[2022 Edition] CHRISTIE'S "Rare Watches: Featuring The Kairos Collection Part I" Auction Results - GENEVA 9 May, 2022 -

OTHER COLUMNコミット銀座

Hello everyone.

In a previous column, we covered notable watches from the world's three major auction houses , PHILLIPS , CHRISTIE'S , and Sotheby's , which were held in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this month (May 2022).

⇩⇩If you haven't seen the previous article yet, click here⇩⇩

This time, we would like to introduce the top 10 models with the largest difference (increase rate) between the expected auction price and the actual selling price from the results of CHRISTIE'S "Rare Watches: Featuring The Kairos Collection Part I" held on May 9, 2022, in a ranking format. Which models made it into the list? Please enjoy until the end!

*The price is the winning auction price plus a commission fee (26%).
*The Japanese yen rate will be based on the exchange rate immediately prior to the auction.
*CHF (Swiss Franc) = 133.30 yen
*All images are from CHRISTIE'S

[※About the terms used in the text]
 *LOT: A number given to items auctioned. The auction will be conducted in the order of the lot numbers.
 *Estimate: The expected winning bid price estimated by each auction company.

[Rare Watches: Featuring The Kairos Collection Part I] Exceeded the estimated bid price! TOP 10 ranking


10th place: LOT.11
 [Rolex]
『DAYTONA』「Ref.116500LN」

Point
The current model of the Daytona, Ref. 116500LN, was released in 2016. Even taking into account that it had been exhibited at Christie's, the fact that it sold for 277% more than the estimated price is proof that it is a popular model with a perfect design and functions. The high price may have been due to the expectation that it will be discontinued in 2023.

Estimate: CHF 15,000 – 25,000
SOLD： CHF 69,300(JPY 9,237,690)
Increase: 277%

[Source] Christie's

9th place ■LOT.134
 [JAEGER-LECOULTRE]
『REVERSO RÉPÉTITION MINUTE REPEATER』「Ref.270.2.73」

Point
In 1991, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre began releasing a series of pink gold watches, each limited to 500 pieces. One of these watches is this Minute Repeater, the third model in the series released in 1994. It is not easy to make a Minute Repeater with a rectangular aperture, and this shows the high level of Jaeger-LeCoultre's technical skill. In addition, pink gold is used to create a beautiful tone that is different from other solid gold materials. I would love to hear the tone for myself. The Reverso is characterized by its inverted case, but the back of this model is dial-less.

Estimate: CHF 12,000 – 18,000
SOLD： CHF 50,400(JPY 6,718,320)
Increase rate: 280%

[Source] Christie's

8th place ■LOT.14
 [ROLEX]
『DAYTONA “CHRYSOPRASE”』「Ref.116509」

Point
The Beach series is also popular for Daytona. This series has four natural dials: turquoise, pink shell, yellow shell, and the chrysoprase that sold for such a high price this time. Originally, the Daytona Beach was only available with an alligator strap, so this is a watch that had its dial replaced by Rolex. A turquoise replacement dial was also offered for LOT.15, but many people were surprised that this sold for a higher price than that.

Estimate: CHF 50,000 – 70,000
SOLD： CHF 201,600(JPY 26,873,280)
Increase: 288%

[Source] Christie's

7th place ■LOT.133
 [CARTIER]
"CRASH "LONDON""

Point
This watch was created in London in 1967 when a Cartier customer asked for a watch that had been deformed in an accident to be repaired. It is said to have been influenced by paintings of melted watches, such as Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory," and Jacques Cartier, the company's president at the time, was inspired to create "Crash." Even so, it's surprising that it sold for such a high price, even though the dial has "LONDON" written on it.

Estimate: CHF 180,000 – 280,000
SOLD： CHF 819,000(JPY 109,172,700)
Increase: 292%

[Source] Christie's

6th Place ■LOT.94
 [PATEK PHILIPPE]
"AQUANAUT TRAVEL TIME "ADVANCED RESEARCH"" "Ref.5650G-001"

Point
This watch was released in 2017 with a worldwide limited edition of 500 pieces, and was born when Patek Philippe's president, Thierry Stern, fulfilled the mission given to him by his father, Chairman Philippe Stern: "to make a watch with the same precision as a tourbillon without using a tourbillon mechanism." Patek Philippe does not generally make openwork watches, so many people are sure to be drawn to the openwork at 9 o'clock. It is a one-of-a-kind model, and it is easy to see why it fetched such a high price in terms of design, functionality, and rarity.

Estimate: CHF 150,000 – 250,000
SOLD: CHF 756,000 (JPY 100,774,800)
Increase: 302%

[Source] Christie's

5th Place ■LOT.142
 [AUDEMARS PIGUET]
『ROYAL OAK “TROPICAL DIAL”』「Ref.14790ST」

Point
The Royal Oak Ref. 14790ST has a case diameter of 36mm, which is a different size from its successor, the Ref. 15300. This is a rare model with a dial that has discolored over time, commonly known as "tropical". There are few tropical dials in circulation, but it is very rare to see such a uniform and beautiful change, which is likely why it sold for such a high price.

Estimate: CHF 15,000 – 30,000
SOLD： CHF 110,880(JPY 14,780,304)
Increase: 370%

[Source] Christie's

4th Place ■LOT.35
 [ROLEX]
CELLINI “KING MIDAS” Ref.4915

Point
Among the watches sold at Rolex stores in the 1960s and 1970s, the Midas was by far the most expensive model. Midas is a name derived from Greek mythology, meaning "the king of Phrygia who was given the power to turn anything he touched into gold." The side of the case is engraved with "KING MIDAS," but it seems that the dial was changed from the Greek "Midas" to "Cellini" in the 1970s. The combination of stripes reminiscent of the Toridoll and the asymmetrical case shape are said to have been designed by "Mr. Gerald Genta." And everyone! As you may have noticed, this "Cellini" is a left-handed model, which is currently a hot topic. It is an extremely rare model that is hard to find both domestically and internationally, so it sold for a high price.

Estimate: CHF 6,000 – 10,000
SOLD： CHF 47,880(JPY 6,382,404)
Increase: 479%

[Source] Christie's

3rd Place: LOT.132
 [CARTIER]
"TANK CINTRÉE"

Point
"Cintré" means "curved" in French, and this model has a straight form when viewed from the front and a curved form that fits comfortably on the wrist when viewed from the side. Cintré, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021, released the "Ref. WGTA0057" in a limited edition of 150 pieces worldwide, but it was so popular that all pre-orders were sold out before the release date. This is an individual with the case back engraved with "Presented to Harry Portman (director of the Empire Theatre) by colleagues at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (an American film studio)" at the opening of "THE EMPIRE THEATRE" in London on November 8, 1928. Although it was manufactured around 1928, the good condition of the watch is thought to have been the reason for the high price.

Estimate: CHF 12,000 – 18,000
SOLD： CHF 88,200(JPY 11,757,060)
Increase: 490%

[Source] Christie's

2nd Place: LOT.131
 [CARTIER]
"CLOCHE"

Point
The Cloche de Cartier was born in 1920 and features an asymmetrical case. "Cloche" means "bell" and was named after the design that resembles a "table bell" when placed horizontally. This watch was sold in a limited run of 200 pieces around 1990. Its rareness, with few in circulation, was appreciated, leading to the high price.

Estimate: CHF 8,000 – 12,000
SOLD： CHF 69,300(JPY 9,237,690)
Increase: 577%

[Source] Christie's

1st Place ■LOT.1
 [Rolex]
『OYSTER PERPETUAL “TURQUOISE”』「Ref.124300」

Point
The turquoise color became extremely popular when the Patek Philippe x Tiffany Nautilus was released at the end of 2021. The color dials of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual (especially turquoise) had been at a high level until then, but the actual market price rose sharply at the end of 2021. The Ref. 124300 that was sold this time has a 41mm case size that was discontinued in 2022. It is believed that the high price was due to it being an auction held immediately after the auction. To be honest, I was surprised when I tallied the numbers that this was the highest increase from the estimate in "Rare Watches: Featuring The Kairos Collection Part I".

Estimate: CHF 6,000 – CHF 10,000
SOLD： CHF 69,300(JPY 9,237,690)
Increase: 693%

[Source] Christie's

summary

What did you think.

I think the results were interesting, ranging from extremely rare models to current models, from expected models to dark horse models. Also, among the results of this auction from the "world's three major auction houses," I felt that the results from Christie's most reflected the current watch situation.

We will continue to write articles about the results of Sotheby's, which was held around the same time, so please stay tuned.

see you!

Tags: Other column, おすすめ〇〇選