Ask people about the most ferocious animal that ever lived on earth, and chances are that their response will be the T-Rex. Short for Tyrannosaurus Rex, this large theropod dinosaur lived in the late Cretaceous period. With its impressive posture, agile build, and massive jaws, its skeleton alone is enough to evoke a sense of fear. Michael Crichton made handy use of when he gave this dinosaur the starring role in his book Jurassic Park and that Steven Spielberg made come even more alive in the Jurassic Park movie with the same name. 

Urwerk UR-105 Trinity unique piece and Trinity T-Rex skeleton

According to the renowned magazine Nature, only 32 adult Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons have ever been found. This rarity makes owning such a skeleton the dream of many museums, but also private parties have shown their appreciation for the remains of this formidable beast. In 2007 Leonardo DiCaprio showed interest in the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that was up for sale in a Beverly Hills Gallery, only to be outbid by colleague Nicolas Cage.

This illustrates the capability of an animal that has been extinct for millions of years to captivate people, so when a skeleton comes up for auction, it is always a big event. In 1997 an example named ‘Sue’ was auctioned for US$8.4 million, while the skeleton names ‘Stan’ sold for a whopping US$31.8 million in 2020.

This price provides Koller, in association with Wunderkammer, something to base their estimate on for the Out of this World auction in Zurich, Switzerland, on April 18^th, and makes the auction all the more exciting.

Trinity T-Rex skeleton

Meet Trinity

Named Trinity, this skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex is the first to be auctioned in Europe. While often these days perceived as a form of art, such a skeleton is an object of science.  Fully complete large dinosaur skeletons are very rarely found. Usually, at least some bones are missing. Both ‘Sue’ and ‘Stan’ were almost there in terms of being complete.

Trinity T-Rex mouth

The Trinity T-Rex sketeton is not actually a single beast but as the name suggests, a merger of three animals. As complete skeletons are a rarity, scientists joined the remains of three specimens into one. All three have been found between 2008 and 2013 in the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations of Montana and Wyoming. They are comparable in size and quality, which makes them perfect for uniting.

Trinity T-Rex foot

The result is imposing by any means, not only in size, but also in the scientific way the skeleton is prepared and mounted. Trinity is 11.6 meters (38 feet) long, 3.9 ­meters (12.8 feet) in height, and with a skull length of 1.4 meters (4.6 feet). There are likely to be many museums may try to obtain this incredible specimen, but there is preventing private parties to bid as well. 

Urwerk T-Rex 

They might also be very much interested in one of the reasons why this skeleton is not complete. A tiny piece of the T-Rex skeleton was used by Urwerk to place in the UR-105M Trinity. This piece unique was created specifically for the auction, but harks back to the UR-105 T-Rex, which the brand released about 7 years ago.

Urwerk UR-105 Trinity unique piece and Trinity T-Rex skeleton

It shows Urwerk in its purest form, with the satellite discs with their wandering hours. A unique hobnail, or Clous de Paris, pattern makes it look like the bronze case is made from the skin of this ferocious animal. Urwerk gave the case also a unique hand-painted coating to make this piece unique stand out even more. 

Urwerk UR-105 Trinity case detail

The back of the watch features a lever that allows you to set the winding efficiency of the automatic rotor. The most efficient setting is ‘Full,’ while more active owners might want to select ‘Red.’. The last option fully halts the automatic winding. Two visible turbines regulate the winding, making also the back of this Urwerk an enticing view.

The Urwerk UR-105 Trinity contains fragments of the Trinity T-Rex skeleton

Koller puts the estimate on the UR-105M Trinity at 80,000 – 120,000 Swiss francs That’s just a fraction of the 5 – 8 million Swiss francs the T-Rex skeleton is expected to go for.  

Other auction treats 

While Trinity is the star of the show, the ‘Out of this World’ auction has much more to offer, like an original SOKOL-KV2 space suit from 1985, rare meteorites, and fossils. If you don’t think Trinity is scary enough, you might be interested in the two plaster face masks that Linda Blair wore in the movie ‘The Exorcist.’

Less threatening is a seven-piece collection of Baltic amber consisting. These are of gem quality and have insects inside them, which are likely from the same era as Trinity. So if you want to make your own ‘Jurrasic Park,’ this is the addition to your collection that you have been looking for. 

For more information on this auction, please visit www.kollerauktionen.ch/en/fachgebiete/ootw/

Quick Facts Urwerk UR-105M Trinity
Case: 39.5 x 53 x 16.8 mm, hand-patinated bronze and PVD-coated titanium
Movement: automatic Caliber UR 5.02 with adjustable winding regulation
Functions: hours, minutes
Auction estimate 80,000 – 120,000 Swiss francs

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