GENEVA.- Founded in 1978, Hôtel des Ventes celebrates 10 years under the direction of Bernard Piguet. For the first time in Switzerland, an open day has been organised for Wednesday 21 September. This unique opportunity will allow the public to discover the secrets of an active auction house and go behind the scenes… Over the past few years, Piguet Auction House has proven to be the most successful Swiss auction house in French-speaking Switzerland. During the open day, the company will present the new range of services developed since Bernard Piguet took over the business in 2006 as well as the new corporate design: new name, new logo, and new website. These new developments keep this Geneva-based auction house on the cutting edge of innovation whilst maintaining the traditional values upon which its sound reputation was built.

An important evolution since 2006
Since Bernard Piguet took over Hôtel des Ventes in 2006 under the corporate name HDV Hôtel des Ventes SA, this Genevan auction house founded in 1978 has gained an important status and become well-respected in the auction world. The team has grown to 30 strong and includes 15 specialists.

The turnover has increased almost 20 times from 1.2 million Swiss francs to near 22 million Swiss francs. Strengthened by this success, the company has expanded to cover more specialised fields such as Russian art, Contemporary art, Books and Manuscripts, Fine Wines and Antiquities. Where the auction house has shown real ability is in the organisation of Country House Sales – the Gingins Château contents sale (April 2013) and the Hauteville Château sale (September 2015).

Following this radical transformation, today Piguet Auction House is leading the field in French-speaking Switzerland in terms of turnover and number of employees. It now ranks among the most important auction houses in the country.

Motivated by a continuous desire for innovation and modernisation as well as irreproachable professional ethics, the Genevan auction house launches itself into a new decade by taking on a new name. Assuming the name of its Director and accompanied by a new logo, the identity of the company will be easily recognised in any language and complement the internationalisation of the business even further for the global market.

This change also marks a turning point in the evolution of the company now known as Piguet Auction House: a company with internal specialists, an administration team, shipping department, PR and Marketing, personalised client services and a new department for Estates, Appraisals and Valuations.

For the very first time: an open day inviting you into the heart of an auction house
An open day will mark the 10th anniversary of Bernard Piguet taking over the auction house with guest speaker François Longchamp, President of the State Council for the Canton of Geneva in attendance. This special event will be held on Wednesday 21 September and is the first of its kind in French-speaking Switzerland. Visitors are invited to uncover the mysteries of the auction room, reveal its secrets and observe the different techniques of this profession. Workshops and short lectures will take place throughout the day allowing guests to immerge themselves into the auction world and live a unique experience.

Technological innovation
The new corporate design for Piguet Auction House is accompanied by technological innovations. For some months now the auction house’s website has adopted a new look with new design features and functions:

· Easier consultation of past lots from previous sales and future lots in upcoming sales

· The option of sending auction bids via the website

· Detailed presentation of each department and the option of contacting each specialist directly

In addition to this, Piguet Auction House now broadcasts its auctions live on the internet so buyers can follow the action and also participate via live internet bidding.

Entry into international markets
“With the increase in buyers abroad, the name « Hôtel des Ventes » was no longer suitable. Our new name and logo will enable us to be understood more easily and written in English. The website will also change from hoteldesventes.ch to piguet.com” underlines Bernard Piguet.

A new identity in keeping with the company
Though Piguet Auction House continues to modernise and reinvent itself, the company has not forgotten the values that built its strong reputation. This new look corresponds to an evolution and not a radical change. The team and the professional ethics remain the same. The company may be growing internationally, but Piguet Auction House retains a strong presence in Geneva. Never losing sight of its mission to popularise the auction business, the auction house continues to offer hundreds of lots under 300 Swiss francs at each of its sales. Trust, professionalism, discretion and availability remain keywords when dealing with all business entrusted to the auction house.