Sotheby's Important Watches in Geneva: a Patek Philippe Made for King Saud and a New-Old-Stock "Big Red" Daytona
Sotheby's completes the trio of major Geneva watch auctions in November. Its Important Watches sale runs from 20 October to 8 November 2026 and brings together 184 lots of modern and vintage watches, from Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier to independent watchmakers. The watches can be viewed at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva from 5 to 7 November, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A Patek Philippe for King Saud
The headline lot is a Patek Philippe Ref. 2481 in pink gold, set with rubies and made in 1955 in homage to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
Other highlights
- Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6263 "Big Red", stainless steel, circa 1985, offered as new old stock
- Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 2407 "Sea Turtle", pink gold, made in 1948
- Vacheron Constantin Quantième Perpétuel Ref. 43032/000J-7072, a skeletonised perpetual calendar in yellow gold, made in 1998
- F.P. Journe Octa Chronographe Ruthenium, a limited edition flyback chronograph in platinum, circa 2004
Sotheby's online catalogue does not list estimates for these lots.
The Geneva auction weekend
The sale takes place on the same weekend as Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction XXIV (7–8 November) and Christie's Rare Watches (9 November). The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève awards ceremony is also held in Geneva on 7 November.
Source: Sotheby's online catalogue, Important Watches, Geneva, November 2026.