Auction

The Encore: Is Marteau & Co. Remaking the Secondary Market for Indies with its Biggest Auction to Date?

The Geneva-based auction house is holding its largest auction to date from October 8th to 15th. And all eyes are on the prizes’ prices.

By Rhonda Riche

October 2, 2026

LOT 33: De Bethune DB25 World Traveller WS1. Estimate CHF 40’000 - CHF 80’000 © Marteau & Co.

When Arthur Touchot and Leonard Pictet launched the Geneva-based Marteau & Co. in 2025, insiders knew it wouldn’t be like other auction houses. Not least because both co-founders have ventured down many roads in the watch world.

CEO Touchot started out as a journalist before taking a position at Phillips. COO Pictet spent 15 years in marketing at Jaeger-LeCoultre before joining A. Lange & Söhne. While I’ve not met Pictet, I’ve known Touchot for over ten years and can vouch for his devotion to celebrating the art and preservation of watchmaking culture.

LOT 18: Audemars Piguet Calendrier Perpétuel Ref. 25749PT, in platinum. Estimate CHF 20’000 – CHF 40’000 © Marteau & Co.

Marteau & Co. operates on the idea that independent watchmakers should get a cut when their own work resells at auction. This idea is based on a concept from the art world called “droit de suite” and applied it to independent watchmaking.

In the auction sphere, indies have gained a lot of traction – so much so that the category was generating art world-style profits for everyone, except the makers themselves. Marteau & Co. seeks to change that.

LOT 3: Roger Dubuis No 1/ 28 Sympathie Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. Estimate CHF 30’000 – CHF 60’000 © Marteau & Co.

Indie Charts

Marteau & Co. has just announced The Encore, its fourth (and largest to date) auction. An absolute extravaganza of some of the biggest names in independent watchmaking, the event will take place online from October 8th to the 15th, 2026.

The sale features 40 exceptional watches from some of the most celebrated independent watchmakers, with the main attraction being a complete box set of F.P.Journe’s limited edition 38mm stainless steel models.

Made in 2015 to mark the discontinuation of Journe’s 38mm watches, this box set is one of only 38 of its kind. Journe collectors already have a cultish devotion to the brand and its history.

Holding one in your hands is the horological equivalent to drinking the Kool-Aid, so we expect a strong result.

LOT 10: F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain, 38mm Steel Set. Estimate CHF 300’000 – CHF 600’000 © Marteau & Co.

Invest Wisely

The Encore sale also significantly expands the roster of watchmakers represented at Marteau & Co. For instance, Marco Lang, Sylvain Pinaud, Yosuke Sekiguchi, Ondřej Berkus, and Reuben Schoots, among others, will appear at the auction house for the first time.

LOT 36: Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1, Piece Unique. Estimate CHF 200’000 - CHF 400’000 © Marteau & Co.

LOT 6: Sylvain Pinaud Origine. Estimate CHF 80’000 - CHF 160’000 © Marteau & Co.

Reuben Schoots Series 1, one of 6. Estimate CHF 8’000 - CHF 16’000 © Marteau & Co.

LOT 9: Yosuke Sekiguchi "Piece Unique" Primevere, in stainless steel. Estimate CHF 70’000 - CHF 140’000 © Marteau & Co.

Another of Marteau’s goals is bringing a new group of highly regarded independent makers to the attention of an increasingly international community of collectors.

Ahead of the auction, Marteau & Co. will offer collectors and enthusiasts the opportunity to view and handle highlights from The Encore during private previews (to schedule one, please contact: [email protected]).

LOT 19: Andersen Genève Communication, "First Generation" in yellow gold. Estimate CHF 6’000 - CHF 12’000 © Marteau & Co.

LOT 27: Laurent Ferrier "Piece Unique" Galet Micro-Rotor, in red gold. Estimate CHF 20’000 - CHF 40’000 © Marteau & Co.

For indies, getting a percentage of the hammer price is also an investment in preserving their ateliers. For the community at large, the 40 watches in The Encore offer a snapshot of remarkable breadth of independent watchmaking today, from established masters to its most interesting contemporary voices.