Christie's Sells Record-Breaking $91 Million Worth of Watches in 2010

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Dec 23rd 2010 at 7:04AM

With its final auction of the fall season on December 14 in New York, including the stunning collection of rare Rolexes we wrote about the other day, Christie's International wrapped up a record-breaking year for fine and rare watches that realized an astonishing $91.2 million in total sales – the highest annual total ever achieved for watches at the global auction house. During what has emerged as a remarkable year for investment in fine timepieces, every watch sale hosted at Christie's salerooms in Dubai, Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York achieved sell-through rates above 90% by value. The top watch of the year was a unique Patek Philippe gold chronograph Reference 1527 (above) manufactured in 1943 that sold for a record-breaking $5.7 million at Christie's Geneva in May. The top 8 prices of the year were all attributable to Pateks, and no other auction house in the world achieved as many record prices for important timepieces during 2010.

Tags: auctions, Christies, Dubai, Geneva, Hong Kong, New York, Patek Philippe, Rolex, watches, world record

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Angela Dec 26th 2010 9:05AM

If money were no object and I had a husband... and I really loved him... I would have bought him the watch shown. It is magnificent and one of a kind, just like he would have to be for me to marry him! Oh, and it's a gorgeous timepiece. I wouldn't buy him a ugly watch for $5.7 million, or $5.70!

claire sargent Dec 26th 2010 9:14AM

This is an article is about watches, what does this have to do with the comments on boats? What are you going to do with a Rolex that expensive, you can't wear it for fear that it will be stolen so you put it on display and pay a bundle for insurance?

al schrader Dec 26th 2010 12:47PM

The boat comment relates to a post that was deleted. I think comment moderation is slowing this so I tried to post it again, and result?: dupe...Alfred-