GENEVA.- Coinciding with Watches & Wonders, the horology industry’s signature trade show, Sotheby’s is reuniting with creative watch collective heist-out for their second collaboration: Area_51, an exhibition and live auction of alien wristwear.

The new collaboration is the hotly anticipated follow up to Rough Diamonds, the groundbreaking activation celebrating the vintage watch market’s most unconventional references. Launched last April, the unorthodox Rough Diamonds exhibition – housed deep inside a Geneva wine cave and featuring rock formations as displays – was followed by a thrilling live underground auction which saw all 24 lots on offer sell out in less than an hour, the majority far above their high estimates. This was a triumph for adventurous vintage watches created by visionary designers, including Gilbert Albert, Charles de Temple, and Jacqueline Dimier, whose names have somewhat faded into horological history.

With Area_51, Sotheby’s and heist-out are rocketing the Rough Diamonds concept into outer space with a UFO-themed wristwatch exhibition beginning on 1 April, followed by an evening reception on 2 April, and culminating in the live auction on 3 April.

The three-day event will be hosted at the site of what appears to be a crash-landed UFO in the heart of Geneva. The Area_51 location – La Salle Trocmé – will offer visitors a fully immersive experience, transforming the exhibition area (which will showcase all 51 lots) and the auction saleroom into a top-secret alien research station.

Area_51 is named after the famous, highly classified US military location in the Nevada desert – allegedly shielding evidence of extraterrestrial life. Its curation has resulted in a constellation of otherworldly wristwear, made with seemingly alien designs and materials – watches from the future that appear to have been created on another planet.

Altogether the haul counts 51 of these futuristic timepieces, ranging from 2,000 CHF to 200,000 CHF. Avant-garde brands such as Urwerk, MB&F, De Bethune, and Gérald Genta are well represented, but so are stalwarts Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet – all vying for attention with some of their rarest references.

As a contrasting twist to Rough Diamonds, which presented only vintage lots, Area_51 blends vintage with more modern watches and two new references, one by Furlan Marri and another by Toledano & Chan, designed and produced, as one-of-one models, especially for the 2025 auction. The watch from Furlan Marri is a unique variation on their Disco Volante series featuring a tantalum case, a material never used before by the brand (estimate 6,000 CHF – 12,000 CHF), whilst Toledano & Chan have created another, unique take on their trademark architectural watch designs (estimate 8,000 CHF – 12,000 CHF).

10 Area_51 highlights

1_Furlan Marri Disco Volante, new and unique tantalum wristwatch with meteorite dial, circa 2025 (estimate 6,000 CHF – 12,000 CHF)

2_Toledano & Chan b/2, new and unique stainless-steel wristwatch with gold plated dial, circa 2025 (estimate 8,000 CHF – 12,000 CHF)

3_Rolex, “Starship Gold”, yellow gold oval bracelet watch, circa 1980 (estimate 8,000 CHF – 12,000 CHF)

4_Patek Philippe, reference 4233/1, a yellow gold, lapis lazuli, malachite and turquoise bracelet watch, circa 1973 (estimate 20,000 CHF – 40,000 CHF)

5_Audemars Piguet Star Wheel Automatic, reference 25720OR, pink gold semi-skeletonized wristwatch with satellite hour display, made in 1994 (estimate 20,000 CHF –40,000 CHF)

6_Ressence Type 3AM American Market, tita- nium wristwatch with orbital convex system and with four eccentric biaxial satellites inclined dial, circa 2017 (estimate 24,000 CHF – 40,000 CHF)

7_Urwerk, reference 103.06, white gold and diamond-set wristwatch with unique triple base plate, hour satellites, orbital cross, control board, power reserve indicator, circa 2007 (estimate 30,000 CHF – 60,000 CHF)

8_Patek Philippe retailed by Asprey: reference 4117/1G, white gold and diamond set bracelet watch with butterfly wings dial and bracelet, circa 1973 (estimate 50,000 CHF – 100,000 CHF)

9_Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept ‘CW1’, reference 25980AI, limited edition alacrite and titanium tourbillon wristwatch with power reserve indicator, dynamograph and function selector, circa 2002 (estimate 100,000 CHF – 200,000 CHF)

10_Gérald Genta reference G.4036, unique platinum and diamond-set minute repeating wristwatch with bracelet and mother-of-pearl dial, circa 1990 (estimate 100,000 CHF – 200,000 CHF)

“After the tremendous success of Rough Diamonds, which went beyond our expectations, we were keen to revisit this iconoclastic format and client experience. Our imperative was to ensure they were different, whilst retaining their essence. This year the selection is much bigger. Last year’s theme took us to the depths of the earth, and this year’s theme – extraterrestrial wristwear – blasts us onto a galactic journey filled with out-of-this-world watches. We have also included more contemporary references and two brand new and unique creations made exclusively for Area_51. Above all, the most fun was had in playing around with the definition of alien design and its many possibilities. That’s why this Area_51 collection is so eclectic – taking in the bejeweled and the minimalist, the graphic and the sleek, the discreet and the ostentatious – yet unmistakably alien to convention.” said Manon Hagie, Sotheby’s Watch Specialist, who oversaw the curation of Area_51.

“After unearthing hidden gems from the underground, it was time to look up—to the sky. This year, the vision is bigger: a wider selection of watches, a more ambitious project, and a story that reaches beyond. AREA_51 is our latest collaborative initiative—a tribute to the boldest, most unconventional watch designs and the creative minds behind these UFO-like timepieces. Free from the constraints of era or tradition, AREA_51 recontextualizes the extraordinary, challenging perceptions and sparking new conversations about time, design, and the unknown.” said Maxime Couturier and Lorenzo Maillard, co-founders of heist out.

Area_51 Trading Cards

Ahead of the sale, Sotheby’s and heist-out will distribute collectible trading cards depicting all 51 timepieces. A beloved memento carried over from the Rough Diamonds sale, the cards will form a special pattern when the entire set is assembled.