The “Important Watches” auction, held by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on April 24, 2026, featured an exclusive selection of 319 timepieces from the world’s leading watchmakers, chosen for their condition, rarity, and quality. Total sale, including buyer’s premium: $52,692,716 USD, with 100% of the lots sold.
BEST RESULTS
Lot 2361: CARTIER – A rare and iconic yellow gold distorted oval wristwatch, believed to be one of only three examples made in 1987, accompanied by its original gold deployant buckle, sold for $1,992,602 USD
Lot 2393: PATEK PHILIPPE – A historically important, unique, large, and very rare yellow gold single-button chronograph wristwatch with vertical registers, retailed by Tiffany & Co., sold for $1,959,936 USD
Lot 2400: ROLEX – A yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with bracelet sold for $1,469,952 USD
BEST PERFORMANCES
Lot 2139: CARTIER Circa 0 – An unusual novelty keyring in the form of a Michelin tyre with inset watch – 9,675% increase over the low estimate ($68,598 USD)
Lot 2140: CARTIER Circa 1938 – A very rare and highly unusual pink gold and Galalith novelty watch in the form of a phonograph record – 7,367% increase over the low estimate ($57,165 USD)
Lot 2356: CARTIER Circa 0 – An extremely rare yellow gold circular wristwatch with Arabic 13–24 hour numerals and original gold deployant buckle – 3,527% increase over the low estimate ($555,315 USD)
BREAKDOWN BY BRAND
PATEK PHILIPPE
Ranking first among the highest-selling brands of the auction, PATEK PHILIPPE achieved the highest total sales, reaching $16,426,550 USD.
CARTIER
Ranking second among the highest-selling brands of the auction, CARTIER generated total sales of $14,728,429 USD.
F.P. JOURNE
With a watch that sold for $1,110,630 USD, F.P. JOURNE ranked as the third best-performing brand of the auction, generating total sales of $6,688,282 USD.
Together, these three brands generated total sales of $37,843,261 USD, representing 72% of the total auction sales.
AVERAGE PRICE PER LOT
Based on a total of 319 lots, including 1 unsold lot, the average price per lot was $165,700 USD.
CONCLUSION
This auction once again demonstrated the strength of the auction market. The top three best-performing brands were PATEK PHILIPPE, CARTIER, and F.P. JOURNE.
