Sotheby’s Geneva Watch Sale Led by a 1916 A. Lange & Söhne Rarity

By Annie Davidson Watson | May 05, 2026

Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva on May 10 arrives with momentum: The house’s recent Hong Kong watch auction set a record as the highest-grossing watch sale ever held in Asia, and the Geneva lineup looks built to sustain it.

The top lot is a 1916 A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication clock watch in pink gold (pictured at top), estimated at $880,000 to $1,500,000. Not offered publicly in nearly 90 years, it is the fifth in a series of only nine ever made and the sole example produced in pink gold. Complications include a grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeating, perpetual calendar, and split-second chronograph.

Rolex watch — *Rolex Daytona Paul Newman “John Player Special” watch in 14k yellow gold, estimate $570,000–$1,100,000*

Close behind is a 1969 Rolex Daytona Paul Newman “John Player Special,” Ref. 6241, estimated at $570,000 to $1,100,000. Rolex produced this reference in 14k gold (rather than the standard 18k) specifically for the American market to sidestep higher import duties on heavier gold models, making it rare from the outset. The John Player Special dial configuration and excellent condition make it even more appealing.

A second Paul Newman Daytona, Ref. 6239 in 18k yellow gold from 1967, is estimated at $380,000 to $760,000, and is appearing at auction for the first time since its original purchase nearly 50 years ago.

Patek Philippe clock — *Patek Philippe Léopold Sédar Senghor Renaissance Solar Dome Clock, estimate $330,000–$630,000*

The sale also features a Patek Philippe dome table clock made for Léopold Sédar Senghor, president of Senegal for two decades, estimated at $330,000 to $630,000; an early F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance, estimated at $500,000 to $800,000; and a Rolex Explorer II that belonged to mountaineer Reinhold Messner, estimated at $25,000 to $50,000.

Cartier watch — *Cartier Parallélogramme watch in gold and leather, estimate $70,000–$100,000*

Rounding things out is the second installment of Shapes of Cartier, a single-owner collection of more than 300 vintage Cartier timepieces being sold across multiple Sotheby’s sales this year. The first segment in Hong Kong last week produced a record for the most valuable Cartier wristwatch ever sold at auction.

(Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s)

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