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PHILLIPS MAKES AUCTION HISTORY WITH THE FIRST EVER LIVE WATCH AUCTION TO SURPASS US$ 100 MILLION
Achieving a Record US$ 112.3 Million
Geneva, 7 & 8 November 2026 Sale Total: CHF 92,045,568 / US$ 112,277,184 / € 100,780,693
Aurel Bacs auctioneering lot 7, F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance “Régence” in Platinum. Sold for CHF 8,680,500. Image Credit: Joy Corthesy
GENEVA – 8 NOVEMBER 2026 – Collectors have driven watch auction results to a new high at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV. The sale achieved CHF 92.0 million, becoming the first live watch auction to surpass US$ 100 million, setting the highest watch auction total in history with 24 world records and 17 lots exceeding CHF 1 million. The F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Resonance “Régence” realized CHF 8,680,500, marking the fifth consecutive Phillips live auction with a watch selling for more than US$ 10 million.
Held at Hotel President on 7 and 8 November, the two-day, 217-lot auction beat the record Phillips set just six months earlier. All lots sold as 2,121 registered bidders from 69 countries competed for vintage rarities, independent creations, and historically important timekeepers. The results build on successive strong seasons in Geneva, reflecting the trust of consignors, the knowledge and enthusiasm of the collecting community, and Phillips’ specialists’ ability to identify and bring exceptional pieces to market.
Strength, Vitality… and Trust
Phillips Senior Consultant Aurel Bacs said: “I would like to salute the global watch department at Phillips, which, in the words of many collectors and the press, has been described as one of the best ambassadors the global community of watchmakers and watch collectors could ever have dreamt of. These are words that touch our hearts and make us strive, season after season, for the very best outcome on everyone’s behalf.”
He continued: “As a twelve-year-old boy discovering vintage watches, I never imagined we would go from a few francs to hundreds, to thousands, to hundreds of thousands, and to millions. But the love and passion, and the respect for the watchmakers and collectors, were always there. I always believed that watches deserved a place on the Mount Olympus of collecting.”
Alexandre Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman & Head of Watches, Europe and Middle East, and Tiffany To, Senior International Watch Specialist and Head of Sale, added: “To achieve the first ever $100 million watch auction is an extraordinary milestone. But beyond the numbers, it is really a celebration. A celebration of the strength and vitality of the market, and of the exceptional auction we have had the privilege of putting together. It is a testament to the impeccable quality of the watches, the remarkable diversity of the collection, and, above all, the trust placed in us by our consignors and buyers. Ultimately, it is this trust, alongside the passion and dedication of our team, that makes milestones like this possible.”
17 Timepieces Surpass CHF 1 Million No fewer than 17 lots exceeded CHF 1 million, with Patek Philippe, Rolex, F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour, and Voutilainen prominent among the leading results. Across vintage wristwatches and contemporary independent creations, collectors placed a premium on unusual configurations, early production, and outstanding preservation – qualities that set coveted examples apart within already scarce references and limited series.
Rare Configurations and Unusual Designs Drive Patek Philippe Results Unusual case metals, distinctive designs, and historical importance contributed to the leading vintage Patek Philippe results. The stainless-steel Ref. 1436 split-seconds chronograph – one of only two known examples retaining their original steel case-and-dial configuration – achieved CHF 6,267,000. The stainless-steel Ref. 530 Calatrava with applied Breguet numerals and yellow gold Ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph each fetched CHF 1,117,600, while the asymmetric Ref. 3424 “Gilbert Albert” in 18k yellow gold realized CHF 736,600.
Rare Rolexes in Exceptional Condition Rarity and exceptional preservation came together in the leading Rolex lots. The Ref. 6241 Cosmograph Daytona “John Player Special” in 14k yellow gold achieved CHF 1,905,000, while the newly discovered Ref. 6062 “Stelline” in 18k yellow gold, acquired from its original owner in Japan, realized CHF 2,334,500.
Collectors Embrace Part I of the Pucci Papaleo Collection Part I of the Pucci Papaleo Collection of Rolex Chronographs achieved CHF 3,784,600 across 15 watches, demonstrating collector appetite for examples selected over more than three decades for their rarity, originality, and condition. Leading the selection, the most probably unique square Ref. 3830 in 18k yellow gold, signed by Milan retailer Verga, realized CHF 1,270,000 on its first auction appearance since 2004. The stainless-steel Ref. 6239 Cosmograph Daytona with rare “Paul Newman Musketeer” dial fetched CHF 406,400, while the exceptionally preserved pink gold Ref. 3335, with matching pink dial and Monetti retailer signature, sold for CHF 355,600.
F.P. Journe’s Auction Momentum Continues The 13 F.P. Journe watches totaled CHF 31,807,850, as collectors continued to pursue early pieces and rare editions. The Chronomètre à Résonance “Régence,” the only example with a shiny pink gold hand-engraved dial, achieved CHF 8,680,500 after fierce competition in the room, on the phones, and online. Other notable results included GENEVA – 8 NOVEMBER 2026 – Collectors have driven watch auction results to a new high at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV. The sale achieved CHF 92.0 million, becoming the first live watch auction to surpass the US$ 100 million milestone, setting the highest watch auction total in history with 24 world records and 17 lots exceeding CHF 1 million. The F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Resonance “Régence” realized CHF 8,680,500, marking the fifth consecutive Phillips live auction with a watch selling for more than US$ 10 million.
Held at Hotel President on 7 and 8 November, the two-day, 217-lot auction beat the record Phillips set just six months earlier. All lots sold as 2,121 registered bidders from 69 countries competed for vintage rarities, independent creations, and historically important timekeepers. The results build on successive strong seasons in Geneva, reflecting the trust of consignors, the knowledge and enthusiasm of the collecting community, and Phillips’ specialists’ ability to identify and bring exceptional pieces to market.
Strength, Vitality… and Trust
Phillips Senior Consultant Aurel Bacs said: “I would like to salute the global watch department at Phillips, which, in the words of many collectors and the press, has been described as one of the best ambassadors the global community of watchmakers and watch collectors could ever have dreamt of. These are words that touch our hearts and make us strive, season after season, for the very best outcome on everyone’s behalf.”
He continued: “As a twelve-year-old boy discovering vintage watches, I never imagined we would go from a few francs to hundreds, to thousands, to hundreds of thousands, and to millions. But the love and passion, and the respect for the watchmakers and collectors, were always there. I always believed that watches deserved a place on the Mount Olympus of collecting.”
Alexandre Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman & Head of Watches, Europe and Middle East, and Tiffany To, Senior International Watch Specialist and Head of Sale, added: “To achieve the first ever $100 million watch auction is an extraordinary milestone. But beyond the numbers, it is really a celebration. A celebration of the strength and vitality of the market, and of the exceptional auction we have had the privilege of putting together. It is a testament to the impeccable quality of the watches, the remarkable diversity of the collection, and, above all, the trust placed in us by our consignors and buyers. Ultimately, it is this trust, alongside the passion and dedication of our team, that makes milestones like this possible.”
17 Timepieces Surpass CHF 1 Million No fewer than 17 lots exceeded CHF 1 million, with Patek Philippe, Rolex, F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour, and Voutilainen prominent among the leading results. Across vintage wristwatches and contemporary independent creations, collectors placed a premium on unusual configurations, early production, and outstanding preservation – qualities that set coveted examples apart within already scarce references and limited series.
Rare Configurations and Unusual Designs Drive Patek Philippe Results Unusual case metals, distinctive designs, and historical importance contributed to the leading vintage Patek Philippe results. The stainless-steel Ref. 1436 split-seconds chronograph – one of only two known examples retaining their original steel case-and-dial configuration – achieved CHF 6,267,000. The stainless-steel Ref. 530 Calatrava with applied Breguet numerals and yellow gold Ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph each fetched CHF 1,117,600, while the asymmetric Ref. 3424 “Gilbert Albert” in 18k yellow gold realized CHF 736,600.
Rare Rolexes in Exceptional Condition Rarity and exceptional preservation came together in the leading Rolex lots. The Ref. 6241 Cosmograph Daytona “John Player Special” in 14k yellow gold achieved CHF 1,905,000, while the newly discovered Ref. 6062 “Stelline” in 18k yellow gold, acquired from its original owner in Japan, realized CHF 2,334,500.
Collectors Embrace Part I of the Pucci Papaleo Collection Part I of the Pucci Papaleo Collection of Rolex Chronographs achieved CHF 3,784,600 across 15 watches, demonstrating collector appetite for examples selected over more than three decades for their rarity, originality, and condition. Leading the selection, the most probably unique square Ref. 3830 in 18k yellow gold, signed by Milan retailer Verga, realized CHF 1,270,000 on its first auction appearance since 2004. The stainless-steel Ref. 6239 Cosmograph Daytona with rare “Paul Newman Musketeer” dial fetched CHF 406,400, while the exceptionally preserved pink gold Ref. 3335, with matching pink dial and Monetti retailer signature, sold for CHF 355,600.
F.P. Journe’s Auction Momentum Continues The 13 F.P. Journe watches totaled CHF 31,807,850, as collectors continued to pursue early pieces and rare editions. The Chronomètre à Résonance “Régence,” the only example with a shiny pink gold hand-engraved dial, achieved CHF 8,680,500 after fierce competition in the room, on the phones, and online. Other notable results included CHF 6,146,000 for the Tokyo BoutiqueChronometre à Résonance, CHF 5,057,000 for the diamond-set Vagabondage III, CHF 4,936,000 for the Pre-Production Chronometre à Résonance No. 022/99R, CHF 2,092,500 for the brass-movement Tourbillon Souverain, and CHF 1,270,000 for the Tokyo Boutique Anniversary Chronographe FB. Meanwhile, the Harry Winston Opus One Tourbillon, created with François-Paul Journe, achieved CHF 1,397,000.
Independents Across Generations Command Attention Established names shared strong results with newer and little-known makers. Philippe Dufour’s early platinum Simplicity achieved CHF 1,968,500 and Roger Smith’s unique two-tone Series 1 with Eastern Arabic numerals CHF 914,400. Two unique Voutilainen wristwatches also delivered strong results: the tantalum Vingt-8 Inversé realized CHF 1,524,000, while the stainless-steel Vingt-8 fetched CHF 635,000. Sylvain Pinaud’s Origine No. 2 sold to an online bidder for CHF 609,600 – over five times its high estimate.
Appetite for Pocket Watches Keeps On Growing Interest in individual watchmaking achievement carried into pocket watches built for precision. Richard Miklosch’s silver flying tourbillon with detent escapement sold for CHF 762,000, while Jürgen Kuhls’s circa 1935 flying tourbillon school watch achieved CHF 431,800. Rare decorative work provided another draw, with Patek Philippe’s Ref. 605 “North America” world-time pocket watch, featuring a cloisonné enamel dial, realizing CHF 762,000.
Cartier’s Portico Mystery Clocks Captivate Collectors Cartier’s Portico Mystery Clock No. 4 achieved CHF 4,815,000 on its first auction appearance since 1996, setting a world auction record for any Cartier timepiece. Created in 1924, it is one of only six Porticos and the sole example with a hexagonal rock-crystal dial. The result continues the strong performance of the maison’s historic clocks at Phillips, reflecting appreciation for the lavish materials, specialist craftsmanship, and mechanical ingenuity of Cartier’s 1920s creations.
Above one million
To see full results of the sale, click: The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV
ABOUT PHILLIPS IN ASSOCIATION WITH BACS & RUSSO The team of specialists at Phillips Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. The annual total for watch auctions in 2025 exceeded $290 million, marking the first time any auction house's Watches department has surpassed $200 million in annual sales for five consecutive years.
Record–breaking prices include: 1. Paul Newman’s Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona reference 6239 (CHF 17,709,894 / US$17,752,500) – New York Auction: Winning Icons – 26 October 2017 – Highest result ever achieved for any vintage wristwatch at auction. 2. Patek Philippe reference 1518 in stainless steel (CHF 14,190,000 / US$17,631,075) – Watches: Decade One (2015–2025) – 8 November 2025 – Highest result ever achieved for a vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch at auction.
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