The Phillips watch auctions in Geneva are always popular ones. Electricity is palpable in the room with star collectors vying for the best lots and the high octane power and charisma of Aurel Bacs auction house. But not everyone has the desire or time to hop on a plane and spend hours in a Geneva gallery, no matter how beautiful it may be.
Of course, the pandemic has also changed the mood – doing things remotely will now always be an option. With this in mind, Phillips in Association With Bacs and Russo are hosting the first high-value online auction, Geneva Sessions, curated by the team’s watch experts.
It will run from September 12 to 16 and will feature an impressive cash flow normally reserved for live auctions. Estimates for the sale are CHF 1.1 million to CHF 2.3 million (approximately $1,121,000 to $2,343,000).
Of the more than 50 lots, standout pieces include pieces by the usual suspects: Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and F.P. Journé, among others. Most are modern, produced from the 1990s to the present day, with a higher average lot value than any other online watch sale at Phillips. Topping the list is a pair of Patek Philippe Nautilus: a Ref. Nautilus chronograph in 5980/1R rose gold with rose gold bracelet, estimated CHF 150,000-300,000 ($153,000 to $306,000); and a Ref. The 5740 Nautilus white gold perpetual calendar is estimated at 120,000 to 245,000 CHF ($122,000 to $25,000). There is also a rose gold Resonance watch with a salmon dial crafted by current independent star F.P. Journe, estimated at 100,000-200,000 CHF ($102,000-204,000).
Coming soon, an online digital catalog featuring high-quality aviation themed photography and premium videography. Alex Ghotbi, head of watch division at Continental explains: “We wanted to have a very different online sale than what has been done before in terms of watch presentation, with a very different approach. art for photography and videography as well as cataloging.
Europe and Middle East for Phillips. “All lots in this sale have been carefully selected for exceptional quality, condition and provenance. Each lot comes complete with its own papers and boxes.
The Geneva Sessions follows an auction. online held in July by the Phillips team in Hong Kong. 100% sold. Highlights of this sale include a ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar on sale for HK$2,394,000 (about US$305,000) and a Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time retailed by Tiffany sold for HK$1,638,000 (approximately US$210,000), for a total of HK$1,638,000 (about $210,000). The sale reached a total of HK$32,292,540 (about US$4,114,000).
