GENEVA.- Hot on the heels of delivering the highest total for a watch sale in its history in Hong Kong this September, as well as the most valuable watch auction ever held in Asia, Sotheby's has broken through the $30 million mark with its Important Watches Sale in Geneva.
With a total of CHF 26,317,216 / $32,145,128, Sotheby's achieved its strongest live watch auction results in Geneva in more than a decade, accelerating the momentum established by the previous two Important Watches live sales in May 2026 and November 2025, both of which performed exceptionally well.
Driven by record participation for a Sotheby's watch auction in Geneva, collectors competed online, by telephone and from a packed saleroom at Geneva's Mandarin Oriental, propelling the average lot value to, nearly $180,000, its highest level ever for a Sotheby's watch auction in Geneva.
Bidding came from across the globe, with particularly strong participation from Switzerland, the Middle East and the United States. The number of paddles, or number of registrations to participate in the sale, was more than eight per sold lot, over 1,600 paddles altogether, further underlining the depth of competition.
More than 40% of all sold lots surpassed their high estimates, including the George Daniels Millennium in yellow gold, which realised CHF 1,536,000 / $1,871,908, more than twice its high estimate and setting a new auction record for the reference in yellow gold. With a 100% sell-through, save for one lot, and more than 98% of sold lots achieving prices within or above their estimates, the sale delivered exceptional results across virtually every measure.
Vintage and neo-vintage watches of exceptional quality formed the backbone of the sale, which brought together dozens of rare and highly sought-after references. Independent watchmaking was represented more strongly than ever before at a Sotheby's Geneva watch sale, with more than 20 brands featured, including F.P. Journe, Daniel Roth, MB&F and Urban Jrgensen.
The enduring appeal of vintage Cartier was equally evident, with every one of the sixteen references offered finding a buyer after fierce competition, the majority well above selling above their high estimates. More Cartier watches will be offered in Sotheby's Important Watches sale in New York this December, while the final tranche of the record-breaking Shapes of Cartier single-owner collection will go under the hammer during Collectors' Week in Abu Dhabi, also next month. Another standout was the performance of men's gem-set watches, including examples by F.P. Journe, Patek Philippe and Rolex, signalling renewed interest in embellished and bejewelled timepieces.
The November 2026 Sotheby's Important Watches Live Sale - Key Highlights
1) The Record Breakers & Top Lots
Lot 123 Patek Philippe, Sky-Moon Tourbillon, Reference 5002
A very rare and important yellow gold double-dialed wristwatch with twelve complications including tourbillon, minute repeating on cathedral gongs, perpetual calendar, retrograde date, sky chart, moon phases, orbit display and sidereal time | Circa 2007. Sold for CHF 2,292,000 / $2,793,237
Lot 88 Patek Philippe, 'The First 3970', Reference 3970J
The earliest yellow gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases and leap year indication | Made in 1986. Sold for CHF 2,048,000 / $2,298,560. A record for the reference
Lot 80 George Daniels, Millennium
A limited edition yellow gold wristwatch with date | Made in 2001 Sold for CHF 1,536,000 / $1,871,908. A record for the reference in yellow gold
Lot 30 F.P. Journe, Octa Chronographe Ruthenium
A limited edition platinum flyback chronograph wristwatch with date and brass movement | Circa 2004. Sold for CHF 1,216,000 / $1,481,927 A record for the reference in Ruthenium
2) The Independents
Lot 149 Urban Jrgensen, Reference 2
A pink gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases | Circa 1992 Sold for CHF 358,400 / $436,778
Lot 107 MB&F | Eddy Jaquet, Legacy Machine Split Escapement 'The Jungle Book', Reference 04.SL.BL3
A unique stainless-steel wristwatch with date, power reserve with engraved dial by Eddy Jaquet | Circa 2024 Sold for CHF 192,000 / $233,988
Lot 67 Daniel Roth, Extra Plat Souscription, Reference DBBE01
A limited edition yellow gold wristwatch | Circa 2025 Sold for CHF 224,000 / $272,987
Lot 158 F.P. Journe, Rsonance
An early pink gold dual time zone wristwatch with aged pink dial, power reserve indication and brass movement | Circa 2002 Sold for CHF 1,024,000 / $1,247,939
Lot 25 Ulysse Nardin, Triple Jack Minute Repeater, Reference 739-80
A platinum minute repeating wristwatch with mother of pearl dial and automaton jacquemarts | Circa 2005 Sold for CHF 115,200 / $140,393
3) The Embellished and Gem-Set Set
Lot 27 Daniel Roth, Perpetual Calendar, Reference C117SBCSL02
A unique white gold and diamond-set semi-skeletonised perpetual calendar wristwatch with leap year indication | Circa 1997 Sold for CHF 243,200 / $296,385
Lot 28 Breguet, Classique Tourbillon, Reference 3357
A white gold tourbillon wristwatch | Circa 2010 CHF 96,000 / $116,994
Lot 170 Rolex, Daytona, Reference 116599
A white gold, diamond and ruby-set chronograph wristwatch | Circa 2005 Sold for CHF 102,400 / $124,794
Lot 188 Cartier, Paris, Crash, Reference 2462
A white gold and diamond-set wristwatch | Circa 2000 Sold for CHF 256,000 / $311,985
Lot 172 Patek Philippe, Nautilus '40th Anniversary', Reference 5976/1G-001
A white gold and diamond-set flyback chronograph wristwatch with date and bracelet | Circa 2016 Sold for CHF 281,600 / $343,183
