Spring always marks the first major watch auctions of the year from the specialist auction houses and this May is no different with sales from Phillips, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Antiquorum, and more. With thousands of watches passing under the hammer, we’ve picked out some top performers and interesting results that show collectors’ appetites for watches is as strong as ever.
Phillips, Breguet Sympathique N°1 by F.P. Journe, CHF 5,505,000
Coming in at a staggering five million, the Breguet Sympathique N°1 is a master clock that comes with a matching tourbillon wristwatch, making it the ultimate haute horology collectors set. Produced by François-Paul Journe in 1991, it has now returned to the hands of F.P. Journe who purchased it himself with the intention of adding it to his museum display. It was actually a great weekend for carriage clocks, as in addition to the Sympathique N°1, the Cartier Portico Mystery Clock also fetched 2 million at the same sale, while over at Antiquorum another Breguet clock reached CHF 1,250,000.
More details at Phillips.
Phillips, Patek Philippe Ref. 3448 Pink Gold, CHF 2,722,000
The Patek Philippe Ref. 3448 Pink Gold deserves its 2.72 million price tag for two reasons. Firstly, the Ref. 3448 is historically significant as it was the first ever automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch when it was released in 1962, which is a pretty significant innovation in the grand scheme of things. On top of that, this is the only known version of the Ref. 3448 in pink gold, with every other example in yellow or white gold.
More details at Phillips.
Antiquorum, Gallet Clamshell Chronograph, CHF 5,625
Last week we took a look at the revival of the Gallet brand with a preview of a selection of Gallet lots at the Antiquorum Geneva Watch Auction. So, how did they do? As a solo lot, the Gallet Clamshell Chronograph performed best with a price of CHF 5,625 including buyer’s premium. That’s double the top end estimate of CHF 2,700, indicating that interest in the heritage brand is strong.
More details at Antiquorum.
Christie’s, Tag Heuer x Kith Collection, CHF 50,400
Watch investments come in all shapes and sizes but one of the most unexpected is the Tag Heuer x Kith collection of quartz watches in steel and high-performance plastic. On paper it doesn’t exactly scream investment. However, the full limited-edition collection that was released for CHF 18,000 in May 2024 has now been sold a year later in May 2025 by Christie’s for CHF 50,400. More than doubling (almost tripling) your initial five figure investment in a year is quite the feat for a group of colourful quartz watches.
More details at Christie’s.
Sotheby’s, Rolex Daytona ‘Fuerza Aerea del Perú’, CHF 76,200
If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve included this lot as a highlight because it’s one of the nicest examples of a vintage Daytona with panda dial (that’s not a Paul Newman) I’ve seen in a while. It dates back to 1975 and is a military issued watch from the Peruvian Airforce, which already makes it a very rare timepiece. You can see the military sensibilities in its no nonsense display and the ‘Fuerza Aerea del Perú’ inscription. It’s not as hyped or celebrated as a Paul Newman Daytona but that also means it’s 75k instead of 250k, which I think is an acceptable trade off.
More details at Sotheby’s.
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