Watch auction market surges as collectors chase rare historical timepieces
By
Kate Youde
Summary
The article examines the booming auction market for luxury watches, driven by collectors' pursuit of rare historical pieces rather than status symbols. It highlights the record-breaking Phillips Geneva sale (SFr74.8mn) with 43 world records, and explores how the watch collecting community is gaining recognition comparable to the art world. The piece features insights from auctioneer Aurel Bacs and other industry figures on the emotional "moment of discovery" that fuels bidding, the shift toward provenance and rarity, and the growing sophistication of watch collectors.
Source
Twitter / XWatch auction market surges as collectors chase rare historical timepiecesft.trib.alKey quotes
· 3 pulledOverall there was this sense of, after decades of waiting . . . the world is giving the same amount of respect and credit to the watch community as to art and other wonderful collecting areas
There is a moment of discovery, and that is what drives the market
Buyers increasingly are seeking rare historical pieces, rather than looking to accumulate status symbols
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