Fellows’ watch sale breaks house record
A London auction house has broken one of its house records for the number of bidders at one of their recent timed auctions.
The sale, which ended on April 20, had a total of 1,150 entrants on Fellows‘ platform alone and over 400 more on The-Salesroom.com. With around 1,600 entrants signed up for the timed auction, it was the most the auction house has had and surpassed the 716 entrants who signed up to their earlier jewellery auction on April 16.
The Watches auction, showcasing 377 lots, ran for a total of seven and a half hours.
The sale was full of sought-after watches from a variety of brands including Tag Heuer, Rolex, and Omega. The auction had an 87% sell-rate and showcased the strong demand for elegant timepieces.
Many watches, most notably from Rolex and Omega, exceeded their auction estimates and they often received 20-50 bids each. An 18ct yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watch sold for £13,079 (including fees) against an estimate of £4,500-£5,500. Furthermore, a gentleman’s stainless steel Speedmaster chronograph by Omega sold for £4,657 (including fees) against an estimate of £1,200-£1,800.
Steven Yambo, Senior Watch Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “We received record registrants in our watches sale and I am thrilled there is still a demand for all kinds of timepieces. So many items flew above their estimates and I enjoyed watching people bid on the auction even down to the wire. Our watch auctions at Fellows continue to go from strength-to-strength and even with the way the world is at the moment people still seem to be taking part in our auctions.”
Fellows Auctioneers currently have an auction of online jewellery, which ends on April 30, via their website.
Highlights from Fellows’ watches sale were (prices are inclusive of all fees):
A gentleman’s 18ct yellow gold Blancpain Villeret chronograph wrist watch. Estimate: £1,200 – £1,800. Price realised: £3,381.40
A Cartier mid-size bi-metal Ballon Bleu bracelet watch. Estimate: £2,500 – £3,000. Price realised: £5,295.40
A Franck Muller lady’s 18ct white gold Cintree Curvex wrist watch. Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000. Price realised: £4,721.20
An Omega gentleman’s stainless steel Speedmaster chronograph bracelet watch. Estimate: £1,200 – £1,800. Price realised: £4,657.40
A Rolex gentleman’s 18ct yellow gold Oyster Perpetual Day-Date bracelet watch. Estimate: £4,500 – £5,500. Price realised: £13,079.00