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Special Report: Only Watch Auction 2019

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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.








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  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.

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