October 2026 Watch Auction Results: Independents Lead, Geneva Is Next
The October 2026 watch auction results were led by independent makers and one vintage Rolex. At Phillips, a Voutilainen 28Sport (number 5 of 8) sold for $1,016,000 against an estimate of $120,000 to $240,000, and at Sotheby's Paris a Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" reference 6241 made EUR 448,000 against an estimate of EUR 120,000 to 260,000. Geneva's November sales come next: Phillips and Antiquorum on November 7 and 8, Sotheby's from November 8 and Christie's on November 9. Prices here include the buyer's premium unless we say hammer, and estimates are pre-sale estimates, not results.
At a glance
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Voutilainen 28Sport, 5 of 8 (Phillips New York, closed Oct 9) | $1,016,000 with premium; estimate $120,000-240,000; 8.5x the low estimate |
| F.P. Journe Octa Lune, pink gold (Phillips, Oct 9) | $304,800; estimate $60,000-120,000; 5.1x the low estimate |
| F.P. Journe lineSport Centigraphe Souverain, platinum (Phillips, Oct 9) | $304,800; estimate $60,000-120,000; 5.1x the low estimate |
| Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" 6241 (Sotheby's Paris, closed Oct 7) | EUR 448,000 with fees (hammer EUR 350,000); estimate EUR 120,000-260,000; 3.7x the low estimate |
| Vacheron Constantin 49005/000P, platinum (Christie's Hong Kong online, Oct 7) | HKD 1,024,000; low estimate HKD 40,000; 25.6x the low estimate (secondary source) |
| Geneva sale dates | Phillips Nov 7-8; Antiquorum Nov 7-8; Sotheby's from Nov 8; Christie's Nov 9 |
October 2026 watch auction results: the independents beat their estimates
Phillips Watches Online: The New York Sessions Fall 2026 ran from October 1 to October 9 and, according to Haute Time, all 88 lots sold. The headline was lot 22, a stainless steel Voutilainen 28Sport, number 5 of 8, which Phillips lists as sold for $1,016,000 against an estimate of $120,000 to $240,000. That is 8.5 times the low estimate.
The premium question matters here. Phillips' lot page does not say whether $1,016,000 includes it, but Haute Time says its prices do, and Phillips' published schedule charges 27 percent of the hammer up to $1,000,000. Our own arithmetic fits: $800,000 plus 27 percent is exactly $1,016,000. We therefore read the price as premium-inclusive with an implied hammer of $800,000, a figure no source publishes. A few outlets wrote that the watch was "hammered" at $1,016,000, which does not fit the schedule.
F.P. Journe was the other story. The pink gold Octa Lune made $304,800 against $60,000 to $120,000, the platinum lineSport Centigraphe Souverain also made $304,800 against the same estimate, and a platinum Octa Quantieme Perpetuel made $241,300 against $70,000 to $140,000. We found no source from Phillips or Haute Time calling any of this a record, and one outlet's claim that it was the first online watch auction result over $1 million is unconfirmed, so we do not repeat it.
The Paul Newman Daytona at Sotheby's Paris
Sotheby's Paris Fine Watches was a timed online sale that opened on September 23, with lots closing one minute apart from 2 pm Paris time on October 7. Lot 368, a steel Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" reference 6241 from about 1968 with box and papers, sold for EUR 448,000 against an estimate of EUR 120,000 to 260,000. Haute Time reports a hammer of EUR 350,000 and 15 bids, and converts the total to about $500,700 at European Central Bank reference rates for October 7, which implies roughly 1.118 dollars per euro. We could not check that rate ourselves.
The total is 3.7 times the low estimate and 1.7 times the high estimate. Sotheby's page says its results include premium, and the gap between hammer and total implies a 28 percent premium, again our arithmetic rather than a published rate. The same sale's platinum F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain (lot 367) made EUR 307,200 against EUR 150,000 to 300,000, just over its high estimate.
Haute Time quotes the Sotheby's catalogue as saying the 6239 and 6241 were initially overlooked, and our Paul Newman watch guide and Rolex Daytona history explain why that changed. We could not open Sotheby's own lot page, so the Daytona figure rests on Haute Time. We also left out a blog's claim of a Paris sales record, because the total it cites matches Sotheby's October 2024 Paris sale as reported by JCK.
Christie's Hong Kong online sale
Christie's Watches Online: Hong Kong Edit closed on October 7. Haute Time reports a total of HKD 23,125,632, about $2.95 million, including premium. We could not read Christie's pages, so everything in this section comes from Haute Time, and the sale total and lot prices should be treated as secondary reporting.
The biggest multiple was lot 177, a platinum Vacheron Constantin 49005/000P from about 2002, which made HKD 1,024,000 (about $130,500) after 44 bids. Haute Time gives only its low estimate, HKD 40,000, which makes the result 25.6 times that figure. An Eska pink gold watch with a cloisonne enamel dial made HKD 1,216,000 against HKD 80,000 to 160,000, about 15 times the low estimate, after 37 bids.
The oddest result was an F.P. Journe aluminium bracelet sold on its own, without a watch, for HKD 307,200 against HKD 24,000 to 45,000 after 79 bids. A Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726/1A-001 made HKD 832,000 after four bids. Haute Time also reports that at Bonhams New York on October 8 an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold made $76,700 against $50,000 to 70,000, while an H. Moser Pioneer Tourbillon "Miami" went unsold.
Geneva week: dates and the lots to watch
Geneva's fall watch week runs from Saturday, November 7. Phillips holds The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV on November 7 and 8 at the Hotel President with no fewer than 220 lots, per its September 15 release. Antiquorum also sells on November 7 and 8, according to Haute Time's calendar. Sotheby's Important Watches begins on November 8 (one outlet says it runs through November 9), and Christie's Rare Watches Including Watches for ELA is on Monday, November 9, with a preview from November 5 to 8. The GPHG ceremony is also on November 7 per Haute Time and the GPHG's announcement as we read it, though WorldTempus says November 8.
Phillips lists a steel Patek Philippe 1436 split-seconds chronograph at CHF 2,000,000 to 4,000,000, and a 14k gold Daytona 6241 "John Player Special" with a black Paul Newman dial at CHF 800,000 to 1,600,000. Christie's has 218 lots, of which Haute Time counts 39 independents.
Two stand out. The first is a yellow gold Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/1 with a "Khanjar" dial, made in 1978 for Sultan Qaboos, estimated at CHF 500,000 to 1,000,000. The second is five F.P. Journe Ruthenium watches from Michael Schumacher, all number 92/99 and sold as separate lots: three at CHF 300,000 to 600,000 each and two at CHF 650,000 to 1,200,000 each. A 2024 report says Christie's sold Schumacher's Ruthenium collection that year to one collector for US$1,800,000 in total. The sources do not say whether the 2026 lots are those same watches. These Christie's details come from Haute Time, not Christie's own pages.
What the results suggest
This section is interpretation, not reported fact. The strongest results came from independents and unusual lots: the Voutilainen, three F.P. Journe watches at Phillips, and the Vacheron and Eska in Hong Kong. Phillips and Christie's online sales also showed lots finishing at several times their low estimates. One reading is that low online estimates attract bidders and that the finish reflects competition rather than a change in value. Another is that buyers are paying more for scarcity in independent watchmaking. These results cannot separate the two.
The evidence is also mixed. The Journe Centigraphe at Sotheby's finished only just above its high estimate, the Sea-Dweller "Comex" sold at its low estimate on a single bid, and Bonhams left two Moser watches unsold. We read the month as healthy at the top and selective elsewhere.
Geneva will be a different test. The sales are live rooms with estimates in the hundreds of thousands and millions of francs, so their results will say more about the top of the market. For wider context, see our earlier Phillips New York report, our secondary market report and our Patek Philippe Milan exhibition report. For the Nautilus lot, our Nautilus versus Royal Oak comparison covers the model's market position.
October 2026 watch auction results by lot
| Closed | House and lot | Price (with premium) | Estimate | x low est. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9 | Phillips lot 22, Voutilainen 28Sport, 5 of 8 | $1,016,000 | $120,000-240,000 | 8.5x | Implied hammer $800,000 (our arithmetic) |
| Oct 9 | Phillips lot 4, F.P. Journe Octa Lune, pink gold | $304,800 | $60,000-120,000 | 5.1x | Haute Time |
| Oct 9 | Phillips lot 40, F.P. Journe lineSport Centigraphe Souverain | $304,800 | $60,000-120,000 | 5.1x | Haute Time |
| Oct 9 | Phillips lot 55, F.P. Journe Octa Quantieme Perpetuel | $241,300 | $70,000-140,000 | 3.4x | Haute Time |
| Oct 7 | Sotheby's Paris lot 368, Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" 6241 | EUR 448,000 | EUR 120,000-260,000 | 3.7x | Hammer EUR 350,000; about $500,700 (Haute Time, ECB Oct 7 rates) |
| Oct 7 | Sotheby's Paris lot 367, F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain | EUR 307,200 | EUR 150,000-300,000 | 2.0x | About $343,400 (Haute Time) |
| Oct 7 | Christie's Hong Kong lot 177, Vacheron Constantin 49005/000P | HKD 1,024,000 | Low HKD 40,000 | 25.6x | About $130,500 (Haute Time) |
| Oct 7 | Christie's Hong Kong lot 91, Eska pink gold, enamel dial | HKD 1,216,000 | HKD 80,000-160,000 | 15.2x | Haute Time |
| Oct 8 | Bonhams New York, AP Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold 67630BA | $76,700 | $50,000-70,000 | 1.5x | Haute Time; premium treatment not stated |
Background
The reference points behind these lots are covered in our history pages. The Daytona that Paul Newman made famous is in the Rolex Daytona history and the Paul Newman watch guide, the steel sports Patek is in the Nautilus history, and the Vacheron in Hong Kong sits within the Vacheron Constantin history. The brands are covered at Rolex and Patek Philippe.Sources: Phillips (New York Sessions Fall 2026 auction page and lot 22, Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV release of September 15, 2026), Sotheby's (Paris Fine Watches and Geneva Important Watches sale pages), Haute Time (October 9 results and its preview and calendar pieces, including the October 19 Christie's Geneva preview), JCK, Time and Tide and WorldTempus, all retrieved October 21, 2026. Christie's own pages and Sotheby's lot page for the Daytona could not be read, so the Hong Kong results, the Christie's Geneva estimates and the Daytona result rest on Haute Time. We found no published Antiquorum New York results from October 18. Dollar figures for euro and Hong Kong dollar prices are Haute Time's conversions. Estimates are estimates and dates may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Paul Newman Daytona sell for at Sotheby's in October 2026?
A steel Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" reference 6241 (lot 368) sold for EUR 448,000 at Sotheby's Paris, about $500,700 per Haute Time. The hammer was EUR 350,000 before premium. The estimate was EUR 120,000 to 260,000.
How much did the Voutilainen 28Sport sell for at Phillips?
$1,016,000, against an estimate of $120,000 to $240,000. The price appears to include the buyer's premium, which implies a hammer of $800,000 on our arithmetic.
Was the $1,016,000 Voutilainen price hammer or with premium?
It fits a price with premium. Phillips charges 27 percent of the hammer up to $1,000,000, and $800,000 plus 27 percent is $1,016,000. Haute Time also says its prices include premium.
Did the Voutilainen 28Sport set a record?
None of the Phillips or Haute Time pages we read calls it a record. One outlet says it was the first online watch auction result over $1 million, but we could not confirm that.
When are the Geneva watch auctions in November 2026?
Phillips holds its Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV on November 7 and 8, and Antiquorum sells the same days. Sotheby's Important Watches starts on November 8. Christie's Rare Watches is on Monday, November 9.
What is the Khanjar Nautilus at Christie's Geneva?
A yellow gold Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/1 from 1978 with a Khanjar dial, made for Sultan Qaboos. Haute Time lists its estimate as CHF 500,000 to 1,000,000 in the November 9 sale.
What are the Michael Schumacher F.P. Journe watches at Christie's?
Five Ruthenium F.P. Journe watches, all number 92/99, offered as separate lots. Haute Time lists three at CHF 300,000 to 600,000 each and two at CHF 650,000 to 1,200,000 each.
What sold at the Christie's Hong Kong online watch sale in October 2026?
Haute Time reports a total of HKD 23,125,632 (about $2.95 million), led by a platinum Vacheron Constantin 49005/000P at HKD 1,024,000 (about $130,500) and an Eska enamel-dial watch at HKD 1,216,000.
When is the GPHG 2026 ceremony?
Haute Time and the GPHG's announcement, as we read it, give November 7 in Geneva, with 84 finalists in 14 categories. WorldTempus lists November 8, so check with the organizers.
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