Christie’s Watches Raises the Bar with Total Sales for 1st Semester 2022

Christie’s Watches raises the bar with total sales for 1st semester 2022: US$ 106.5 million / +13% vs 1st semester 2021. More than a third of buyers are Millennials (32%)

37 new world records set in Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva and New York: Christie’s Watches Live and Online resonate with collectors globally with a pitch-perfect combination of exceptional timepieces and a 360o experience.

Highest sale total registered for Hong Kong (The Champion Collection Part III + Important Watches Featuring The Kairos Collection Part II: US$38,269,921) and New York (Important Watches of Exceptional Provenance: US$21,743,070)

2 major single owner collections – The Champion Collection and The Kairos Collection – and a unique array of the most desirable icons and historically important pieces: the 1214 total lots sold during 1st semester reaffirm Christie’s leadership status in the watch universe.

15th July 2022 – Setting new records during an exceptional Spring-Summer 2022 Watch Season Christie’s watch sales across Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva and New York totalled US$ 106.5 million. Christie’s is delighted to have delivered on its promise of an exciting programme for the global community. As always, Christie’s international and dynamic team of watch specialists has been diligently working with its global network of valued clients in curating these fascinating collections of horological treasures for another benchmark-setting season.

In addition to numerous rare and exceptional watches, many of which were fresh to market, Christie’s again set the benchmark with two single-owner collections, The Champion Collection and The Kairos Collection, curated for sale in Hong Kong, Geneva and New York over the course of the season. This pitch-perfect combination of a unique offering, exceptional curation and a 360º experience further strengthens Christie’s position as a global leader in horological sales on both live and digital platforms.

Highlights

In Dubai

Remy Julia, Head of Watches Christie’s Middle East, India & Africa: “Watches Online: The Dubai Edit proudly showcased a unique pair of Greubel Forsey GMT Sport. These two outstanding architectural design timepieces were on the market for the very first time: the very limited Blue Edition - only 11 were made - was sold for US$478,800. Rarer still, the Red GMT Sport - a one-off - was sold for US$504,000. Our leading timepiece for this sale was a superb Patek Philippe Ref. 3974J. One of the most important watches ever made in series by Patek Philippe; it was sold for US$567,000.”

In Hong Kong

Alexandre Bigler, Vice-President & Head of Watches Christie’s Asia Pacific: “We are pleased to have reached new heights, also continuing our success in offering single-owner collections of the rarest and most in-demand timepieces. The Champion Collection Part III: The Artistry of Complications was 100% sold with a total of US$20,080,490, while Important Watches and The Rise of The Independent Watchmakers, featuring The Kairos Collection Part II totalled US$18,189,431. Contemporary designs sold particularly well, and our diverse array of horological rarities ranging from industry legends such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, to high-end independent watchmakers such as Greubel Forsey and F.P. Journe, reaffirm Christie’s as the preeminent destination for watch auctions.”

In Geneva

Rémi Guillemin, Head of Watches, Christie’s Geneva: “With Rare Watches Geneva, we saw millennials taking the lead, as they represented 51% of new bidders, while Rolex achieved new heights of desirability as 16 new world records were broken. Of particular note was the success of the Rolex Daytona Trilogy, reinforcing Geneva at the centre of all things Rolex, with the Ref. 6269 'Jack of Diamonds' selling for US$1,668,230, the Ref. 6264 Paul Newman Tropical Lemon achieving US$1,296,134, and the Ref. 6241 ‘champagne Paul Newman dial’ US$1,106,986. The market continues to open up to bidders from around the world who have never before stepped into an auction room to buy watches, and we are very pleased to see that. With an auction that was 100% sold the Christie's watch team in Geneva continues to raise the bar!”

In New York 

Keith Davis, Head of Watches, Christie’s Americas: “We are thrilled with the strong results and new record for the highest valued watches sale at Christie’s New York. We were especially proud to present The Kairos Collection of extraordinary Patek Philippe timepieces across three sale sites (Geneva, Hong Kong and New York) and it far surpassed estimates, totalling US$ 21.8 million globally.”