See the Top Lots in Christie’s Upcoming Rare Watch Sale
According to Christie’s, the auction is its most important single-owner watch collection ever.

Later this fall, Christie’s Geneva will offer more than 100 watches it says have never appeared at auction.
“Legendary and Unique Watches: The Collection of a Lifetime,” is Christie’s most important single-owner watch collection ever presented, the auction house said.
Comprising 112 watches, the collection features one-off timepieces, watches with personalized dials, prototypes, and some timepieces that are No. 1 in a series of limited editions.
The collection’s private owner amassed the timepieces over four decades, gathering rare references from sought-after brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex.
Highlights are the limited-edition Richard Mille Ref. RM56-01; the Rolex Ref. 6421 Daytona; and the Vacheron Constantin Ref. 43050 Mercator.
According to Christie’s, the limited-edition Richard Mille Ref. RM56-01 AN SAPHIR/PR00, No. 011, (pictured at top of article), is the first of its kind to appear at international auction.
Released in 2013, the case is crafted from single blocks of sapphire crystal. Calculating the total hours to manufacture, it took approximately 40 days, or 960 hours, plus an additional 350 hours (more than 14 days) to polish.
The transparent dial reveals the tourbillion, titanium minute ring and hour indexes.
The timepiece is expected to sell for between approximately $2.6 million and $4.6 million.

The Rolex Ref. 6241 Daytona is crafted in 18-karat gold. Circa 1968, it features a champagne-colored “Paul Newman” dial.
The reference was produced between 1966 and 1969. A total of 2,250 pieces were produced in stainless steel, 300 in 18-karat gold and 450 in 14-karat gold.
These watches featured “non-Oyster,” or “non-screw-down,” chronograph buttons and bezel with black plastic insert.
This timepiece is estimated to sell for between $613,000 and $1 million.

Another watch in the sale, the Vacheron Constantin Ref. 43050 Mercator, is crafted in platinum and features a Metiers d’Art “Ferrari Enzo” cloisonne enamel dial.
The watch debuted in 1994 as a tribute to 16th-century cartographer Gerardus Mercator.
It displays time with a double retrograde mechanism with hands that mimic the shape of a cartographer’s tool.
When the hour hands hits 12 o’clock, it releases back to the starting position. The same happens for the second hand when it reaches 60.
The watch is expected to garner between approximately $100,000 and $200,000.
“Legendary and Unique Watches: The Collection of a Lifetime” is in New York City from Oct. 1 to 5.
It will stop in several cities before hitting the auction block in Geneva at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on Nov. 22.
Christie’s expects the sale to earn around $20.5 million total.
An undisclosed portion of sale proceeds will benefit charity.
The Latest

The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.

Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.

“Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection” is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The deadline to submit is June 16.


Moti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.

Lichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

The miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.

Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.

Sponsored by Instappraise

CEO Beth Gerstein discussed the company’s bridal bestsellers, the potential impact of tariffs, and the rising price of gold.

The brand’s first independent location outside of Australia has opened in Beverly Hills, California.

Cathy Marsh will lead the jewelry company’s efforts in the upper Midwest and western United States.

The company has multiple strategies for dealing with tariffs, though its CEO said moving manufacturing to the U.S. is not one of them.

Connecting with your customers throughout the year is key to a successful holiday marketing push.

Its commercial-quality emerald sale held last month totaled more than $16 million, up from about $11 million in September 2024.

National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff joined Michael Burpoe to talk tariffs, consumer confidence, and the sky-high price of gold.

Expanded this year to include suppliers, JA’s 2025 list honors 40 up-and-coming professionals in the jewelry industry.

Located in Fort Smith, it’s the Mid-South jeweler’s first store in Northwest Arkansas.

The episode about the family-owned jeweler will premiere May 17.

The Houston-based jeweler’s new 11,000-square-foot showroom will include a Rolex boutique.

“The Duke Diamond” is the largest diamond registered at the Arkansas park so far this year.

The childhood craft of making dried pasta necklaces for Mother’s Day is all grown up as the 14-karat gold “Forever Macaroni” necklace.

Set with May’s birthstone and featuring an earthworm, this ring is a perfect celebration of spring.

“Bridal 2025–2026” includes popular styles and a dedicated section for quick pricing references of lab-grown diamond bridal jewelry.