Christie’s Spring Luxury auctions in Geneva this week, which covered everything from magnificent jewels to fine wines, attracted move than 3,000 visitors.
The gems and jewelry auction raised a staggering $62 million, with a cushion-shaped Burmese ruby ring by Harry Winston selling for three times its estimate with a hammer price of $7.2 million.
A line up of 249 watches raised a more modest $11,510,250 from pieces dating from the early 19th century to the present day.
Bidders from 41 countries took part in the watch sale, both online and in Geneva.
They drove the price of a pink gold Rolex Stelline triple calendar (ref. 6062) with moon phase up to $975,000. It is uncomfortable to call that price a disappointment, but the watch — thought to be one of only 10 in the world — did arrive at the auction with a pre-sale estimate of $1-2 million.
Another Rolex, this time a more common 3525 steel and gold chronograph, sold for $471,000, well above its pre-sale estimate of $200-300,000 thanks to it having once been owned by Andy Warhol.
Five out of the top 10 lots were from Rolex, with Patek Philippe, Breguet and Vacheron Constantin making up the other five from a list that generated over $4 million in sales.
“Rolex extends its dominance in the international auction market. Rare vintage and modern Rolex timepieces continue to command high prices in a market that demands high quality. Provenance continues to play an even more important role and is a crucial factor in determining the final price at auction. The sale was over 80% sourced from private European families which contributed strongly to the success of the auction,” says John Reardon, international head of Christie’s Watches Department.
The Top 10 watches, described by Christie’s, were: