Phillips / The New York Watch Auction: XIII

Key Highlights

• $43.5 million total, the highest result for any watch auction in US history.
• F.P.Journe’s unique FFC prototype from Francis Ford Coppola realizes $10.8 million, a world record for the brand and an independent watchmaker.
• Fifth consecutive year of 100%-sold “white glove” live watch auctions for Phillips in New York.
• Seven lots cross $1 million, led by independents including F.P.Journe and Philippe Dufour.
• Strong international bidding for rare Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega and leading independents.

A landmark New York season finale

The New York Watch Auction: XIII closed Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s tenth anniversary year in the city with a $43.5 million total and a 100% sell-through rate by lot and by value, establishing a US record for any watch auction and extending Phillips’ streak to five consecutive years of white glove live watch auctions in New York.

Momentum in the saleroom and online came from rare provenance and a focused selection of independents and blue-chip classics, with over 2,000 registered bidders competing for watches that blended storytelling, contemporary watchmaking and historically important references.

The F.P.Journe FFC prototype: a new benchmark

At the centre of the sale was Francis Ford Coppola’s unique FFC prototype by F.P.Journe, conceived through a dialogue between the director and the watchmaker and described by Phillips as one of the most important watches ever to appear at auction.

The first wristwatch to indicate the time via a single articulated human hand, it realised $10.8 million after eleven minutes of bidding, selling to an anonymous phone bidder and setting a new world auction record for F.P.Journe and for a watch by an independent watchmaker.

The price is also the highest achieved for a timepiece at auction in the United States since Phillips sold Paul Newman’s own Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona in 2017, placing the FFC prototype among the most notable watches of the modern era.

Francis Ford Coppola’s collection and independent momentum

The Coppola consignment remained a focal point, with all seven of the director’s personal watches selling, from the record-breaking FFC prototype to the Chronomètre à Résonance “FFC”, which achieved $584,500, and a Breguet that realised fifteen times its low estimate despite being offered without reserve.

Independent watchmakers opened the auction with strong demand, as early pieces from SpaceOne and J.N. Shapiro set the tone for a sale in which independents ultimately claimed nine of the top ten lots, with F.P.Journe the dominant name.

The Chronomètre à Résonance “Sincere Fine Watches” – produced in ten examples for the Singapore retailer’s 50th anniversary and fitted with a black mother-of-pearl dial – realised $3.7 million, more than ten times its low estimate and highlighting demand for rare, low-production independents.

Philippe Dufour 01/01 and breadth of demand

Phillips assembled a pairing from Philippe Dufour: a Duality and a Simplicity, each bearing the serial number 01 and offered together as a chance to acquire foundational works from a watchmaker widely regarded as one of the greatest of the past century.

The Duality exceeded $3 million, while the Simplicity achieved $1.2 million, reaffirming the position of Dufour’s work as a reference point for serious collecting and aligning with strong results for rare Rolex, Patek Philippe and Omega that showed depth of demand across classical and contemporary categories.

Why it matters

The New York Watch Auction: XIII confirms the resilience of the high-end watch market, with record-setting results driven by connoisseurship rather than volume. For collectors in the Gulf and beyond, the sale underlines the appeal of independent watchmakers with strong narratives and limited production, and the premium that world-class provenance can command when curated by a specialist team.

These results also show how focused curation around independent voices such as F.P.Journe and Philippe Dufour can shape long-term value, offering a reference point for collectors refining their own portfolios in a selective market.