Christie's Results: Geneva Spring Sale Of Important Watches Totals US$22.6M

World Record for any Rolex Wristwatch at Auction

The Christie's Geneva Spring Sale of Important Watches totals SFr. 21.5 million / US$ 22.6 million - selling 94% by lot and 93% by value

Multiple World Record Prices - Buyers from 40 different countries and 5 continents

Geneva – On 13 May 2013, Christie's Geneva auction sale of Important Watches including A Gentleman’s Pursuit for Excellence, Part II fetched a total result of SFr.21,573,075 /$22,608,583 /€17,387,898, selling 94% by lot and 93% by value. 

The most valuable lot of the sale was paid for a historically important white gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phase and leap year, ref. 3448, manufactured by Patek Philippe in 1981 (lot 131), setting a world auction record for this reference in white gold. 

Numerous world record prices were also set for multiple references and models across many different categories, including a new world record for any Rolex wristwatch sold at auction (lot 88 – Rolex ref. 4113, manufactured in 1942). 

Aurel Bacs, International Head of Christie's Watch Department, declared: “In a full and energetic room, Christie’s Geneva marathon-auction sale of important watches reconfirmed the company’s absolute leadership of the category. In an ever increasingly demanding market, our rigorously curated sale attracted buyers from 40 different countries across five continents, selling 94% by lot and 93% by value. While Asian bidders emerged as the most competitive, we never saw such strong activity from the US in a Geneva sale. Christie’s also reaffirmed their predominance in the field of Rolex wristwatches by setting a new world record price for a timepiece by the renowned Swiss manufacture.” 

TOP LOT : PATEK PHILIPPE, REFERENCE 3448

The highly anticipated, newly discovered and historically important, white gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases and leap-year, ref. 3448, manufactured by Patek Philippe in 1981, sold for SFr.1,623,750 / $1,701,690 / € 1,308,743. Most likely the first ever wristwatch by Patek Philippe featuring a leap year indication, besides prototypes, this extraordinary example became the most valuable lot of the sale setting a world auction record for this reference in white gold. 

A NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR ANY ROLEX WRISTWATCH

An extraordinarily rare, oversized stainless steel split seconds chronograph wristwatch, ref. 4113, manufactured by Rolex in 1942 sold for SFr. 1,107,750 / $1,160,922 / €892,847, setting a new world auction record for any Rolex wristwatch by beating the previous record achieved by the same reference sold at Christie's Geneva in May 2011. 

A GENTLEMAN’S PURSUIT FOR EXCELLENCE, PART II

Part II of A Gentleman’s Pursuit For Excellence, a superb private collection of complicated Patek Philippe wristwatches and pocket watches, totaled SFr. 1,867,250 / $1,956,878 / €1,505,003. With the Part I, this collection achieved a combined total of more than $3.3 million so far. Part III will be offered at auction at Christie's Geneva in November 2013. 

100% sold / 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

Christie's is proud to announce that a selection of ten contemporary Patek Philippe wristwatches, generously consigned by an anonymous gentleman from his personal collection, sold 100% totalling SFr.956,000 / $1,001,888 / €770,536. The proceeds of the sale will benefit Children Action, a Swiss Foundation aiming to bring help to children in need, regardless of their nationality, race, or religion.

UPCOMING SALES OF IMPORTANT WATCHES AT CHRISTIE'S