A new record was set on Friday at the Phillips Geneva auction by F.P. Journe’s Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité from 1993 after selling for a whopping CHF 7.3 million ($8.3 million). The record for the most expensive watch by an independent watchmaker to ever sell at auction was previously held by a Philippe Dufour Grande et Petite Sonnerie. It sold for $7.3 million at A Collected Man in 2021. Before last week’s auction, the most expensive F.P. Journe sold was The Hand, which managed to fetch around $4.9 million at the 2021 edition of the Only Watch charity auction.
What makes the record-breaking F.P. Journe timepiece truly special is that it’s the second wristwatch ever made by the independent watchmaker. Furthermore, it’s the first F.P. Journe wristwatch to be sold. It has a 38mm case made of platinum, while the manual winding movement is made of 18k gold. The first wristwatch F.P. Journe made was for himself in 1991, and it was never retailed. Before that, the French watchmaker only made pocket watches or created movements and watches for other brands, including Cartier.
The bidding for the Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité started at a jaw-dropping $5 million, which shocked everybody in attendance at the auction. After a quick bidding war, the timepiece was hammered for CHF 6 million, substantially higher than the pre-sale estimate of CHF 2 million (~ $2.3 million).
The identity of the buyer has not been revealed by the auction house. But, can it be Mark Zuckerberg who coughed up millions of dollars on the highly coveted collector’s watch?
There are several reasons why we think it’s the Facebook founder who might have bought the record-breaking wristwatch. This year, Zuckerberg finally ditched his plain grey t-shirts and hoodies and embraced a more fashionable look. The 40-year-old’s sudden shift in style has been very noticeable.
To give his public image a thorough makeover, the centi-billionaire has not only revamped his fashion sense but also indulged in super-expensive toys. In addition to splurging $300 million on a megayacht, Zuckerberg got himself and his wife a matching pair of custom Porsches. Furthermore, he also turned into a serious watch collector this year.
After attending one of the pre-wedding functions of Anant Ambani, son of the richest person in Asia and a prominent watch collector, Zuckerberg started building up his own collection of rare watches. The first ultra-expensive watch spotted on his wrist was a $141,000 Patek Philippe. However, the Meta CEO seems to have a special liking for F.P. Journe watches.
His collection includes at least two timepieces made by the independent watchmaker. This new-found passion might have urged the billionaire to add the ultimate F.P. Journe wristwatch. Maybe Zuck might end up wearing the watch soon, confirming our theory.
