As chairman of Starrett Corporation, Paul Starrett oversaw the creation of American icons like the Flatiron Building, the Lincoln Memorial, and the iconic Empire State Building. Completed under budget in just 18 months, Starrett’s most famous endeavor reigned as the tallest structure in the world from 1931 to 1970, inspiring artists like Andy Warhol along the way. May marks 95 years since this star of the New York skyline opened to the public. The following month, a Tiffany & Co. signed Patek Philippe wristwatch that Starrett bought while the Empire State Building was underway will appear in The New York Watch Auction: XIV at Phillips, where it’s expected to sell for $15,000 to $30,000.

This yellow gold watch may look elegant and understated today, but 96 years ago, it would have actually felt rather oversized. “Watches at the time were part of a gentleman’s attire either discreetly tucked away in a pocket, or hidden under a shirt cuff,” Phillips deputy chairman and head of watches Paul Boutros explained over email. “At the same time, during the Great Depression, affordability was paramount, and watch brands offering solid gold watches offered them in smaller sizes to keep costs (and prices) low to facilitate sales.” In other words, larger watches were selling less, so they were harder to find.

The Patek Philippe Extract of the Archives indicates that it was produced in 1929 and delivered in November 1930. Boutros told me that this piece would’ve retailed for about $200 at that time. The watch’s solid gold bracelet, still included with the piece, would’ve tacked on another $50. “In comparison, the Ford Model A was priced at $495 in 1930,” Boutros noted. In press materials, Phillips wrote that such a sale would have proven a big win for Tiffany & Co, in the depths of a bad year.

The caseback on Starrett’s 1929 Patek Philippe. Courtesy of Phillips

By this point, this Art Deco style relic has lived with the Starrett family for nearly an entire century. At long last, Starrett’s grandson is consigning it. No other watch that his forebear formerly owned has ever hit the block before, as far as the team at Phillips knows. And, as far as Starrett’s grandson remembers, the businessman didn’t have a really extensive watch collection.

Therefore, Starrett clearly made his special purchase count. This watch accounts for every detail, from its high-grade 10-ligne manually wound caliber to its stately Breguet numerals. Outside, the case features Starrett’s initials, as well as delicately engraved floral scrollwork, absent on similar watches from this time period. “One can certainly believe Starrett attended the opening ceremony wearing this very Tiffany & Co. Patek Philippe wristwatch on his wrist,” Phillips ventured in their press materials.

Starrett’s watch is already on a world tour alongside other items slated for June’s sale, traveling from London to Hong Kong this week throughout the end of May. The watch will also go on view at Phillips for two days before the sale, taking place on June 13. The Empire State Building, meanwhile, is celebrating 95 years with new ticket packages and a Ghiradelli pop-up.