F.P. Journe Watch Fetches $238,400 At Sotheby's ‘Area_51' Auction

Forbes

08-04-2025

F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos limited edition tantalum watch sold for 203,200 CHF
The F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos, circa 2015, a limited edition tantalum semi-skeletonized watch was the top lot in a special UFO-themed auction held by Sotheby's in Geneva, titled 'Area_51.' It fetched 203,200 Swiss Francs ($238,425).
The web-like blue and gold dial is housed in a 40mm case made of tantalum, a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is powered by the 1304 manual winding caliber.
The watch was one of 51 lots in the sale held at Salle Trocmé, an event space in the city. The live auction held April 3 totaled 1.4 million Swiss francs (more than $1.6 million) with 42 of the 51 lots sold.
The Toledano & Chan b-2 Prototype, created for the Area_51 auction sold for 20,320 CHF
The watches represent the latter half of the 20th century into the present day. The majority of the watches were from the 1960s and '70s, however, there were plenty more recent models and two new watches created for the event: A Furlan Marri piece that is a unique variation of its Disco Volante series that features a tantalum case, marking the first time the brand used this metal. It fetched 16,510 Swiss francs ($19,370), besting its high estimate. The other piece is a Toledano & Chan watch with a unique take on its trademark architectural watch designs. It fetched 20,320 Swiss francs ($23,843), well above its high estimate.
Other top lots in the sale are as follows:
Cartier Crash '13 Rue de la Paix' sold for 186,839 CHF
A Cartier Crash '13 Rue de la Paix', Reference 2774, a limited edition white gold and diamond-set wristwatch, circa 2006. It fetched 165,100 Swiss francs ($193,720).
Gérald Genta platinum and diamond-set minute repeating wristwatch sold for 127,000 CHF
A Gérald Genta reference G.4036, circa 1990, a unique platinum and diamond-set minute repeating wristwatch with bracelet and mother-of-pearl dial. It fetched 127,000 Swiss francs ($149,000).
Audemars Piguet Concept CW1 sold for 114,300 CHF
An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'CW1,' Reference 25980AI.OO.D003SU.01. A limited edition alacrite and titanium tourbillon wristwatch with power reserve indicator, dynamograph and function selector, circa 2005.
Buyers from Europe represented half of all the buyers in the sale, followed by buyers from the USA (23%), Asia (19%), Middle East (8%).
The auction followed an exhibition of the pieces culminating in a party held at Salle Trocmé on April 2 where all the 51 watches were on display in a room filled with artificial smoke, lighting and music that evokes the UFO theme of the sale. Many of the watches were displayed under a plastic canopy.
Sotheby's auctioneer Jonny Fowle during the Sotheby's Area_51 live sale showcasing UFO-like ... More avant-garde vintage Watches
This is the second consecutive year Sotheby's Geneva is holding a special thematic auction of watches in collaboration with the creative watch collective, heist-out.
The sale coincides with the Watches and Wonders horology fair in Geneva, held April 1 -7.
The latest event follows 'Rough Diamonds,' an exhibition and auction of unconventional avant-garde timepieces held in April 2024 inside a wine cave in Geneva, also during Watches and Wonders.
Both sales by Sotheby's were in collaboration with heist-out, a Geneva-based creative agency specializing in watchmaking, founded by Maxime Couturier and Lorenzo Maillard. The idea of these thematic sales is to attract younger collectors to auctions. It seems to be having a positive effect as Sotheby's says that nearly a third of all buyers participating in the sale were under 40 and 26% were new to Sotheby's.
'This year the activation was even more ambitious, offering watch lovers and collectors alike pieces inspired by outer space or as unique as UFOs,' said Manon Hagie, head of Sale for Area_51. 'The theme clearly chimed with dozens of international committed bidders, with nearly forty per cent of them bidding from the USA, despite the uncertainty about newly announced tariffs. A sign that the market is continuing to show some resistance to risk when the watches are truly exceptional.'