Christie’s Geneva held a three-session auction of important watches on November 10th and 11th that realized an unprecedented combined total of $43,985,467 million – the highest result for a series of watch sales ever held. Rolex Daytona “Lesson One,” a unique single-themed auction featuring 50 exceptional luxury wristwatches garnered $13,248,167 million and the various-owner Important Watches sale totaled $30,737,300 million. The top lot of the week was a 1957 Patek Philippe ref. 2499-second series in pink gold, which sold for $2,160,474.
Aurel Bacs, International Head of Christie’s Watch Department, said, “On November 10 and 11, Christie’s dispersed over 370 fine watches in an historical ten-hour auction marathon, which set a new record total for any series of watch sales. We exhibited highlights in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Dubai and in all locations we noticed an ever-growing appetite for high quality collector’s watches. This trend was demonstrated by a fiercer-than-ever competition generated by both experienced and new international bidders, in the room, on the telephone and online.”
The sale set 50 world records for 50 watches as well as a record price for any Rolex Daytona ever sold at auction.