Results for Christie's (Auctions)

RECOMMENDED READING: Christie’s return champion yachtsman’s stolen Rolex 

OK, so on the surface this story is nice and simple. Philip McColl, a sailor who had his engraved Rolex Submariner (a commemoration of his 1988 World Championship win) stolen in 1998 returned to him by Christie’s auction house. Good news story, right? Well, the actual story is a little more complex.  Turns out that Christie’s … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Christie’s return champion yachtsman’s stolen Rolex  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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 […]

Rolex's One-of-a-Kind Daytona Four Seasons Set Is Heading to Auction for Charity

Four gem-set Daytonas, one per season, each truly unique - and every penny goes to the Federer Foundation and Re:wild

Auctions: Previewing Marteau’s ‘Encore’ And Antiquorum’s Return To New York, Both This Month

The fall auction season is already upon us. Or, I guess you could say, it's been here since the strong showing by Sotheby's in Hong Kong—though that technically ended right before the official start of fall. The Cartier Cheich in white gold (which traded hands among dealers and collectors for a few years at far less than that) sold for $3.4 million, setting a record as the most expensive Cartier and most expensive quartz watch ever sold. Weeks later, if you asked me what this means for the market, I'd probably stare at you blankly. Ben would probably do the same, as he's said on the site that it's just hard to make sense of prices both at retail and at auction anymore. Let's chat about that all first. What The Heck Is Going On With The Market? As we head into the bulk of the auctions, I currently feel far less confident telling you where prices will land. I think most prognosticators—myself included—would say that we have to be nearing the height of the bubble for F.P. Journe and A. Lange & Söhne. But then again, over breakfast the other day, a friend asked if I knew someone who'd want a very historically important watch from a more traditional brand that went underpriced nearly 10 years ago and now was available for double that—into the seven figures. Some things (like that very vague story, probably) make sense; some can leave you scratching your head. European Watch Co. has this Tourbillon Pour le Mérite listed for $1,100,000 right now. There was an interestin...

Auctions: Rare And Unique White Gold Cartier Wristwatch Fetches Record $3.4 Million At Hong Kong Auction

A Cartier Cheich, a rare wristwatch awarded as a prize to consecutive Paris-Dakar Rally winners, sold for a record $3.4 million in Hong Kong, becoming the most expensive Cartier wristwatch sold at auction. The record price underscores the surging interest among collectors and speculators for rare models and designs by the Paris-based watch and jewelry maison. One of only five known examples of the Cheich, the watch was produced by Cartier as a one-off, unique piece in 2010, cased in white gold and powered by a quartz movement.  Sold by Sotheby's on the first day of its 'Important Watches' auction in Hong Kong on Friday, the watch spurred a nine-minute bidding war with online, telephone and in-person bidders pushing the price to HK$26,520,000 including fees or about $3,413,124, Sotheby's said in a statement. The result eclipses the $2 million paid for a London Cartier Crash from 1991 at Christie's Geneva auction in May. That watch bested another Crash sold by Sotheby's just weeks before for about $1.99 million.  Cartier Cheich in white gold sold for about $3.4 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong auction.Image: Sotheby's Founded in 1978 by motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine, the Paris-Dakar Rally was a legendary motor sports race of endurance, navigation and mechanical engineering, spanning some 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) from the French capital across the Sahara desert to Dakar, Senegal. An early sponsor of the race, Cartier and the brand's then-president, Alain-Dominique P...

Auctions: Six Observations From Sotheby's September 18 Hong Kong Sale

Ready or not, auction season is back. I don't know about you, but I wasn't expecting it so soon. While the auction cycle is generally synced up for Geneva and New York sales a bit later in the fall, Sotheby's is doing the earliest big sale of the fall with "Important Watches" in Hong Kong on September 18.  Personally, I'm still working through the best way to handle auction coverage, as the number of watches is often daunting. That challenge gets worse with Hong Kong sales, which we've generally struggled to stay on top of for a number of reasons. One of which, and this is a complaint for all auction houses, is that there are too many lots in Hong Kong sales. This is driven by both the market location (many of these watches were sourced locally—something I know because I know a decent number of these watches) and the forces behind the auction house and its metrics. Sometimes you have to make sellers happy and take what they want to get at other things (like taking random Hermès bags in a watch sale, as we see this time). It can be overwhelming for a buyer, and for you and me as readers. I want to find the interesting, great deals in the mid- and low-range and share them with you, but I also can't ignore the impressive pieces that might shape the broader market. One important note: for Hong Kong sales, I never get to see the watches in person. It's a lot easier for me to stand in front of a case of watches and pick things up by feel, closely evaluate condition and origi...

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