Editor’s Note
The recent auctions in Monte-Carlo underscore the principality’s enduring status as a premier hub for high-value luxury goods, with sales totals significantly surpassing expectations.
The auctions held on December 3rd and 4th at the Hôtel Métropole confirmed Monte-Carlo’s attractiveness for the luxury market, with spectacular sales far exceeding estimates.
The Italian auction house Wannenes concluded 2025 on a high note with its December sales held in the salons of the Hôtel Métropole. These auctions brought together over 320 lots of high jewelry, designer bags, and collectible watches. The total sales now reach €1,945,798, split between the jewelry and accessories sale (€1,094,454) and the rare watches sale (€851,344).
In the jewelry category, a platinum ring set with a 15.60-carat Burmese ruby, estimated at €80,000, sold for €101,600. A 1920s Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, offered at €60,000, soared to €76,200. The accessories sale saw an Hermès Kelly Sellier 25 bag in Rose Extrême color, estimated at €15,000, sell for €26,670.
The rare watches department recorded the highest overbids. The centerpiece of the sale, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Skeleton, fetched €228,600 against an expected €115,000. A 1978 Rolex Submariner Milsub, formerly owned by the British Ministry of Defence and valued at €75,000, finally changed hands for €158,750.
As for the Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman,” it doubled its starting bid of €40,000 to reach €78,000. These results reinforce Monaco’s position as an essential hub for the luxury market.
