The auction ‘Important Watches Featuring Stories in Time: A Collection of Exceptional Watches’, organised by Christie’s in New York on 9 June 2025, featured an exclusive selection of 107 timepieces from the finest watch brands, chosen for their condition, rarity and quality. Total sales, including fees: $11,076,030 USD, representing 97% of the lots offered.
BEST RESULTS
Lot 74: PATEK PHILIPPE – An impressive, eclectic and attractive yellow gold wristwatch, featuring a tiger’s eye dial and a tiger’s eye-inlaid bracelet. Sold for $1,197,000 USD
Lot 19: F.P. JOURNE – An exclusive, rare and attractive automatic platinum wristwatch, featuring an annual calendar, black dial and retrograde date. Sold for $453,600 USD
Lot 43: GREUBEL FORSEY – A unique and impressive platinum wristwatch, featuring a double tourbillon inclined at 30° and a power reserve indicator. Sold for $390,600 USD
BEST PERFORMANCES
Lot 98: FRANCK MULLER Circa 2001 – A limited-edition 18-carat rose gold automatic triple time zone wristwatch with date and bracelet, from the former collection of Elizabeth Taylor. 1948% variation between the base estimate and the final result (USD 81,900)
Lot 31: PATEK PHILIPPE Circa 1994 – A very rare and strikingly beautiful 18-carat gold skeletonised automatic wristwatch, with hand-engraved case and movement. 436% variation between the low estimate and the final result (USD 107,100)
Lot 106: ROLEX Circa 1947 – A very old stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with fancy lugs. 387% difference between the reserve and the final hammer price (USD 73,080)
BREAKDOWN BY BRAND
PATEK PHILIPPE
Topping the list of the highest prices achieved at the auction, PATEK PHILIPPE recorded the highest total for the sale at $4,979,520 USD
ROLEX
Ranking second in the list of top sale prices, ROLEX achieved a total of $1,271,340 USD
F.P. JOURNE
With a watch that fetched $453,600 USD, F.P. JOURNE is the third best-performing brand in this sale, with a total of $967,680 USD
These three brands accounted for a total of $7,218,540 USD, representing 65% of the total sale
AVERAGE PRICE PER LOT
Given the total number of lots—107 in all, including 3 unsold lots—the average price per lot was $106,500 USD
CONCLUSION
This sale has once again demonstrated the dynamism of the auction market; the top three brands were: PATEK PHILIPPE, ROLEX and F.P. JOURNE
