In lieu of the recent auction of Pablo Picasso’s Michael Z. Berger watch for over $250,000, we wanted to look back at the timepieces he is known to have owned and others that are still mysteries.
Pablo Picasso (full name: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispín Crispiniano María Remedios de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso) was a Spanish artist born in 1881. His father was a professor of drawing who taught his son from a young age. Pablo studied at La Llotja in Barcelona and Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. In the early 20th century, he was known for his Blue Period, an emphasis on the colour blue in his paintings between 1901 and 1904, inspired by his trip to Paris which he frequented at the time. This was followed by a Rose Period and very famously Cubism.
Pablo Picasso wearing the Rolex GMT-Master / Credit: Rolex Magazine
Now, the latest watch to be uncovered that belonged to Pablo Picasso is a Michael Z. Berger 17-jewel manually winding dress watch, that is thought to be from the 1960s. Many people believe he wore the Michael Berger watch while painting, and he is also rumoured to have owned two others as there are photographs of them. These were reportedly given to his driver as a gift, although their location is currently unknown.
The two mystery Pablo Picasso Berger watches and him wearing his in 1966
This timepiece really stands out as opposed to the others he is supposed to have owned that were more classic; the dial spelled his name out using the letters as markers. His 12-letter name “Pablo Picasso”, fitting perfectly, a style that is not often seen – especially lately.
Pablo gifted this timepiece to his friend and fellow artist Lela Kanellopoulou, who was a Greek sculptor. They had met at Cashiers d’Art, and one day in the late 1960s, Kanellopoulou describes Pablo taking the watch off his wrist and giving it to her, along with a ceramic of his wife.
The 1960s was an interesting period in Picasso’s life, having married his aforementioned wife, Jacqueline, at the beginning of the decade. He had been a bachelor in the 1950s after his wife left him, although he continued to produce many works like for example Paysage de Mougins in 1965.
Paysage de Mougins, 1965 / Credit: Pablo Picasso
Pablo is also thought to have owned a number of other watches, some of which he has been photographed wearing. There’s the 1940s Jaeger-LeCoultre Triple Calendar, the Rolex GMT-Master, and the Patek Philippe ref. 2497. Now it’s important to note that both the whereabouts and the actual status of some of these watches is not clear. Pablo was merely photographed with the Patek Philippe but not much more is known about it other than that, it is speculation as even the photograph isn’t clear. For example, he was photographed by Yousuf Karsh wearing his Jaeger-LeCoultre Triple Calendar, but it remains a mystery as well as again we can’t be certain what watch it was…
Ultimately, with a body of work numbering in the tens of thousands, Pablo Picasso passed away in 1973, after dedicating most of his life to his work.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
Block, Fang. “A Wristwatch Once Belonging to Pablo Picasso Sold for 20 Times Its Presale Estimate.” Barron’s, May 21st, 2021, https://www.barrons.com/articles/a-wristwatch-once-belonging-to-pablo-picasso-sold-for-20-times-its-presale-estimate-01621627086.
McCully, Marilyn. “Pablo Picasso Biography.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pablo-Picasso.
“MICHAEL Z. BERGER CO. POUR PABLO PICASSO.” Bonham’s, May 20th, 2021, https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/27147/lot/244/.
Tong, Alfred. “The maker of Pablo Picasso's most valuable watches remains unknown.” GQ Magazine, July 3rd, 2020, https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/article/pablo-picasso-watch-collection.
Cylmer, Benjamin. “In-Depth Twelve Of The Greatest Missing Watches.” Hodinkee, June 2nd, 2014, https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/ten-watches-were-still-looking-for.
A vintage IWC ref. R 1009 A in 18k yellow gold, available here.