Skip to main content

Special Report: Only Watch Auction 2019

Image
By
The Only Watch auction took place today in Geneva. In this auction manufacturers create unique pieces and auction them for a charity.

 I streamed a live blog of the event as I watched it. I tried to give my impressions of how prices would land prior to bidding and I think I did OK with my predictions. There were some surprises and almost all of them were positive. 1

1. The Patek lot broke the world record for a wristwatch at $31 million. I think this surpassed even the wildest estimate of what would happen
2. Although the Patek will get all the attention the blacked out Tudor actually was a far bigger surprise. The Patek was 10x its estimated high. The Tudor was 63.6x at CHF 350k. This is really important to note.
3. Vacheron and JLC seriously underperformed. If these houses are able to build reputation in line with Patek then whoever won those lots can look forward to some impressive appreciation.

Overall it is fair to say that these were extremely impressive results. I believe that with the recent stock market rally and some calming of trade tensions we can expect to see strong auction results in the near future. Phillips Double Signed is also happening today and their "Game Changers" is coming up in December so stay tuned.

You can watch the full 2+ hour stream of my coverage below:


Comments

  1. Jennifer BealsMay 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM

    As a passionate supporter of creative fundraising and a lover of fine craftsmanship, I found the Only Watch Auction 2019 truly inspiring. Events like these remind me why I love working as one of the professional ebook ghostwriters bringing unique stories to life, much like each timepiece tells its own.








    ReplyDelete
  2. Eshaal FatimaMay 14, 2025 at 1:56 PM

    The Only Watch auction 2019 was a great event bringing amazing timepieces together for a good cause. It’s always interesting to see the amazing designs and craftsmanship in these types of auctions. By the way, while you're seeing events like this I did run into a company that rented out a chiller truck for rent—very useful for event transportation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. aizaimranOctober 15, 2025 at 6:19 AM

    Looking the essential report for taking serious details into action to resolve the issues. However, seeking the trusted personal website help in UAE to maintain the designs according to the professional requirements to boost engagement.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lucy OliverMay 25, 2026 at 11:35 AM

    This was an informative read on the Only Watch Auction 2019, especially for anyone interested in rare timepieces and the craftsmanship behind luxury watches. The detailed coverage helps readers better understand the value, exclusivity, and creative design elements that make these collections stand out. It’s always interesting to see how presentation and visual storytelling play a major role in attracting attention to premium creations. In a similar way, strong visuals are equally important in publishing, where book illustration services help bring ideas to life and create a more engaging experience for readers. Insightful posts like this make niche topics easier to explore and appreciate.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Cubitusgate a Financial Nothingburger?

By
Let's get some preliminaries out of the way: I don't particularly admire or respect how Patek CEO Thierry Stern responded to criticism of Cubitus, the brand's newest release. Three pocket watches on display during the 2017 Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition in NYC. Here's what he said : “The haters are mostly people who have never had a Patek and never will, so that doesn’t bother me.” Does this remark seem filled with hubris and disrespect for potential buyers? Yes. Will it matter for Patek financially? I don't think so. Let me explain. In order to understand the financial side of watch brands, we should never forget that retail buyers are not their customers (with some rare exceptions). I know that sounds crazy, but it is 5,000% true. For a brand like Patek, the primary watch market is financially mediated. There is a third party standing between brands in Switzerland and collectors. Namely, Patek sells to authorized dealers, they don't sell to collectors....
9 comments
Read more

The $6.3M "Speedmaster Affair": A Prosecutorial Hot Potato?

By
This may not come as a surprise, but I do not read German-language newspapers on a regular basis. Dial of a vintage Omega Constellation, pie pan. I am, however, keenly interested in a scandal involving the Swatch Group and a "Frankenwatch" Speedmaster which was sold at auction a while back for over $3 million. I won't go into all the minute details here, but the punchline is that Swatch Group bought the watch only to discover that some of its own employees may have been part of a conspiracy to assemble a watch which would be quite rare and important if it were authentic. But, apparently, it was not authentic. When the deception was uncovered, various people who were part of the "inside job" lost employment and, reportedly, legal authorities were notified in Switzerland. I originally wrote about this in 2023, you can read my coverage here . There's been excellent reporting on this matter from many sources (see, for example, this story from Bloomberg). ...
7 comments
Read more

First Superfake Watches, Now Superfake Emails?

By
Today, I received a dispatch direct from Le Brassus, aka global headquarters for Audemars Piguet. The email cautions collectors that fraudsters are targeting clients of AP and other brands with potentially bad consequences. In the interest of collector protection, and as a bit of "public service," I'm copying the main body of the AP email below. Be careful out there, always check email headers and double-check with your known contacts at any brands before wiring money, for example: "Cybercriminals are trying to scam customers in every industry and watchmaking makes no exception. At Audemars Piguet we want to be sure that our trusted community is well protected against cyber- criminal exploits. Recently, threat actors have been using spoofing techniques to send fraudulent emails pretending to come from trusted brands, such as ours, in an attempt to deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive information, making payment to illegitimate accounts or engaging in fra...
9 comments
Read more