The online auction “Watches Online: The Geneva Edit” will offer a curated selection of remarkable and eye-catching timepieces. Open for bidding from 1 through 15 November, it will comprise esteemed pieces by Rolex, Cartier, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith, and especially Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille. But most of all, collectors will be delighted to discover a strong and highly attractive section dedicated to independents brands such as Christophe Claret, Jorg Hysek, deLaCour or Jean Dunand, and to the most confidential productions these unconventional watchmakers have made.
This Online auction will be one of the rare and unique opportunities to acquire these pieces, which are no longer produced and are therefore an absolute rarity. Among the highlights: the fantastic Richard Mille ‘Felipe Massa’ Ref. RM011 AH WG, an Audemars Piguet ‘Royal Oak A Series’ Ref. 5402ST, as well as a stunning Jorg Hysek limited edition white gold minute repeating tourbillon ‘Symphony’, number 9 of 10. A selection of 50 lots offered in this Christie’s Online Auction will be exhibited at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva, from 3 to 5 November.
The Geneva Edit’s strong trio
Richard Mille, white gold and titanium chronograph ‘Felipe Massa’, Ref. RM011 AH WG. Circa 2011.
The RM011 Felipe Massa was introduced by Richard Mille in 2007 and has since become a staple of the manufacturer’s lineup and their most successful chronograph.
Bearing the name of the famed Formula One driver, the RM011 was Richard Mille’s first chronograph which was not a rattrapante.
Founded upon the three crucial elements of technical innovation, artistry and culture of fine watchmaking, Richard Mille has become a dominant player of the watch industry. With the creation of the RM001 tourbillon in 2001, the manufacture stunned the watchmaking sphere through its forward-looking approach towards its designs and use of innovative materials.
As one of the first sporting figure to have joined the Richard Mille family, the manufacture celebrated the 10th year anniversary of their collaboration with Formula One racing driver Felipe Massa by launching the RM011 chronograph.
(Est: CHF200,000-400,000)
Audemars Piguet, stainless steel ‘Royal Oak A Series’, Ref. 5402ST, No. A1121. From 1974.
This steel ‘A Series’ is part of the first 2000 Royal Oaks ever created. This first series was numbered from A 0001 to A 2000. Indeed, after having sold out the first 1’000 pieces, the eventual success of this model was such that Audemars Piguet took the decision to increase the production to 2’000 pieces. After the ‘A-series’ sold out, manufacture progressed on to the ‘B’ series, ‘C’ series, and so on.
While the Royal Oak watch was entirely designed by Gérald Genta, the bracelets for the reference 5402ST were produced by Gay Frères, the most celebrated bracelet maker of the 20th century. The case and bracelet are one and the same on the Royal Oak, with each link connected by two perpendicular smaller stainless-steel links. This allows for a form-fitting bracelet that follows the curvature of the wrist, making it both striking in appearance and comfortable to wear.
Collectors have long been discovering and researching the rarities from the last almost 50 years of production of the Royal Oak. Early examples from the ‘A’ series and those with tropical dials have captured the serious attention of watch enthusiasts. Genta’s original dominant design allied with limited availability has ensured that the ‘A Series’ watches of the Royal Oak are amongst the most coveted timepieces ever, enjoying a continuously expanding popularity.
(Est: CHF70,000-160,000)
Jorg Hysek, limited edition white gold minute repeating tourbillon ‘Symphony’, No. 9/10. From 2007.
Launched in 1997, HYSEK brand has imposed its disruptive vision within the watch industry as well as its atypical style which heckles and dares the difference.
Independent and unconventional, Hysek has gained a significant and prestigious position on the high end of luxury timepieces. Hysek is synonym of creativity, technicality, quality, exclusiveness. Its contemporary style reveals minimalist and pure lines. HYSEK timepieces are the result of the harmony of shapes and volumes combined to an extreme search of the detail which conveys a very strong identity. The elements proper to Hysek concept are the refined and elaborated watch profiles, the multi-layered dials displaying the numbers 1-5-7-11, the personalised hand-engraved movements decoration, the perfect integration of the bracelet into the watch case for an incomparable wearing comfort as well as the fold-over buckles, exclusive design to Hysek in a perfect continuity to the case. The brand has expanded very quickly and in the purpose of establishing its watch-making legitimacy, Hysek created its own manufacture in 2007, which placed the company as a major actor of the watch industry. Today, the brand creates and manufactures watches, jewellery, writing instruments and accessories.
(Est: CHF80,000-120,000)
About Christie’s
Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).
Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019). Christie’s is also recognised as a reference for prestigious single owner collections, having auctioned 8 of the 10 most important collections in history.
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*Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees.