Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XXIV Surpasses $100 Million

Two days in Geneva were enough. On November 7 and 8, 2026, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV closed at CHF 92,045,568—US$112,277,184 and €100,780,693 on the house’s stated exchange rates—and Phillips says it is the first live watch auction ever to clear the US$100 million mark. Every one of the 217 lots sold.

Held at Hotel President, the sale drew 2,121 registered bidders from 69 countries competing in the room, on the phones, and online. Phillips recorded 24 world records and 17 lots above CHF 1 million. All prices below include the buyer’s premium; estimates do not.

Independent watchmaking accounted for much of the total. Thirteen F.P. Journe watches brought CHF 31,807,850—more than a third of the entire auction—and the top lot was the Chronomètre à Résonance “Régence” in platinum, the only example with a shiny pink gold hand-engraved dial. Lot 7 realized CHF 8,680,500 (US$10,588,474), marking the fifth consecutive Phillips live auction with a watch selling for more than US$10 million. Behind it came the Tokyo Boutique Chronomètre à Résonance in titanium at CHF 6,146,000 (US$7,496,891) and a diamond-set Vagabondage III at CHF 5,057,000 (US$6,168,529).

Vintage Patek Philippe followed closely. The Ref. 1436 split-seconds chronograph in stainless steel—described by Phillips as one of only two known examples retaining their original steel case-and-dial configuration—brought CHF 6,267,000 (US$7,644,487), a world record for any split-seconds chronograph, according to the house.

Cartier’s top result was a historic clock rather than a wristwatch. Portico Mystery Clock No. 4, created in 1924 and one of only six Porticos—the sole example with a hexagonal rock-crystal dial—sold for CHF 4,815,000 (US$5,873,337) on its first auction appearance since 1996. Phillips calls it a world auction record for any Cartier timepiece.

Rolex results were led by a newly discovered Ref. 6062 “Stelline” in 18k yellow gold, acquired from its original owner in Japan, at CHF 2,334,500. The Ref. 6241 Cosmograph Daytona “John Player Special” in 14k yellow gold made CHF 1,905,000. And the most probably unique square Ref. 3830 “Verga” in 18k yellow gold, leading Part I of the Pucci Papaleo Collection of Rolex Chronographs, sold for CHF 1,270,000—a world record, Phillips says, for a non-Oyster Rolex chronograph.

Other independent makers also posted seven-figure results. Philippe Dufour’s early platinum Simplicity realized CHF 1,968,500, and Kari Voutilainen’s tantalum Vingt-8 Inversé brought CHF 1,524,000.

Alexandre Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Europe and Middle East, and Tiffany To, Senior International Watch Specialist and Head of Sale, said: “To achieve the first ever $100 million watch auction is an extraordinary milestone. But beyond the numbers, it is really a celebration.”

What the sale makes clear is narrower than any market verdict. Within this white-glove, 217-lot catalog—framed by Phillips as the first live watch auction over US$100 million—rare configurations and a short list of artisan names drew the strongest bidding.

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Adrienne Faurote

Editor in Chief · Haute Time

As a former New Yorker, now a “Miamian,” Adrienne Faurote joined Haute Living in August of 2021. She currently serves as the Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief, overseeing all editorial platforms within the Haute Media Group while also maintaining her role as Fashion, Jewelry & Watch Director. Prior to her position at Haute Living, Faurote was the Market Editor at Marie Claire Magazine US, amassing over ten years in the industry, becoming an authoritative voice in all things fashion, jewelry, and watches.