Prepare Your Bids For This Exceptional Watch Trunk

Forbes

3 days ago

The Connoisseur's Trunk by Trunks Company Jaipur is Lot 1 at the upcoming Important Watches auction ... More at Sotheby's on June 10, 2025.
There is something remarkable that truly stands out among the lots at the upcoming Sotheby's Important Watches: Take A Minute auction. No, it's not the impressive collection of rare timepieces with exceptional movements from stalwarts like Patek Philippe, Rolex, F.P. Journe and Richard Mille. These watches are a given at a watch auction after all.
The item that is bound to pique the interest of devoted horologist — and any luxury lover for that matter — is Lot Number 1. A watch trunk that marries the finest virtues of craftsmanship and technology. It is made of handsome gray leather with refined brass hardware. It measures 90 x 40 x 61cm (approximately 35 x 16 x 24 inches) and weighs roughly 85kg (187lbs). It resembles a small steamer trunk when it is closed. The top opens and the front slides into two panels to reveal, layer by layer, an exquisite beige and blue leather interior to hold an impressive watch collection, plus dedicated compartments for a crystal decanter, drinking glasses, ice bucket and bar tools, and cigar accoutrements. Watches and spirits are elegant bedfellows. One can almost imagine that this trunk could very well trace its provenance to a real life James Bond.
The Connoisseur's Trunk marries timepieces and spirits, featuring compartments not only for watches ... More but for a crystal decanter, glasses and bar tools, and cigar accoutrements.
But it is a one-off piece, especially created for the June 10, 2025 Sotheby's auction.
The trunk was designed by Paritosh Mehta of Trunks Company Jaipur. It has been christened The Connoisseur's Trunk and according to the Sotheby's catalog it is estimated to fetch between $25,000 - $50,000. Trunks Company was founded in 2011 and it is steadily setting the gold standard for bespoke trunks.
'Sotheby's as an institution truly aligns with what we stand for at Trunks Company as creators,' explains Paritosh. Our ideology is that trunks are synonymous with treasures, created with intricate artistry and deep emotion, meant to be passed down through generations. Sotheby's values that same sense of artistry, so organically, our dialogue evolved with Geoff Hess, Sotheby's Global Head of Watches, we spoke about the world of watch collectors, their passions and obsessions - and how they connect with their timepieces. One question stayed with me: If there were a perfect world for a true collector, what would it look like? That set the narrative and context for what would eventually become The Connoisseur's Trunk—complimenting the nuances of fine watches and watchmaking, crafted with intention for those who appreciate not just function, but heritage of arts & crafts, innovation and intentional design thinking."
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
The trunk took over 2800 hours of artisanal craftsmanship to produce. Much like in the creation of timepieces, painstaking attention to detail in both aesthetics and mechanism was necessary. 'Every element of the Trunk has been envisioned, designed, and engineered entirely in-house at our Jaipur Atelier. Our Signature Watch Sentinels—ingeniously engineered with a rack-and-pinion mechanism and enveloped in fine leather—crafted to cradle each timepiece with exacting precision, adjusting seamlessly to the unique fit of the collector's wrist. The Signature Hinges, infused with the geometry of our Hexagonal Insignia, they were not merely built to function, but to glide with the same elegance as the hands of a watch sweeping across a dial. This dedication to innovation is fueled by a deep, almost defiant desire—to reimagine and reinvent beyond what the world already offers, by perfecting each and every component by ourselves,' describes Paritosh. 'The result is a singular creation where nothing is incidental—the first one that carries my signature.'
Lovers of luxury, craft and heritage are bound to keep on eye on The Connoisseur's Trunk. It is a stellar example of a thing a beauty that will stand the test of time.
The Connoisseur's Trunk resembles a steamer trunk. It is made of fine leather with top notch brass ... More hardware, all designed by the Trunks Company.