GENEVA.- Christie’s Geneva kicked off its Luxury Week with Rare Watches, Featuring Stories in Time: A Collection of Exceptional Watches, on Monday 12 May 2025. The auction saw strong results, realising CHF21,183,160 | $25,182,511, selling 92% by lot and with 44% selling above their estimate. The top lot was a signed Richard Mille, RM27-01 Rafael Nadal, selling for CHF1,255,000 | $1,491,942. Vintage top lots included the 14k gold Rolex reference 6264 Paul Newman ‘John Player Special’ which achieved CHF1,008,000 | $1,198,309 - while its existence was known, very few people have ever seen or handled one. The Cartier Crash Model, ref. 4131, special order in stunning white gold with nickelé grey dial and previously unknown to the market ignited a fierce bidding war for over 5 minutes, selling to a telephone bidder who secured this exquisite timepiece for CHF 756,000 | $898,732, five times its low pre-sale estimate.

Global bidding and buying came from 57 countries, with 40% of registrants coming from EMEA, 30% from the US and 30% from Asia. 28% of new clients were welcomed while 37% of all clients were either Millennial or Generation Z. Strong demand was seen for high-quality vintage timepieces, as well as creations by independent watchmakers. There was great energy in the room at the Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, as well as on the phones, and online.

Rare Watches also featured a selection from Stories in Time: A Collection of Exceptional Watches, representing the culmination of 30 years of passion and dedication to acquiring the rarest of horology timepieces curated by a distinguished private collector, being offered across all four major watch auction locations this Spring and Autumn.

Remi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches Europe and US comments: “The results of Christie’s first live watch auction of the year stands as a testament to client demand, as we celebrate 50 years of stand-alone watch sales. We were thrilled to see established and new collectors from across the globe participating and we welcomed over 1,000 registrants from 57 countries. The auction saw success including for Stories in Time and for independent watchmakers, with over a quarter of the watches on offer realizing more than CHF 100,000.”

Other notable results included a unique Maestro GC39 Remaster marking the 25 anniversary of Gerald Charles, who consigned this unique piece set with an Australian fire opal dial with jumping hours and decorated with Meta-guilloché. The watch achieved CHF85,000 | $102,000, with proceeds benefitting “Action Innocence ", a foundation dedicated to safeguarding children, adolescents and individuals with special needs as they navigate the digital world. The sale also offered two Audemars Piguet Unique Quantieme Perpetual wristwatches ref. 25786BA one set with Baguette-cut emeralds, selling for CHF 592,200 | $704,007 and the other with rubies, selling for CHF378,000 | $449,366.

Watches Online: The Geneva Edit will be open for bidding between 13-21 May and includes 198 further lots from Stories in Time: A Collection of Exceptional Watches.