Christie's Sells the Most Expensive Cartier Watch in History for Over $2 Million USD

Summary

• Christie’s Geneva “Rare Watches” live auction achieved a massive CHF 33,054,441 (approx. $42.3 million USD), marking the highest result ever for a various-owner watch auction at the house

• An exceptionally rare 1990 18K gold Cartier “London Crash” set a new world auction record for the model and the brand, selling for over $2 million USD and surpassing a record set by Sotheby’s just weeks prior

• The auction’s top lot was an F.P. Journe Platinum Tourbillon Souverain (Ref. T), which realized an incredible $3.12 million USD , selling for five times its low estimate

The vintage watch market continues to reach unprecedented heights, and Christie’s has officially cemented its position at the forefront of the boom. During its highly anticipated “Rare Watches” live auction in Geneva, the auction house achieved a staggering total of $42,309,684 USD —its highest result ever for a various-owner watch sale. The undisputed highlight of the event was a spectacular 1990 Cartier “London Crash,” which smashed through estimates to achieve over $2 million USD, officially becoming the highest price ever paid for a Crash model and the most expensive Cartier watch ever sold at auction.

The record-breaking Cartier, an exceptionally rare 18K gold asymmetric wristwatch, was the subject of intense bidding. Boasting its original “Crash” deployant clasp, full Cartier London signatures, and the Jacques Cartier “JC” mark alongside London hallmarks for 1990, the timepiece ultimately sold for $2,028,800 USD (CHF 1,585,000). The monumental sale effortlessly tripled its low pre-sale estimate, reclaiming the world record from Sotheby’s, which had set a previous benchmark for the model just two weeks earlier.

While the Cartier Crash made history, the auction’s top overall lot went to an independent watchmaking masterpiece. An exceedingly rare F.P. Journe Platinum Tourbillon Souverain (Ref. T), originally purchased by its sole owner on Christmas Eve in 2000, triggered a bidding war that pushed its final price to $3,121,920 USD (CHF 2,439,000)—five times its low estimate. The sale also saw another major world record established when a vintage Audemars Piguet chronograph realized an astonishing $2,747,696 USD.

The heavy hitters didn’t stop there. A highly coveted Tiffany Blue® Patek Philippe Nautilus (Ref. 5711/1A-018), one of only 170 pieces created in 2021, sold for $1,625,600 USD. Another Patek Philippe (Ref. 3970EP-047), commissioned with a stunning black monogram dial by renowned American collector Michael Steven Ovitz, commanded $1,300,480. Demand for independent and specialized makers remained fierce, with an A. Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour le Mérite achieving $975,360 USD, a 1990 Daniel Roth double-sided Tourbillon securing $520,192 USD, and a limited-edition Krayon complication realizing $203,200 USD.

“For the first time, Christie’s Geneva presented its Rare Watches sale over two consecutive days, highlighting the strong confidence consignors continue to place in our global watches team,” shared Remi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches for Europe and the Americas. Noting the 99% sell-through rate and the influx of new collectors, Guillemin added, “Throughout the sale, collectors demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm, reaffirming the global demand for extraordinary timepieces and the enduring strength of the watch market.”