Remi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches for EMEA and the Americas, takes us inside the world of rare timepieces and watch auctions.
“Going once, going twice, sold.” The fall of the hammer, a rare timepiece changing hands for millions of dollars… There is little doubt that auctions are among the most dynamic arenas in the world of horology. Throughout the year, auction houses bring to the block exceptional watches from dozens of maisons, from Rolex to Patek Philippe — rare, fresh-to-the-market pieces, some with histories stretching back decades.
At certain points in the calendar, competition intensifies as watches come up for sale across the globe, from Geneva to New York. The first half of 2026 saw Christie’s host record-breaking sales and fiercely contested bidding sessions. As the first half of the year drew to a close, we sat down with Remi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches for EMEA and the Americas, for an in-depth conversation about watches, collecting and the ever-evolving auction landscape.
From the F.P. Journe Platinum Tourbillon Wristwatch to the record-breaking Cartier Crash, Christie’s has handled some remarkable timepieces this year. How would you assess the first half of 2026 from the perspective of the watch market and the auction world?
Christie’s has been successful in attracting exceptional, fresh-to-the-market timepieces during the first half of 2026. This has resulted in a series of record-breaking results, including the sale of the Audemars Piguet monopusher chronograph, the Audemars Piguet Jumping Hour, the Cartier Crash London, and the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Ref. T. The watch market remains in a healthy position, with collectors increasingly focused on exceptional, historically significant timepieces rather than the speculative buying that characterized previous years. Leading brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and F.P. Journe continue to attract strong demand, underscoring the enduring appetite for rare and important watches among collectors.
Alongside familiar names such as F.P. Journe, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, a timepiece created by Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour also appeared among the top ten watch sales of the year so far. Are independent watchmakers gaining greater prominence in the auction market?
