GENEVA.- Sotheby’s spring sale of Important Watches, to be staged at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage in Geneva on Sunday 15 May 2011, will embark world collectors on a journey through five centuries of watch history, from 1580 to the present day. The sale will include iconic pieces from each era, from a 16th century German tambour watch to a highly rare Patek Philippe chronograph (est. CHF 600,000-1,000,000 / $665,000-1,100,000), through luxurious pocket watches made for Indian Maharajas in the 19th Century and watches that have witnessed historical moments, such as Fausto Coppi’s legendary 1942 Cycling World Hour Record. Featuring over 280 lots estimated in excess of CHF 7.2 million, the sale will bring together an impressive range of antique timepieces, pocket watches and blue-chip wristwatches, including a group of very rare Rolex models.