112 exceptional timepieces from a single owner watch collection at auction on 6 November 2022

Christie’s most important single owner watch collection auction: "Legendary and Unique Watches: The Collection of a Lifetime”. J.Todt watch collection

Christie’s most important single owner watch collection auction ever will take place on Sunday, 6 November 2022 at 5.00 PM in Geneva at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

The "Legendary and Unique Watches: The Collection of a Lifetime" auction will present 112 exceptional timepieces including one-off creations, personalised dials, prototypes and several No.1 of limited editions. 

This collection spans four decades of passion and includes some of the earliest examples by renowned independent watchmakers, including very rare references by Patek Philippe, Rolex and others. Together they form the most important single owner collection ever to be offered in Geneva, with a portion of the proceeds going to philanthropy. The auction is expected to fetch in the region of CHF 20 million.

Leading the auction will be Lot 2096, a Richard Mille RM56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire featuring manufactured in 2013.

One of Richard Mille’s most extraordinary and ambitious creations, the RM56-01 is about maximum transparency; the case alone is crafted from single blocks of transparent, incredibly difficult to machine sapphire crystal that took 40 days, 24-hours per day to create, followed by a further 350 hours to polish. 

The tourbillon shines in the lower part of the transparent dial with titanium minute ring and luminous hour indexes. 

The first example of this reference to be offered at international auction, this Richard Mille RM56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire has an estimate of CHF 2,500,000-4,500,000.

Another highlight is Lot 2111, a unique and highly important F.P. Journe Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeating wristwatch in stainless steel with a mirror-polished petrol blue dial.

Completed in January 2009, this model was specially produced as a unique personalized bespoke piece for the present owner. 

The dial is customised with the FIA 7th Constructors’ Formula One World Championslogo. The 42 mm case is engraved “ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS / JANVIER 2009 / AB IMO PECTORE / POUR J. TODT”

The lost estimate is CHF 2,400,000 – CHF 4,400,000.

Lot 2089 is an 18k gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6241 with champagne “Paul Newman” dial produced in 1968.

Reference 6241 was produced only between 1966 and 1969 and is therefore a rare reference in its own right. 2250 pieces were made in stainless steel, 300 in 18K gold and 450 in 14K gold. It was fitted with “non-Oyster” or “non-screw-down” chronograph buttons and a bezel with black plastic insert, the tachymeter scale was printed in white. The dials featured “Rolex Cosmograph” but not always “Daytona” (you can read the history of the Rolex Daytona here). The estimate of this lot is CHF 600,000-1,000,000).

Before arriving in in Geneva on 2 November 2022, a curated selection of lots will travel around the world for a preview tour with stops in Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Jakarta and Los Angeles.  

Christie's

"Legendary and Unique Watches: The Collection of a Lifetime"

6 November 2022 - Geneva, Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues