The Fellows auction house Watch Sale on November 29 set a new record for the sale price of a single watch for the business.
The November edition of the monthly watch auction was a bumper sale for Fellows, which also celebrated its 140th anniversary around the event.
Rolex was once again the star brand of the sale, with two Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona watches selling for £80,000 and £96,000 respectively.
Lot 423, dated circa 1969, is the very same model seen on Paul Newman’s wrist, the 6239.
The other Paul Newman Daytona, Lot 424, is an earlier watch, dated circa 1968. This model, reference 6241, is identical to the 6239 except for the bezel with its black acrylic insert.
It was not only the vintage models that caught the eye of Rolex fans in this auction. Lot 432 was a 2016 Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona chronograph bracelet watch that was only released in March. It beat its pre-sale estimate to sell for £12,000 on the day.
The biggest surprise of the sale was a Skipper watch, Reference 7753, from Heuer that was valued at £400-600. The watch was not in the best condition, but despite, or perhaps because of, its discoloured dial, the watch was the subject of a bidding war online, in the room and over several phone lines and ultimately sold for £19,000.
The auction as a whole was very successful with 87% of all lots sold and a busy saleroom. One brand that stood out in the sale was Cartier. All Cartier pieces in The Watch Sale sold, bar one, showing that the brand’s stylish designs are enduringly popular.
