Fancy an entire T. Rex skeleton in your living room, or a unique timepiece from Urwerk with encapsulated fragments from a said dinosaur? Is your summer wardrobe in need of a space suit flown at ISS? On 18th April you have the chance.
“This is a highlight of my career,” said world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Hans Jakob Siber, head of the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Switzerland, while eyeing the 11.6-meter-long and 3.9-meter high TRX 293-TRINITY, which is currently on display at the Tonhalle, downtown Zurich next to the lake.
Trinity, a female T. rex judging from her build, is the highlight of the Out of This World II auction by Switzerland’s largest auction house Koller, where she will be the last of 75 lots going under the hammer on 18th April. This is the third time ever an entire T. rex is sold in an auction, and the first time it is happening in Europe. One of the largest Mars meteorites on Earth, a space suit flown on international space missions, original movie props from Batman, The Exorcist, and Alien, and a huge gold nugget are among other highlights from the auction catalog.
A space suit worn on international space missions and a Batmobile are among the extraordinary items in this auction.
With close to 51 percent original bone material and mounted in a dynamic, scientifically accurate and modern pose, the 67-million-year-old TRX-293 TRINITY is among the finest known unearthed specimens of one of the largest terrestrial predators that ever ruled our planet. Interestingly, the bone material consists of three exceptional Tyrannosaurus specimens that were unearthed between 2008 and 2013 in Wyoming and Indiana; a composite modus operandi is common in paleontology. “The TRX-293 TRINITY is one of the most impressive mounts I’ve seen. The quality of the restoration plus the quality of the mount sort of breathes life again into the predator, which lived millions and millions of years ago” said Dr Siber.
TRX-293 TRINITY is among the finest known unearthed specimens of T. rex ever found.
The pending arrival of a Tyrannosaurus rex to Switzerland for the first time ever, reached the ears of Martin Frei just before Christmas 2022, which led to an unexpected collaboration and a unique timepiece: The UR-105M TRINITY, a unique piece with a textured, ribbed and “scaly skin” made of hand-patinated bronze and PVD-coated titanium. “This dinosaur is almost a legendary beast, and I immediately made the connection with our watchmaking creation,” explains Martin Frei, artistic director, and co-founder of Urwerk, about the timepiece which contains integrated fragments of Trinity, viewable through the case back sapphire crystal.
Besides the bone material from the T. rex, the large dimensions of this watch – 39.5mm across, 53mm lug-to-lug, and 16.8mm thick – make it a real show-stopper.
Watchmaker and co-founder Felix Baumgartner adds: “We created this unique timepiece by respecting the characteristics of the TRX-293 TRINITY. Our UR-105M TRINITY has been worked to match the dinosaur, both in relief and color. The bezel has undergone a special oxidation that gives it an earthy and ageless look.”
Out of This World catalog with 75 objects from natural science, space exploration, and movie memorabilia from Batman, Alien, and the Exorcist available HERE.
Words: Anders Modig
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