This rare vintage Cartier watch fetched $2 million after intense bidding battle

Dubai: A rare Cartier timepiece has led a record-breaking auction at Sotheby's, underlining the continued strength of the global luxury watch market.

The auction house’s latest “Important Watches” sale generated a total of $52.9 million (approximately Dh194 million), making it one of its strongest watch auctions in Asia. The standout result came from Cartier, with a rare yellow-gold Cartier London Crash from 1987 selling for $2 million (around Dh7.3 million), setting a new record for the brand at Sotheby’s.

The watch drew intense interest from collectors, triggering a multi-minute bidding battle across phone, online, and in-room participants. The final price was more than double its pre-sale estimate, reflecting strong demand for rare, design-led vintage pieces. Only a handful of such models are believed to exist, adding to its appeal.

Cartier was a major driver of the sale’s success. An 82-piece vintage collection titled The Shapes of Cartier achieved a 100 percent sell-through rate, with several watches significantly outperforming expectations. A London Asymmetric model in yellow gold with blue enamel, in particular, fetched more than ten times its estimate.

Other high-value lots also performed strongly. A 1924 Patek Philippe single-button chronograph, retailed by Tiffany & Co., sold for $1.96 million (approximately Dh7.2 million). Meanwhile, an A. Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour le Mérite achieved $1.3 million (around Dh4.8 million).

According to Sotheby’s, 97 percent of lots were sold, with more than half exceeding their high estimates—an indication of sustained collector confidence in rare and historically significant timepieces.

Industry experts say the results highlight a growing appetite for distinctive, vintage watches with strong provenance, particularly from heritage brands like Cartier, even as the broader luxury market faces fluctuations.