Luxury watches fetch record USD 44 million at Geneva auction

Christie's auction of rare luxury watches has fetched a record-breaking total of USD 44 million, the highest amount realised for a series of watch sales ever held.
Christie's three-session auction of luxury watches in Geneva realised an unprecedented combined total of USD 43,985,467.
"On 10 and 11 November, Christie's dispersed over 370 fine watches in an historical ten-hour auction marathon, which set a new record total for any series of watch sales," said Aurel Bacs, International Head of Christie's Watch Department.
Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" - a unique single-themed evening auction featuring 50 exceptional examples of the world's most celebrated chronograph wristwatch, totalled USD 13,248,167.

Each Daytona set a world record price for the model at auction, Christie's said in a statement.
An extremely important stainless steel chronograph wristwatch, Paul Newman model, manufactured in 1969, sold for USD 1,088,889, setting a world record price for any Rolex Daytona.

The top lot of the week was an extremely rare 1957 Patek Philippe second series in pink gold, which sold for USD 2.1 million.
Only eight other examples of this iconic model in the hyper-rare pink gold second series are known to date.
Another star of the sale was an historically important yellow gold split seconds chronograph manufactured by Philippe in 1947, which fetched USD 1,572,738.

Only three examples of this model are recorded to exist, all of which were made as special orders for the most prominent clients of the time.
Originally created for jazz legend Duke Ellington, one of them is permanently exhibited in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva.