidy wiring loom would be sacrilegious so Revival installed a small lithium battery and rewired the entire machine for LED lighting. Tiny LED rear taillight and turn signals are integrated into the frame, while bar mounted Motogadget items take care of the front end. There’s an LED headlight, Motogadget M-unit controller and speedo that is elegantly integrated into the front trees.

There is so much detail I could keep writing for days, 19” shouldered alloy wheels front and rear, custom chrome-moly subframe, polished side covers, the list simply goes on and on. Yet despite all that Revival has done and added to the W650 not only has it lost 50 pounds in weight, its also gained a simplicity in both form and function that the big manufacturers could never achieve with all the latest technology in the world. It’s a revival of the days of man, machine and the pursuit of sweet mechanical dreams.

via PIPEBURN

THE RETURN OF SPEEDY WORKING MOTORS

How can you not love a motorcycle brand called Speedy Working Motors? It might sound like a slogan on a Japanese t-shirt, but SWM is actually an Italian marque with a solid history going back to 1971.

SWM went bust in 1984, but the company is now back with a bang: six new models are slated for production, starting in September 2015. And despite being production bikes, four of the new models slot perfectly into the current custom scene zeitgeist.

The driving force behind the new SWM motos is Ampelio Macchi, an engineer whose CV includes stints with Aprilia, Cagiva and Husqvarna. He’s secured backing from the giant Chinese powersports manufacturer Shineray, which has over 100 motorcycles and ATVs in its catalog and exports to 86 countries worldwide.

Our favorite is the Silver Vase model (top and above), a scrambler with a nod to SWM’s successes in the ISDT. The engine is a 435cc air-cooled single, the frame is a classic double-cradle design, and dry weight is an admirable 150 kg. (Probably just as well, since the rear brake is a drum.) Wheels are 19” at the front and 18” at the back, and shod with Metzeler Karoo 3 tires.

The Gran Turismo 440 (above and below) is a classic ‘naked,’ with a low slung exhaust system, a stepped seat, and road-oriented Pirelli MT90 rubber. Like the Silver Vase, it’s sporting a trapezoidal tank and fits the SWM ethic of “clean, flowing and light” design.

The Gran Milano 440 (below) has more of a British café racer vibe. There’s a solo seat, and the elongated tail unit is vaguely remiscent of Norton’s early 70s Fastback design. To our eyes it’s the least successful variant, although it has a certain gawky charm.

The Gran Milano 440 Special (below) ditches the retro vibe and switches to light alloy 17” rims and Pirelli MT60 RS rubber. There are disc brakes all round and fully adjustable USD forks. Dry weight drops to 145 kg (330 pounds).

The new SWMs will be built in Lombardy, and will feature six-speed transmissions, fuel injection and electronic ignition. The engines are reportedly Husqvarna designs, from the pre-KTM era. The bottom line is that Shineray provides the cash, while Macchi comes up with the goods. And these goods look mighty fine.

Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but we’re likely looking at between 5,000 and 6,000 euro—which is US$6,250 to US$7,500. The European markets will get the machines first, closely followed by Australia and the South American countries—which share similar homologation standards. After that, SWM will tackle Asia and North America.

On paper, it looks very promising. And reaction at the EICMA show earlier this month was overwhelmingly positive.

Sig. Ampelio Macchi, we wish you the best of luck.

SWM Moto | Facebook

The BIKEexif

On the road to BTZ #Earthmovers

Nous sommes partis en trip moto avec mon pote François Barrois de Paris à Biarritz à l'occasion de l'excellent événement de moto custom à Biarritz, le wheels and waves. On en a profité pour faire une vidéo de ce trip inoubliable! Des paysages magnifiques, des potes, de bonnes motos, la vie quoi! 



Plus d'image du trip sur instagram : @arthurdietrich
Remerciement :
Cat footwear #earthmover et à Harley-Davidson France d'avoir rendu ce trip possible. 
https://www.facebook.com/catfootwearF...
https://www.facebook.com/Harley.David...
Montage : Arnaud Wolff
Filmeur : Zwa17
Musique :
Band : Hermetic Delight
Track : Holy Sister

Snapshot, 1963: 500 miles with Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins

500 miles can be a long haul, especially on two wheels through the barren Californian desert. It is therefore advisable to take some entertaining companions along for the ride. How about Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen?

John Dominis snapped this shot of the two Hollywood heroes in 1963, during a motorcycle endurance race across the Mojave Desert in California. That’s Steve McQueen on the right, and Bud Ekins on the left tilting into the corner. The rider in the centre remains unknown. Ekins was one of the most famous stuntmen of his generation. He was often McQueen’s stunt double – in ‘The Great Escape’, he jumped the Triumph TR6 over the barbed-wire fence, and in ‘Bullitt’ he drifted the Ford Mustang through the streets of San Francisco. He also successfully competed in motorcycle racing, and occasionally at the helm of even bigger machines – trucks, for example, in the notorious Mint 400 and Stardust 7-11 desert races. Ekins and McQueen were great friends, until the latter’s death in 1980.
Photo: John Dominis/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Numerous classic motorcycles can be found for sale in Classic Driver Market.

Norton...

Born To Be A Model

Calendrier moto Pirelli 2015

Calendrier moto Pirelli 2015 par motojournalbuzz

The ‘original’ Batmobile is about to make somebody’s Christmas

Even before the ‘official’ Batmobile made its debut in the mid-60s TV show, American enthusiast Forrest Robinson had created his own version based on the design in the comics. First registered in 1963, the restored car is now about to be auctioned…

A 2D icon brought to life

Using a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 as a basis, Robinson created a unique, hand-made body to replicate the design seen in the 1940s and 1950s comics. By the time the car was finished in 1963, it was not only road-legal – but also officially approved by DC Comics. Originally painted silver, Batmobile Mk1 was repainted in the familiar black and red livery for promotional purposes; once the car had completed a publicity tour, Robinson sold the car for $200 to fund a new business venture. It then lay abandoned in a New Hampshire field for around 50 years.

In 2008, the car was rediscovered and put through a comprehensive restoration, and it will now be sold off by Heritage Auctions on 6 December 2014 in Dallas. Bidding is set to start at $90,000 – however, the auction house is confident of receiving bids approaching the half-million-dollar mark.

Photos: Heritage Auctions

You can find several Oldsmobiles for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

Premiummotorrad, Stuttgart: Classic, Custom and Art Bikes

While many business owners drive to work in a saloon, Tobias Aichele of Premiummotorrad prefers the raw sensation of riding an MV Agusta 750 S. His attitude sums up the culture of the company...

Newly opened this year in Stuttgart’s Meilenwerk, Premiummotorrad offers an attractive selection of classic motorbikes – and good advice.
“For me, Premiummotorrad is a dream come true,” said Aichele. A lifelong passion for motorcycles inspired him to open the company, and he is as happy to offer a showpiece collectors’ item for a true aficionado as he is selling an interesting ‘daily rider’ to the occasional enthusiast who wants something fun for the weekend.
The MV would fit into the latter category, while one of Aichele’s premier cru favourites is an Egli-Vincent. Either way, he can offer sound and friendly help.

And it’s not only motorcycle sales that interest Aichele. Through the company’s parent, Solitude GmbH, he is planning future events for lovers of two- and four-wheeled machinery.

HAMMER KRAFTRAD R100R

Nominative determinism is a wonderful theory that a person’s name somehow influences or determines a key aspect of their career, character or interests. Did the former MD of Danone, Bruno Fromage, grow up with his yoghurty fate already sealed? Was Rich Ricci always going to end up as head of Barclays investment bank? Looking at the beautiful hand beaten aluminium bodywork of Michael Hammer’s BMW R100 certainly lends some credence to the hypothesis. Michael created Hammer KraftRad in 2013, to produce honest, handcrafted motorbikes with classic lines, built to the highest standards and it would appear he’s succeeding, oh yes.

Like many of the best builds, this one started with a beer fueled discussion in the workshop. One of Michael’s friends missed riding and wanted to get his leg back over. The BMW in his garage didn’t quite deliver what he was looking for, and Michael happened to have an unwanted old Yamaha. A deal was done, bikes were swapped and the next day Michael had the R100R in his workshop and ideas in his head. This was to be a bike influenced by classic cafe racers, simple lines, an aggressive riding position and a nice grunty, tractable engine.

This 1992 BMW R100R has donor bike had just 17,000 miles on it, so didn’t require drastic mechanical work; triage identified a greater need for cosmetic surgery in Michael’s view. With the engine pulling strongly a test ride and the vtial statistics checking out in the workshop, nothing other than a thorough service and a clean up of the cases was required. Despite no longer being functional in it’s original intention, the airbox was retained as a place to store vital electrics, keeping the frame free of traipsing wires.

It’s terribly hard, even with the end result seen in these pictures, to convey the skill and time required that goes into creating aluminium bodywork such as this. Michael toiled for hours getting the tank, tailpiece and mudguard just ‘so’, and the beautiful flow from front to back of the bike is the perfect pay off. The simple bi-tonal paintjob enhances the lines further. Classic BMW colours and crisp lines give a look that could be very much factory. In this guise it’s not difficult to imagine the bike competing against the more artisanal Jotas, LeMans and 900ss’s of the 70’s.

To compliment the classic bodywork Michael used the useful modularity of the R-Series to great effect. Transplanting the earlier Kidney style rocker covers instantly knocks the engine back 20 years visually, and the cast snowflake wheels have been swapped out for a set of spoked stainless rims. Bespoked, or bespoke, I’ll let you decide… Despite the classic aesthetics, Michael expects modern performance from his bikes and tyres make a huge play in this game. Avon Roadriders front and rear are a worthy performance improvement, without looking too ‘trackday special’ to take away from the overall look.

The original Bing carburetors were retained, receiving full rebuilds and a rejetting for the K&N pod filters. With a healthy 50bhp on tap and big gobs of torque, there’s plenty to play with. The engine breathes out through a stainless 2-1 Sebring system, rising up the left flank and balancing the visuals against the Monolever rear suspension. Suspension at either end remains unchanged, just receiving new seals and oil where required. From end to end, this bike relies on a very simple but effective combination of tones from the paints and metals; sometimes simple is just better.

The solid mount rearsets and low clipons gets your body canted forward and your mindset racey. Some semblance of comfort is retained in the leather clad tuck and roll seat, beautifully upholstered to carry the lines into the tail unit. Indicators are minimised but not hidden, the bike really does come across as a sympathetically restored and modernised classic. It must be noted that all of Michael’s bikes are TUV approved, no small matter in itself and another hurdle for the custom builder to work around.

Practicality has been maintained, often difficult when a bike looks as minimal as this. The oil cooler remains, useful in slow city traffic, while a small oil temperature gauge sits in the filler hole in case the rider fancies some empirical data. Michael even retained the centre stand and lift handle on the subframe. Something many of us would be eager to grind off, in this instance it just adds to the factory look of the bike. Low slung mirrors ensure the small clocks remain the highest point on the bike, long and low, it looks ready to hit some twisties.

If you’re a friend of the German Language, go to Michael’s site now and see some of his other creations.

via The Bike Shed

Shell and Ferrari Circuit

Celebrating 60 years of shared passion for performance, 'Circuit' is a stunning display of Ferrari race cars over the decades. Watch five different Ferrari Formula One cars dating back to 1952, take to the streets of Rome, New York, Rio, Hong Kong and Monaco in a celebration of the ongoing Shell and Ferrari technical partnership - which develops and tests premium products like Shell V-Power with the sole purpose of transferring that technology to the road.