One watch made by Richard Mille realised over $3 million, and another more than $1.2 million at a New York watch sale this week.
The two pieces were sold at the Christie’s Important Watches sale on June 10.
Mille’s transparent sapphire crystal, skeletonised tourbillon wristwatch with a movement suspended on titanium cables sold for $3.3 million. It was made around 2015 in a limited edition of 10 pieces.
Trailing the sale, Christie’s wrote: “Without doubt one of the most coveted and wondrous of Richard Mille timepieces, this incredible and spectacular “full set” Tourbillon Sapphire RM56-02 AO is an astonishing accomplishment both in the use of groundbreaking materials and micro-engineering.”
The second highest valued item in the 118-lot sale was Mille’s RM52-01 CA-FQ white quartz carbon TPT Skull Tourbillon.
The rear of the “skull” watch clearly shows the extraordinary precision of Mille’s work.
This watch, dating to 2018, sold for $1.2 million, well exceeding its $1 million top estimate.
Christie’s said: “First introduced at the SIHH in 2011 and launched in 2013, it created a sensation with its dramatic and uncompromising ‘skull’ design that pushed the barriers of ultra high-end watchmaking in classic Richard Mille style.”
The watch was believed to be the first of its kind to be sold at auction and from a reference of 10 pieces.
Mille’s watches are incredibly desirable and expensive, whether new or on the secondary market.
Only around 5,000 are made each year.
Mille launched in 1999, with an 80-piece limited edition that immediately sold out. A prototype of that first model realised $1.2 million at auction in 2017.
Mille focuses particularly on technical innovation. He partners with sports stars, who he insists must wear the watches while they play their sport. Rafael Nadal is his most high profile ambassador.
Two Rolexes also performed well.
A 1953 Rolex 18k gold automatic triple-calendar watch made £567,000 against a low estimate of £500,000.
A 1979 Rolex Daytona made just over its top estimate of £250,000.
