Schumacher's Journes, Zidane's First Cartier: Geneva's Watch Week Opens

Geneva's November auction week is about to begin, and this season the best stories are about who wore the watches. Christie's opens a free public preview of its Rare Watches sale today, 5 November, at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, running until 8 November ahead of the auction on Monday 9 November, according to The Watchology and Haute Time. The catalogue has 218 lots.

A racing champion's set, sold one by one

The headline consignment is a set of five F.P. Journe watches with ruthenium dials that belonged to Michael Schumacher, each numbered 92/99. Christie's is offering them as separate lots, which means five separate bidding battles. The Watchology and Haute Time list the estimates:

• Octa Jour et Nuit, Octa Chronographe and Octa Calendrier: CHF 300,000 to 600,000 each.
• Tourbillon Souverain and Chronomètre à Résonance: CHF 650,000 to 1.2 million each.
• Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/1 in yellow gold with a "Khanjar" dial, 1978, made for Sultan Qaboos of Oman per Haute Time: CHF 500,000 to 1 million.
• Patek Philippe 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph, yellow gold, 1948: CHF 500,000 to 1 million.

Add up the top estimates of the five Journes and you reach CHF 4.2 million, before buyer's premium.

Zidane's first salary, on the wrist

The most personal lot is a steel Cartier Pasha with sapphire cabochon pushers. "This Cartier Pasha was the first watch I bought for myself with my first salary when I was playing in Bordeaux," Zinedine Zidane told Europa Star. All proceeds go to ELA International, the European Leukodystrophies Association, which Zidane has supported as patron for more than 25 years. It sits inside the second edition of Watches for ELA, a group of about twenty unique pieces donated by brands such as Alpina, Boucheron, Bovet, Montblanc and Tissot, sold without published estimates.

The rest of the week

Phillips opens on 7 and 8 November at the Hotel President with The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV. Its top lot is a 1945 steel Patek Philippe 1436 split-seconds chronograph estimated at CHF 2 to 4 million, alongside a 2002 F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance "Régence" and the first part of the Pucci Papaleo collection of sixteen Rolex chronographs, per Haute Time, The Hour Markers and Dial & Crown. In May, the same Phillips sale totalled CHF 74.8 million. Sotheby's sells Important Watches on 8 and 9 November, led by a pink-gold A. Lange & Söhne pocket watch from around 1914 (CHF 500,000 to 1 million) and a George Daniels Millennium from 2001 (CHF 300,000 to 600,000).

A famous name can double a hammer price, but only paperwork proves the story. Read the provenance before you raise the paddle.

A practical note: estimates exclude buyer's premium, and results can land far from them in either direction. Watches are not a guaranteed investment; if you are bidding seriously, talk to an independent specialist first. We will report the results next week.