Zidane (right) taking on the role of auctioneer in the sale of Lot 1 of Rare Watches at Christie’s Geneva.
Christie’s Geneva has held the first “Watches for ELA Auction” earlier this month, featuring Rare Watches, to benefit European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA). In attendance was French football team manager and former footballer Zinedine Zidane, who has been ELA’s ambassador for 24 years.
The 11 unique watches were donated by Andersen Genève X BCHH, ArtyA, Ataelier Haute Complication, Bovet, Girard-Perregaux, Konstantin Chaykin, Louis Erard, Montblanc, Richard Mille, Omega X Swatch and Ulysse Nardin. These achieved 633,000 Swiss francs, while lot 69 in the Rare Watches auction − a platinum F.P. Journe Vagabondage from 2005 consigned by a private individual to benefit ELA − made an additional 210,000 Swiss francs, bringing the total raised for the association to 843,000 Swiss francs.
“What a wonderful moment to see Zinedine Zidane auctioning Lot 1 of our debut watches for the ELA auction. This project was launched by François-Henri Pinault and made possible by the generosity of the watch brands and Christie’s unparallelled leadership position,” says ELA International president Guy Alba.
“The funds raised a total of 843,000 Swiss francs which will be used to continue medical research as well as provide important family support from ELA to families in distress.
“Our goal was to combine the talent of watchmakers and the passion of collectors with the hope generated by medical research, and save the lives of children who just long to grow up. Thank you for helping us get one step closer to our goal,” Alba adds.
The Rare Watches auction continued with Lot 12, offering a further 148 lots that achieved a total of 18,041,020 Swiss francs (US$20,616,024), selling 94% by lot and welcoming registrants from 58 countries.
The 1935 Breguet No.3218 wristwatch became the top lot of the auction, selling for 1,920,500 Swiss francs (US$2,194,614), nearly 10 times its low pre-sale estimate of 100,000 Swiss francs. The first owner, celebrated French designer Paul Iribe, originally paid 10,000 Swiss francs in 1935 for the watch, and to date, this historically important watch is one of only two known Breguet Perpetual Calendar wristwatches in the world. It is the first to have been offered at an auction.
The Breguet platinum automatic quarter repeating ‘a toc’ pocket watch.
The other important and unique Breguet offered in the sale was a platinum automatic quarter repeating a toc pocket watch made in 2004. It sold for 630,000 Swiss francs (US$719,920), six times its initial estimate.
Remi Guillemin, head of Christie’s Watches Europe and US, commented: “Rare Watches, including Watches for ELA, was a great success and Christie’s thanks goes to all bidders and parties involved in this important auction, a moment shared with Zinedine Zidane. The Rare Watches auction welcomed new private international bidders and set some strong prices for quality vintage timepieces as well as independent watchmakers.”
