"Mona Lisa of wristwatches" sells for record price at Christie's

10 May 2010
Patek Philippe sets record price for a gold wristwatch at Christie's in Geneva.

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Patek Philippe sets record price for a gold wristwatch at Christie's in Geneva.
(Christie's via Bloomberg)

A rare, WWII-era Patek Philippe sold for the equivalent of $5.7 million, the highest price paid for a yellow-gold wristwatch at auction. The 18-karat gold chronograph, from 1944, which has a calendar that adjusts for leap years and displays the phases of the moon, reached 6.26 million francs at Christie's in Geneva.

Geneva-based auctioneer Antiquorum sold a Patek Philippe wristwatch in 2002 for 6.6 million francs, or about $4.03 million. The record price depends on currency fluctuations.




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