Three Watches that Refused to Follow the Rules | Christie's

Why It Matters

These boundary‑pushing watches prove that rarity and design daring can command premium prices, reshaping collector focus toward experimental horology.

Key Takeaways

• Cardier Benois Alon 1970: bold, swinging design epitomizes 1970s avant‑garde
• PG “soar” piece combines oversized cuff‑style watch with gold chain
• Automar PK jumper 1928 uses aperture display, pre‑digital aesthetic
• All three are unrestored, first‑owner pieces, enhancing collector value
• Rarity and experimental forms drive strong demand at Christie's auction

Summary

Christie's recent auction spotlighted three watches that deliberately flouted conventional design rules, underscoring a growing appetite for avant‑garde horology.

The 1970 Cardier Benois Alon London dazzles with its swinging, oversized case that captures the era’s rebellious spirit. PG’s “soar” piece blurs the line between jewelry and timepiece, hanging from an 18‑karat gold double‑chain and finished with tiger‑eye beads. The 1928 Automar PK jumper abandons traditional hands for aperture‑based “digital” numerals, a concept decades ahead of its time.

Christie's catalog notes the pieces are “unpolished, unrestored, fresh to market, and first owner,” a rarity that drives premium valuations. One commentator called the Automar “nothing else like this time piece during the period,” while the Cardier was described as a “juggernaut of a piece.”

Their scarcity and experimental nature signal a shift in the luxury watch market, where collectors reward historical innovation as much as brand prestige, potentially inflating prices for similarly unconventional artifacts.

Original Description

Join Christie’s specialists Henry Ishikawa, Janet Tham and Rebecca Ross as they spotlight three remarkable timepieces from our upcoming New York Important Watches auction.

Henry introduces the Cartier London Baignoire Allongée, one of the most coveted and elusive creations to emerge from Cartier’s London workshops. Janet highlights a spectacular Piaget Tiger’s Eye Sautoir necklace watch, a bold fusion of jewellery, art and horology from the height of 1970s glamour. And Rebecca explores an Audemars Piguet jump hour wristwatch from 1928, whose futuristic display style feels strikingly modern nearly a century later.

Three specialists. Three extraordinary watches. Which would you choose?

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📅 Important Watches | New York | 12 June

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