Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva made 15 million CHF ($19.3 million), its most valuable watch sale in the city in more than a decade. The standing-room auction at Geneva’s Mandarin Oriental drew more than 1,500 registered bidders from 50 countries, with over ten paddles registered per lot on average, nearly twice the figure at last month’s Hong Kong sale. Each sold lot was chased by an average of three or more bidders, nearly 52 percent of lots sold above their high estimate, and 98 percent cleared their low estimate.
The top lot was a rare A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication pink gold clock watch made in 1916 (lot 31), which sold for 1.59 million CHF ($2.06 million) after a three-minute contest between two telephone bidders and one in the room, a world record for the maker.
Part two of the Shapes of Cartier collection, just over 10 percent of the sale by value, sold in full and achieved more than three times its low estimate, underlining sustained demand for vintage Cartier. It was led by a 1973 Cartier Mystère Tortue (lot 52), which set a world record for a mystery wristwatch at 256,000 CHF ($329,705). Also among the standouts were a prism-form Cartier Driver of about 1945 (lot 19) at 128,000 CHF ($164,852), an Art Deco Éclipse à Guillotine of about 1930 with enamel shutters (lot 95) at 166,400 CHF ($214,308), a curved London Tank Cintrée of 1969 (lot 101) at 153,600 CHF ($197,823), and an early Tank Asymétrique, the Paris Parallélogramme of about 1937 (lot 122), at 121,600 CHF ($156,610). The collection’s third and final part comes to New York in June.
Away from Cartier, a yellow gold Rolex Daytona “ Paul Newman”, reference 6239 (lot 69), made 1.15 million CHF ($1.48 million), a world record for the reference in yellow gold. An F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain (lot 113) reached 422,000 CHF ($544,013), an Audemars Piguet “ John Shaeffer” minute-repeater with jumping hours (lot 27) and a platinum Ulysse Nardin Trilogy of Time set (lot 55) each made 179,200 CHF ($230,793), and a Piaget “ Andy Warhol Black Tie” of 1973 (lot 63) sold for 166,400 CHF ($214,308), the most valuable example of its kind.
The result extends a strong run for Sotheby’s watch department, following its highest-grossing watch sale in New York last December and a record Hong Kong sale last month. Demand, the house noted, remains strong but increasingly selective, with collectors favouring rarity, provenance and exceptional condition across every price level.
(Press Release)
