HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong recorded HK$426 million (US$55 million) in its latest Important Watches auction, the highest total for a watch sale in the auction house’s history and, according to Sotheby’s, the most valuable watch auction ever staged in Asia.

The two-day sale drew more than 2,000 bidders from 50 countries, reflecting the increasingly international market for rare and historically significant watches.

One of the most closely watched lots was a unique white gold Cartier Cheich wristwatch dating to around 2010. Following competitive bidding from collectors in the room, online and by telephone, the watch sold for HK$26.52 million (US$3.41 million), setting a new auction record for a Cartier wristwatch.

The Cheich occupies an unusual place in Cartier’s design history. Rather than following the conventional geometry associated with many of the house’s classic wristwatches, its sculptural case gives the object an instantly recognizable profile, helping make surviving examples especially desirable among collectors.

Another Cartier design also exceeded expectations. A London-made Midi Pebble from 1973–74, an exceptionally rare mid-sized yellow gold wristwatch with an offset geometric dial, sold for HK$3.84 million, more than two and a half times its high estimate.

Although the Cartier Cheich supplied the sale’s headline record, the auction’s highest-priced lot was an F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain, which achieved HK$31.4 million (US$4 million). Another Tourbillon Souverain by the independent watchmaker followed at HK$23.47 million, demonstrating the continued strength of demand for F.P. Journe among serious collectors.

A further F.P. Journe, the R�p�tition Souveraine, sold for HK$12.16 million, while an Octa Chronographe realized HK$11.52 million.

Patek Philippe was also strongly represented among the auction’s top results. A Reference 5074R-018 sold for HK$11.52 million, while a Reference 5016 “Second Series” achieved HK$8.96 million and a Reference 2497 brought HK$8.32 million. A Reference 5531 rounded out the top ten at HK$7.68 million.

An Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie “Samurai,” Reference 26397NR, sold for HK$7.936 million.

Sam Hines, Sotheby’s Global Chairman of Watches, said the results reflected continued interest in watches that combine rarity, provenance, innovation and historical importance. The strong participation around the Cartier Cheich in particular illustrated the global reach of the market for what Sotheby’s describes as museum-quality timepieces.

Joey Luk, Sotheby’s Global Head of Watch Collections Sourcing & Sales, similarly pointed to the strong response to vintage and historic Cartier as well as the performance of major F.P. Journe pieces.

Taken together, the results show a watch market increasingly willing to place unusual design, provenance and rarity alongside traditional brand prestige. The record for the Cartier Cheich also underscores the growing collector focus on historically important models that fall outside the best-known staples of the vintage watch market.