The Covid-19 outbreak’s impact on the watch industry continues unabated. After the cancellation of Baselworld 2020 and Watches & Wonders Geneva, an event closer home has now been postponed. Auction house Christie’s has announced that it will postpone its 19th Important Watches Dubai Auction to October now. The event was originally scheduled to be held on April 11.
This edition was supposed to be feature the largest selection of watches ever offered to the region with approximately 200 lots. “Since the news regarding the Corona virus outbreak, Christie’s has been monitoring the situation globally to assess the potential impact to our clients, our employees and to the business. As a result, we have taken the decision to reschedule the Christie’s Important Watches auction, due to be held in Dubai on 11 April, to October,” said a statement from the auction house.
The auction will now coincide with their annual Middle Eastern modern and contemporary art auction. This year’s sale included a diverse range of collections by single owners, alongside a curated selection of vintage pieces including a clutch of Patek Philippe Calatrava watches with emphasis on rare dial configuration and fancy lugs from the 1940s. The sale also features well-considered selection of Rolex watches, including pre-Daytona and Paul Newman Daytona models. The independents watch brands being offered at the auction include the terrific Naissance d’une montre 1 which is being offered a public auction for the first time since 2017.
