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4.43pm
6 July 2016
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I was just reading a piece about a watch John received from Yoko on his 40th birthday. The watch was a yellow gold Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph reference 2499/100 and in 1989 a similar model was worth the equivalent in today’s money of half a million dollars.
http://www.charlestearle.com/c…..pe-ref2499
Eric Clapton had the same model too although a slightly different casing.
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5.55pm
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20 August 2013
Offline @Leppo, the watch has been found.
arthur_touchot
While everyone freaks out about a few plastic watches, I’ll just sit here and freak out about finding out what actually happened to John Lennon ’s mythical Ref. 2499.It’s a crazy story, and I can’t believe I get to break it :
In short, the watch was stolen by JL’s driver, and later exchanged hands in Turkey ending in those of another man in 2010, who kept it three years before bringing it to a German auction house, which sold it privately in March 2014 to a watch collector. Four months later this collector found out the watch was stolen when he tried to have it estimated by a Geneva based auction house (not @phillipswatches, which opened its watch department in 2015).
The watch has basically been sitting in Geneva as a registered stolen item and has become the subject of a legal fight between parties trying to prove ownership of the watch.
There are plenty of wild details in this case, including the fact that – Madame C – who is described as a Japanese lady living in the USA at the time of the theft, only realized the watch was gone in 2014, when the Geneva auction house contacted her lawyer.
Also the fact that she confirms gifting the watch to Lennon for his 40th – confirming the rumor reported in @benclymer ‘s story on Hodinkee back in 2014.
Oh, and we learn that the watch is engraved with a word in reference to the first song of an album they co-wrote shortly after a period of separation.
What word do you think is engraved at the back ?
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11.51pm
6 July 2016
Offline Ahhh Girl said
@Leppo, the watch has been found.arthur_touchot
While everyone freaks out about a few plastic watches, I’ll just sit here and freak out about finding out what actually happened to John Lennon ’s mythical Ref. 2499.
It’s a crazy story, and I can’t believe I get to break it :
In short, the watch was stolen by JL’s driver, and later exchanged hands in Turkey ending in those of another man in 2010, who kept it three years before bringing it to a German auction house, which sold it privately in March 2014 to a watch collector. Four months later this collector found out the watch was stolen when he tried to have it estimated by a Geneva based auction house (not @phillipswatches, which opened its watch department in 2015).
The watch has basically been sitting in Geneva as a registered stolen item and has become the subject of a legal fight between parties trying to prove ownership of the watch.
There are plenty of wild details in this case, including the fact that – Madame C – who is described as a Japanese lady living in the USA at the time of the theft, only realized the watch was gone in 2014, when the Geneva auction house contacted her lawyer.
Also the fact that she confirms gifting the watch to Lennon for his 40th – confirming the rumor reported in @benclymer ‘s story on Hodinkee back in 2014.
Oh, and we learn that the watch is engraved with a word in reference to the first song of an album they co-wrote shortly after a period of separation.
What word do you think is engraved at the back ?
Wow it’s only been 5 years since I posted about it. 
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Ahhh GirlPivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
10.57am
14 June 2016
Offline What an insanely fascinating and surprising story. Just when you thought you knew everything. I wonder exactly when it was stolen and how? I wonder if John was alive when it vanished, and if so, if he was wondering where it went?
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