Results for Christie's (Auctions)

Auctions: Phillips Announces 'Double Signed' Thematic Auction For November 2019

This is the latest in a series of thematic auctions from Phillips.

Povey’s Picks - Christie’s Rare Watches Geneva May 2019

Ross Povey presents some of the highlights among the impressive range of watches that Christie’s has assembled for its May 2019 sale.

Povey’s Picks: Monaco Legend Auctions on 14th January 2019

Ross Povey picks out his favorite lots from Monaco Legend Auctions’ sale catalogue, to be held on January 14th, 2019.

Povey’s Picks - Christie’s Rare Watches Sale 12th November 2018

Ross Povey picks out his favorite lots from Christie’s Rare Watches sale catalogue, to be held on November 12th, 2018.

The Heuer Parade - The Value of Themed Auctions

Andrew Hildreth runs us through top lots at the Heuer Parade along with lessons learnt that show the value of quality themed auctions.

Povey’s Picks - ‘John Player Special’ Paul Newman and Other Goodies at Christie’s Rare Watches

Ross Povey picks out his favourite lots from Christie’s Rare Watches Auction sale catalogue, to be held on November 13th, 2017.

Top 5 Performers at Christie’s “Watches and American Icons” 2017 Sale

Christie’s “Watches and American Icons” sale has just concluded to the sound of USD10,028,500 in total sales made.

Povey’s Picks: Christie’s ‘Rare Watches and American Icons’ Sale 2017

Ross Povey picks out his favourite lots from Christie’s ‘Rare Watches and American Icons’ sale catalogue, to be held on June 21st, 2017.

Christie’s May 2017 Hong Kong Sale Showcases Diversity

A quick round of top performers and thoughts from the floors of Christie’s May 2017 Hong Kong watch auction.

RCO Paul Newman Daytona Goes Unsold at Christie’s Rolex Afternoon

A Rolex Paul Newman Daytona ref. 6362 with the RCO or “Oyster Sotto” dial goes unsold at Christie’s 2017 Rolex Afternoon sale after missing the lot’s lower estimate.

Christie’s Announces Its First-Ever Rolex-Only Sale

With Rolexes breaking records in nearly every auction during the past four years, Christie’s May 15 sale in Geneva will be rich with surprises

Earliest Known Patek Philippe Grand Complication Sold For $2.25 Million By Christie’s, Sets World’s Record

Given the exceptional desirability and rarity of complicated watches by Patek Philippe it’s reasonable for collectors and connoisseurs to think there are few if any surprises left in the field, but that belief was overturned by the presentation by Christie’s, for its June 11th auction, of a timepiece that had until the auction never before […]

Record Sales At Auctions For Lange 1 and 1815 Moonphase

Press Release: A LANGE 1 in stainless steel changed owners on 13th May 2013 at Christie’s “Important Watches” auction in Geneva at 119,489 Euro (148,500 Swiss francs). A. Lange & Söhne has built a few of these pieces in the mid-1990ies. Case and buckle of this extremely rare timepiece are made of stainless steel, complemented […]

Auctions: Phillips Announces Sale Of A Pre-Production  F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance In November

Here we go again. It's been a blue ribbon auction year so far, particularly for rare examples of timepieces from independents, including F.P. Journe. During a record-setting spring auction season marked by a stunning shift in valuations and collector interest in top-notch independent watchmakers, an early Chronomètre à Résonance (no. 007) fetched a record $13.9 million, making it the most expensive F.P. Journe watch ever sold at auction and the fifth most expensive watch of all time.  Mark wrote up a great piece on the record-breaking result that dives deep into the history of the Résonance and why it's such an important achievement in haute horology, and why it is François-Paul Journe's signature watch. With the prototype produced in 1998, and with 'Souscription' commercial pieces produced and delivered beginning in 2000, Journe's Chronomètre à Résonance marks the first time that the concept of "résonance," combining two movements with separate balances into a single case and bringing them into perfect synchronization, was brought to a wristwatch. For many collectors, the model represents the ultimate expression of Journe's vision and talent as a watchmaker. Just 20 'Souscription' pieces—offered to those who bought Journe's first watch, a tourbillon—were produced, and collectors have come to covet the series, with the earliest watches fetching a premium. When it comes to the Résonance, the earlier the better, it seems. That's why it's newsworthy and worth ...

Auctions: Buzz Aldrin's Watches Are Coming To Auction

This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia.   Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from other brands amongst the spacefaring lots. It's no surprise that Buzz's Apollo 11-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional isn't present; that watch is still lost, stolen on the way to the Smithsonian after its sojourn to the moon in 1969 (and it still technically belongs to the U.S. government). Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, wearing that aforementioned lost Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.012. Image courtesy of NASA There’s a range of Omegas that are meaningful to Aldrin that he’s acquired through decades of collecting, including dive watches he relied on as an experienced scuba diver and a big box of souvenir watches. There’s no denying the man is a collector and a true watch enthusiast. Bidding is open online right now before live bidding sessions begin on July 15th in New York - here are some of the highlights. Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Image courtesy of Sotheby's This is the most interesting watch in the sale that isn’t an Omega: Aldrin’s JLC Shar...

Auctions: French Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane Talks Watches And Why He's Offering His First Cartier To A Special Charity Sale

Zinédine Zidane is football (soccer) royalty in France. Having played for his home country in the World Cup three times, he led Les Bleus to victory in 1998 and made the final in 2006, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.  Photo credit: Alex Teuscher Before becoming a manager coach at Real Madrid, Zidane, known as 'Zizou', also had a prestigious career in professional soccer as an attacking midfielder at a host of European clubs, including Juventus. Widely regarded as one of the best players in history, he rose to prominence early in his career in the French Ligue 1 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux. And it was in Bordeaux that Zidane bought his first proper watch, a Cartier Pasha. Now that watch will be sold at a charity auction for ELA International as part of the Watches For ELA auction by Christie's on November 9 in Geneva. Zidane has been a supporter of ELA International - the European Leukodystrophies Association - for a quarter century. The non-profit organization is dedicated to defeating leukodystrophies—rare, genetic diseases that destroy the central nervous system. They fund medical research, support affected families, raise public awareness, and advocate for universal newborn screening. With the 2026 World Cup in full swing and on North American soil, we asked Zidane about his passion for watches, his support for ELA International, and why this Cartier has special meaning for the French soccer legend.   Zidane's Cartier Pasha.Photo credit: Al...

Auctions: The Last Steve McQueen Heuer Monaco From Le Mans Is Coming Up For Sale At Sotheby's

When lot 71 hammers at Sotheby's New York Auction this weekend, it will punctuate a story that was started nearly sixty years ago in France—the lot number surely a nod to the year Le Mans debuted, 1971. The story of Steve McQueen and the film has been well told over the past half century, immortalizing a man and bolstering two industries in the process. It's essentially canon at this point, yet the story was never complete—until now. A cache of documents from the film's property master, held onto for decades after production closed, has finally set the record straight. And the last watch is coming up for sale this weekend. The Heuer Reference 1133B Monaco Screenworn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans, Circa 1969, up for auction at Sotheby's this weekend. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's. The 1960s were a formative decade for Heuer. The Autavia launched in 1962, the Carrera in 1963, and the Monaco in 1969—the latter completing a trio of Heuer chronographs all released that year with the Calibre 11, a movement developed jointly by Heuer and Breitling, built around a Buren micro-rotor with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module layered on top, creating the first commercially available automatic Swiss-made chronograph. The Autavia and Carrera received redesigned cases for the occasion. The Monaco was something else entirely: a completely new watch, built around a patented square case sourced from EPSA, creating the world's first water-resistant square chronograph. With its angular form,...

Auctions: Marteau & Co.'s "Heat Wave" Sale Features Unique Independents And An Education On Lesser-Known Makers

Last year, we covered the launch of Marteau & Co., a new, small, independent-focused auction house that took a new perspective on what auction houses can (and, in their view, should) do for the watchmaking artists who have become such high-demand subjects. In Europe and the UK, artists are owed a portion of the sale fee when their work reaches the secondary market. It seems only fair, when a $100,000 watch these days can reach a million on the secondary market and the original maker doesn't get a penny. At Marteau, of the 20% fee added to the hammer price, the watchmaker receives 3% to acknowledge their work. Lot 6, a unique Voutilainen Regulator Decimal Repeater. Estimate of CHF 300,000 to 600,000. The current Marteau & Co. auction catalog recently went live, and bidding is open (online only) from June 10 to June 17. There are a lot of great watches to bid on, headlined by the return of an OnlyWatch collaboration, a unique Vianney Halter, and a unique Voutilainen Regulator Decimal Repeater. There are also a number of watchmakers who have only come to auction a handful of times, and I got to see a number of them in person. But I wanted to start with two watches that might potentially go for more affordable prices, watches from Baltic/SpaceOne and Furlan Marri. Lot 2, a Baltic x SpaceOne Seconde Majeure unique pieces. Estimate of CHF 3,000 to 6,000. Lot 1, a Furlan Marri Mechaquartz "Prototype" with a unique dial. Estimate of CHF 500 to 1,000. The Baltic x SpaceOne collabor...

Auctions: The Five Results That Actually Mattered, From The Spring 2026 Auction Season

The watch world hasn't seen an auction season like this in quite some time. Well, ever, frankly. Phillips set multiple records (43 by their count, though many are quite obscure), including a new record for the highest single sale of $96,328,083, besting their result from just last fall. If you add in their online auction, they passed $100 million for the first time ever. Sotheby's smashed the record for the most expensive A. Lange & Söhne ever (for a pocket watch, we might add)—a record that only stood for a few weeks, set during the house's Hong Kong sale. But it wasn't so much the overall numbers that were shocking as the fact of which watches were selling for what prices. So, what the heck is going on? Well, we were watching; some of us from afar, others (Andy Hoffman) in the auction rooms. Instead of focusing solely on broad strokes, let's look at five specific results and why they matter for the market. A Bog-Standard Stainless Steel Akrivia AK-06 is Now a $3.8 Million Watch, 30 Times Its Original Retail Rexhep Rexhepi is the hottest watchmaker of the new, young generation, and it's not particularly close. That's not a dig on his contemporaries, but rather a reflection of the realities of the market, where people are clamoring (to an unbelievable degree) to buy a watch from a man who has made very few watches in the first place, and the few that have come to market reach astronomical prices. There aren't many data points to go off of. Only twelve Akrivia or Rexhep ...

Auctions: Phillips Bringing Three Mega Pateks to Its Spring Sales

We'll have further auction coverage in the coming weeks, but it's worth giving Phillips a bit more attention, as it continues to lead in year-over-year sales. The auction house sold a record total of over $290 million in watches last year and has had five years in a row with over $200 million in sales. The market has shifted (I'd argue at least twice) in the past few years, but despite the growing F.P. Journe, independent, and pocket watch (yes, pocket watch) markets, the top lots for Phillips continue to be Patek Philippe. At each of their spring auctions, Phillips is selling an important Patek to headline the sale, and each is the kind of watch that could be the pinnacle of the world's top collections. Normal caveat here: I haven't seen these watches in person yet, and anyone considering bidding should make sure to check any watch in person if at all possible. A Patek Philippe ref. 2523 Two-Crown World Time With Cloissoné Enamel South America Dial First, we have the star of Geneva, to be sold on May 9: the Patek Philippe ref. 2523 two-crown world time with cloisonné enamel map of South America, from 1953. Aside from rare variants of 2499s or 1518s (and a few repeaters), these two-crown watches, with their incredible, angular lugs and giant open canvas at the center of the dial, have become the holiest of Holy Grails for many collectors. They are rare enough to be hunted and coveted, but there are also enough out there to be studied, understood, and codified. Too rare o...

Auctions: Steel Patek Philippe 1518 Sells For $17.6 Million, Highest Ever For A Vintage Patek Wristwatch

A rare steel example of the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph sets a new benchmark in Geneva.

Auctions: Sotheby's To Offer A Massive 300+ Piece Cartier Collection Across Sales This Year

Starting in Hong Kong on April 24th and running into December, the house will offer pieces from Cartier Paris, London, and New York - plus a lot of insanely impressive other watches from Rolex, Patek, Dufour, and more.

Auctions: This Weekend In Bienne: 'The Charity Watch Sale' Raises Funds For Children In Need

What started as a small community project is now a growing fundraiser for Switzerland's leading children's NGO.

Auctions: A Look at the ‘Grosse Pièce’ - Audemars Piguet’s Most Complicated Pocket Watch Still in Private Hands, Up for Auction at Sotheby’s

The watch, a part of the late Robert Olmsted's history-changing collection, goes up for sale on December 8.

Headlines and Takeaways from Geneva Fall Auctions

Auctions: Sotheby's Is Putting Some Of A. Lange & Söhne’s Rarest New Creations On The Auction Block

With many of these grails coming up for auction for the first time, this winter will be a defining moment in Lange's secondary market performance.

Report: Geneva Fall Auctions 2025

The just-concluded Geneva auction season was mostly a plateau with several striking peaks and a few lows. The peaks were marked by desirable timepieces that outperformed by far, yet shared little in common with one another in terms of style or period. The peaks ranged from multiple F.P. Journe watches to a diamond-set Patek Philippe ref. 3424/1 “Gilbert Albert” to the Breguet four-minute tourbillon pocket watch from 1809 to the Instagram-ready Patek Philippe ref. 3970 in “salmon” with Breguet numerals. Despite such diverse taste, the small pool of bidders seemed to have one thing in common: they were all focused on a “trophy” watch. The Christie’s saleroom in the Four Seasons. Image – Christie’s With few exceptions, contemporary watches from mainstream brands were cold, while vintage watches were mostly lukewarm – but as always there were exceptions. An Patek Philippe ref. 570 with a black dial signed “E. Gubelin” sold for an impressive CHF419,100 including fees, or US$523,000, at Christie’s, while Phillips sold a Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 “RCO” (or “Oyster Sotto”) for an equally impressive CHF1.39 million, or US$1.73 million – close to the historical peak for the model. A vintage watch that surprised on the downside was the 1927 Rolex Oyster worn by Mercedes Gleitze when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1927 – a landmark in Rolex lore. Though it sold for CHF1.39 million, or US$1.74 million, there was just one bi...

Auctions: Sotheby's New York Auction To Feature 'The Olmsted Complications Collection,' Including Two Never-Before-Seen Patek Philippes

The auction will be the department's first at the iconic Breuer building in New York and is expected to draw heavy bidding.

Auctions: Previewing Phillips’ Massive ‘Decade One’ Auction and Reflecting on Ten Years of Phillips with Bacs and Russo

The auction blends reflection with foresight on the next ten years. It will also likely set the record for the largest total sale price in the history of watches.

Auctions: A Live Preview Of This Weekend's Fall 2025 Monaco Legend Auction

We're back in Monaco for the start of the fall auction season, and there are so many special watches to see.