Bidding commences on Christie’s The Dubai Edit online watch auction

Online bidding for the watches that are a part of Christie’s The Dubai Edit auction commenced on Thursday, October 15, and will conclude on October 29.

The Dubai Edit replaces the annual on-ground Important Watches auction held in the emirate.

The current sale will offer 161 lots and Christie’s says that it represents the most valuable online watch sale ever offered with a mid-estimate of $5m.

The watches were made available for private viewing, by appointment only, starting from October 10 at Christie’s DIFC office in Dubai and they will continue to be available for viewings until the auction ends later this month.

“The regional and global demand for rare and limited-edition watches remains robust, and we have sought a range of pieces that have specific relevance to Middle East collectors for this online sale. The MENA region is one of our fastest-growing markets globally, and we anticipate a strong outcome from emerging as well as established collectors,” said Remy Julia, head of watches at Christie’s Middle East.

Read: Interview: Guillaume Cerutti, CEO of Christie’s

Some of the exceptional pieces that are on sale include a Patek Philippe Ref 2481 (pictured above) with an enamel painting of Saudi Arabia’s King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud which was ordered as a series of 150 watches in commemoration of his accession in the throne in 1953.

Christie’s confirmed that this watch was consigned by the family of the original owner, a ‘companion of King Saud of Saudi Arabia’, and is estimated to fetch between $40,000-60,000.

Another piece that will likely attract furious bidding is the Rolex MILSUB Submariner, Ref 5513/17 from 1977, made for the British Royal Navy which also showcases the symbol of Tritium on the dial to signify that the dangerous radium lume on the dial of its predecessors was now replaced with a safer option of Tritium. This watch alone has an upper estimate of $240,000, although bidding has commenced from $140,000.

There are several other watches can be purchased for far less and which have a strong regional connection within the GCC.

A Rolex Oysterdate Ref 6694, for example, features a UAE crest and signature of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and has an upper estimate of $14,000.

Meanwhile, an Omega Pink Gold and Diamonds Seamaster Ref BB 166.010 with the portrait of Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa is expected to attract between $10,000-$15,000.