What: A circa 1812 silver and vermeil pocket watch presented by Napoleon Bonaparte to Baron Rene-Nicolas Dufriche Desgenettes came to sale at Nate D. Sanders in Los Angeles this fall but failed to sell. Perhaps the opening bid of $22,500 was why. Desgenettes was responsible for leading the French army department of medicine during the Napoleonic era.
More: Sanders is an auction house known for selling autographs, documents and historical memorabilia; Madonnaโs inscribed 1972 junior high yearbook sold there for $7,500.
Smart collectors know: Collectors of Napoleonic items go for anything related to the French figure. Items directly linked to Bonaparte and, by extension, his family, sell highest. Collectors tend to be erudite professionals with disposable income to spend on Napoleonic documents, art, decorative accents and anything related.
Hot tip: Marketing the watch boiled down to a choice of highlighting merits of the timepiece vs. linkage to Bonaparte and importance of the recipient. Since the latter was weak โ it would have helped, say, had Desgenettes been a colorful war hero โ particulars of the timepiece and info that it was once property of the royal family of Monaco were touted.
Bottom line: When selling to a tight, highly selective niche market such as Napoleonic era buffs, top dollar goes to direct linkage. The further you go from central figure(s), the weaker the price.
