Watch Auctions 2026 · October results
TL;DR
The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Tourbillon “Miami” — Bonhams New York’s marquee lot in their timed online sale (closed 8 October) — went unsold against a $50,000–$70,000 estimate. The room found value elsewhere: a 1980s Breguet Classique sold at 4.5× its high estimate, and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold topped the sale at $76,700. Across the Atlantic in Hong Kong, Christie’s closed their October 7 online edit with $2.95 million total, driven by two outsider lots — an Eska cloisonné dial at roughly 15× estimate and a Vacheron Constantin at 25× — while modern Patek Philippes traded within estimate on just two to four bids each.
The October online auction week that opened with excitement around a Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona at Sothéby’s Paris and a record-breaking Voutilainen at Phillips New York closed quietly for the remaining two houses. Bonhams’ 138-lot New York watches sale shut on 8 October; Christie’s Hong Kong Edit on 7 October. Neither posted total figures, but the lot-level results reveal an instructive pattern: star lots flopped, sleepers flew.
Bonhams New York: The Tourbillon That Didn’t Find a Buyer
The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Tourbillon “Miami” (Ref. 3805-1202), offered as number 1 of 28 pieces, was positioned as Bonhams’ headline lot at a $50,000–$70,000 estimate. It passed. A 2026 H. Moser Streamliner Genesis 2 also went unsold.
The failure is not necessarily a verdict on Moser as a brand, but it does illustrate a structural challenge for recent ultra-limited releases at online-only platforms. Number 1 of 28 should be a desirable provenance marker; in practice, collectors at timed online auctions struggle to verify provenance and condition to a standard they’d accept at those price levels. The same caution does not apply to established references from legacy houses.
| Lot | Piece | Estimate | Result (incl. premium) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold Ref. 67630BA, 2024 | $50,000–$70,000 | $76,700 (109% of high est.) |
| n/a | Breguet Classique Ref. 3130 BA, c. 1980s | $8,000–$12,000 | $53,760 (4.5× high est.) |
| 136 | H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Tourbillon “Miami” Ref. 3805-1202, no. 1/28 | $50,000–$70,000 | UNSOLD |
| n/a | H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Genesis 2, 2026 | Not disclosed | UNSOLD |
The AP Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold is a different story. The Royal Oak is one of the most liquid references in the secondary market, and the Frosted Gold variant — produced in limited runs since the 2016 Caroline Scheufele collaboration — has consistently retained a premium at retail and beyond. The $76,700 result on a $70,000 high estimate suggests the premium is holding, not growing, which aligns with broader sport-watch market cooling since the post-2022 peak.
The Breguet Classique 3130 BA is the genuine surprise. A late-1980s time-only dress piece, offered with an $8,000–$12,000 estimate that signalled modest expectations, cleared $53,760. This is consistent with a quieter trend in the secondary market: buyers priced out of modern icons are discovering that pre-quartz-crisis Breguet Classique and Tradition references trade at a fraction of new prices and offer comparable or superior watchmaking. At 4.5 times the high estimate, someone—or several someones—agreed.
Christie’s Hong Kong Edit: When Cloisonné Beats Patek
Christie’s timed online sale “Watches Online: Hong Kong Edit” closed 7 October with a total of HKD 23,125,632 (approximately $2.95 million USD). The sale was driven not by marquee modern pieces but by decorative and historical complications that generated competitive multi-bidder contests.
| Lot | Piece | Estimate | Result (incl. premium) | Bids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Eska pink gold wristwatch, cloisonné enamel dial | HKD 80,000–160,000 | HKD 1,216,000 (~$154,900) | 37 |
| 177 | Vacheron Constantin Ref. 49005/000P | HKD 40,000 (low) | HKD 1,024,000 (~$130,500) | 44 |
| n/a | F.P. Journe Centigraphe Souverain, platinum | Not stated | HKD 307,200 (~$39,100) | 79 |
| Various | Modern Patek Philippe (sport references) | Within estimate | Within estimate | 2–4 |
The Eska cloisonné result is extraordinary. Eska is a mid-tier Swiss manufacturer with little collector profile in English-speaking markets, but its enamel-dialled pieces have been quietly appreciating in Asia for a decade. At 37 bids and 15 times the low estimate, this is not a fluke—it is an active collector segment that Western-facing auction coverage has largely missed.
The Vacheron Constantin Ref. 49005/000P attracted 44 bids, suggesting a contested auction among informed buyers. Vacheron’s complicated references have been consistently outperforming their retail positioning at auction over the past three years, particularly in Asian markets. Patek Philippes, by contrast, cleared within estimate on minimal bidding activity—consistent with the general cooling of modern steel sport references that began in early 2024.
The most unusual lot: an F.P. Journe aluminium bracelet—sold without a watch—generated 79 bids and HKD 307,200. F.P. Journe’s accessories have become collector items in their own right, an indicator of the depth of enthusiasm for the brand.
What October’s Week Tells Buyers and Sellers
Across all four October online sales, a clear picture emerges. Scarce legacy complications and enamel dials attract genuine competition. Whether it was the Breguet at Bonhams, the Eska at Christie’s, or the Voutilainen at Phillips, the biggest multiples in October went to pieces with restricted secondary-market supply and irreproducible craftsmanship. New ultra-limited releases require physical inspection confidence that online-only platforms don’t yet provide at the $50,000+ tier. The Moser Miami result is a datapoint, not a death sentence, but sellers of new-to-market independents should consider live salerooms or specialist consignment channels. Modern icon premiums are compressing. Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold held a thin premium; modern sport Pateks in Hong Kong didn’t generate bidding competition. The secondary market data continues to show that post-bubble normalisation is ongoing across the board.
Up Next: Antiquorum New York, 18 October
The Antiquorum New York “Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces” live sale takes place at The Ned NoMad on Sunday 18 October — two days from today. With 157 lots including nine F.P. Journe wristwatches and a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1R-001 with a Tiffany brown dial ($200,000–$400,000 estimate), it will be a sharper test of whether the strongest independent and vintage Patek premiums remain intact in a room setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
The lot was offered online-only, where buyers at $50,000+ often require in-person inspection to verify condition and provenance on new-to-market ultra-limited pieces. Number 1 of 28 is a strong serial provenance, but online platforms do not yet give buyers the confidence to transact at that level against an asking price where misjudging condition is costly. A live saleroom, specialist retailer, or peer-to-peer channel would likely command a stronger result.
The October 2026 Bonhams result ($76,700 against $50,000–$70,000 estimate) suggests the secondary premium is holding but not expanding. Frosted Gold Royal Oaks have historically retained value above retail, but buyers should note the broader sport-watch market has cooled since 2022–2023 peak premiums. The piece remains liquid and retains collector appeal, but speculative uplift is less likely than it was two years ago. For a broader Royal Oak comparison, see our Grand Seiko vs Audemars Piguet guide.
Eska enamel-dialled pieces have an active and competitive collector base in Hong Kong and greater China. Cloisonné enamel is extraordinarily labour-intensive and the number of surviving examples in excellent condition is finite. Western-facing auction databases and guides give this category little coverage, leading to low pre-sale estimates that systematically undervalue what the active buyer pool will pay. The 37-bid contest confirms multiple informed buyers were competing.
A pre-1990 Breguet Classique selling at 4–5 times its estimate at an online auction signals growing collector awareness of the category. Breguet Classique and Tradition references from the 1970s–1990s trade at a fraction of modern equivalents, offer the same master-watchmaking pedigree, and are now attracting a new generation of buyers priced out of modern complications. The data point is consistent with similar moves in pre-quartz vintage Patek and early Vacheron Calatrava at auction over the past 18 months.
The Antiquorum sale takes place live at The Ned NoMad, New York, on Sunday 18 October at 11 AM local time. Online bidding and live streaming are typically available via Antiquorum’s own platform. Our full preview of the lots and what to watch is at Antiquorum Returns to New York: What Collectors Need to Know Before the 18 October Sale.
Sources: HauteTime — Watch Auction Results October 2026 (primary results data, published 10 October 2026); Bonhams Auction 31892 (sale page); HauteTime — October Auction Preview (lot estimates and sale structure). Prices dated 8–9 October 2026 and include buyer’s premium unless noted.
