The Boucheron Question Mark timepiece in white gold was commissioned by the City of Paris and brought out in a limited edition of two timepieces.  Photo courtesy Ivoire/Primardeco. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

As the show of watch shows draws to a close in Geneva during the Watch Week, we take a look at a recent watch auction that caught the eye of collectors the world over, perhaps because it involved two intertwined fields: aviation and time keeping with legendary timepieces from the houses of Boucheron, Omega and Longines all on board. The timepieces all belonged to Edgar Bensoussan who volunteered in the Free French Air Forces — the arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940, and who would go on to become a lieutenant pilot in the Royal Air Force. Nicknamed Loulou — he was born in Oran in 1919 and died in Paris in 2014 — he collected numerous objects related  to aviation and its pioneers. The French auction house of Ivoire/Primardeco in Toulouse in southern France sold every piece in the collection at high flying prices last March 14th. 

The 14k gold Longines timepiece offered by the city of Philadelphia to aviator Dieudonné Costes.  Photo courtesy Ivoire/Primardeco.Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

Among the more fabled pieces on the block was the timepiece commissioned by the City of Paris and created by the Parisian house of Boucheron for World War I fighter ace Dieudonné Costes who with his co-pilot Maurice Bellonte (who also received the same timepiece) became the first to make a nonstop flight across the North Atlantic from Paris to New York in 1930 on September 1st.  The timepiece with its 44mm dial, fashioned in 18k white gold and outfitted with blue and white enamel and set with diamonds in the shape of a question mark, sold for 40,300€, four times its estimate. The Breguet XIX aircraft that they flew on was named Question Mark. 

The historic and commemorative Art Deco timepiece for the partial around the world journey of Dieudonné Costes and Joseph Le Brix. Photo courtesy Ivoire/Primardeco. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

Meanwhile the 14k gold Longines watch offered by the city of Philadelphia to Dieudonné Costes for the same and famed Transatlantic crossing was auctioned off for 20,160€, ten times its estimate. Two of those timepieces were made, as well, one for the pilot that was sold at auction and the other for the co-pilot. But more surprises were yet to come. The platinum Omega watch in the  Edgar Bensoussan collection that was given to the co-pilot Maurice Bellonte  by the French daily Le Matin which widely covered the North Atlantic exploit went under the hammer for 16,300€, ten times its estimate. Meanwhile the historic and exceptional Art Deco timepiece commemorating the partial around the world journey in 1927 and 1928 by  Dieudonné Costes and Joseph Le Brix on board a Breguet XIX aircraft christened Nungesser was sold for 11,758€, well above its estimate of 800/1.200 €. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette

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The platinum Omega timepiecee that was given to the co-pilot Maurice Bellonte for the North Atlantic crossing.  Photo courtesy Ivoire/Primardeco. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette