The wristwatch auction closes with 91% of the items sold, for a total of €2 million.
A record result for Finarte’s watch department: the June auction closed with a total turnover of over €2 million, 91% of the lots sold, and a sales value equal to 155% of the starting price. This is the best result ever for the department managed by Alessio Coccioli. The stars of the sale were three iconic names in Swiss watchmaking: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Rolex, which captured the attention of collectors and generated some of the most significant sales of the auction.
The selection of vintage Patek Philippe watches, which included some rarities, achieved positive results: the Calatrava 1598 Brioche from the 1940s, with croissant lugs, starting from €8,000, sold for €94,500, more than ten times its estimate. The Top Hat 1450 with sapphire dial and original bracelet and guarantee also performed well, selling for €85,680 from a starting price of €16,000. Another iconic watch in the sale was the Calatrava 2431 Flame, customized for Freccero, from the 1950s, which rose to €81,900 from a starting price of €12,000. Vacheron Constantin also enjoyed strong results, starting with the pink-on-pink 4178 chronograph with a pulsometer scale from the 1940s, which fetched €93,240 from a starting price of €20,000, the second-highest result of the entire sale. Closing the sale was one of the brand’s most emblematic case shapes: the Cornucopia 4695 with a guilloché dial from the 1950s (Lot 185), which went from €15,000 to over €60,000, confirming the interest in the more sculptural and decorative interpretations of Swiss watchmaking.
On the Rolex front, the platinum Prince Brancard 971 model from the 1930s, which started at €14,000, was knocked down for €31,500: a model promoted at the time as “the watch of distinguished men,” extremely rare in platinum and considered a true collector’s item. The reference 4313 chronograph in rose gold with a two-tone dial from the 1950s sold for 41,580 from a starting price of 10,000.
The catalog featured some truly rare pieces, even internationally, in keeping with the taste and selection we have always strived to offer at our auctions. It’s particularly gratifying to note, beyond the objectively significant and surprising results, that the market has embraced our philosophy and recognizes us as a benchmark in this direction. I’m confident this sale will have positive repercussions for future catalogs as well.
Alessio Coccioli
