A collection of watches from one owner is at the heart of a major luxury timepiece sale in Hong Kong this month.
The Collectibles Part 1, hosted by Christie’s, should realise millions, with the top item carrying a high estimate of just short of £1 million.
That’s a white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, reference 116589. Christie’s describes it as “the epitome of the high-luxury sports watch.”
The Daytona is the world’s most valuable wrist watch at auction. An example sold for nearly $18 million in 2021. That one was owned by Paul Newman and has been described as “the greatest watch on the planet”.
All iterations of the reference are highly collectible.
Last week the first ever “rainbow” Daytona was listed with a predicted $3.5 million auction price. That example is distinguished by its multicoloured gem-encrusted bezel.
Also featuring are several Rolex Day-Date models, including rare hardstone-dial models with tiger’s eye, onyx, and aventurine faces. These are expected to realise as much as £50,000.
An example of an F.P Journey Elegante, much coveted despite its battery power.
An F.P Journe Elegante is also on offer, carrying an estimate of around £10,000 to £20,000.
The Elegante is probably the world’s most expensive quartz-powered watch. Watch collectors traditionally prefer mechanical motions rather than the battery-driven quartz watches that largely replaced them in popular usage.
The Elegante though comes from one of the watch world’s current favourites, and will cost you thousands of pounds straight out of the box.
The full sale should attract buyers to Christie’s new Hong Kong headquarters, with a great survey of the collectible watch market, including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Lange & Söhne, Piaget, F.P. Journe, Vacheron Constantin, Omega and Roger Dubuis watches.
The sale takes place in Hong Kong on September 11.
