Today, the Gérald Genta: Icon of Time Sale in Geneva came to an end, and the original prototype design by Genta of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak from 1972 with accompanying NFT—Lot 1— sold for CHF 564,500 Swiss Francs plus buyer’s fees —approximately $610,000 USD. Wonder who the lucky winner was. Our guess is that it was probably Audemars Piguet directly. We will investigate and try to get you more details.

This original drawing is a watercolor on paper measuring 21 cm x 14.7 cm —8.26” x 5.78”— and signed by Gérald Genta. Stay tuned for the other two upcoming ‘Gérald Genta: Icon of Time’ auctions in Hong Kong and New York. The Hong Kong auction will take place from March 10th through the 24th, 2022, and the one in New York from April 13th through the 27th, 2022.

Lastly, at the Important Watches Sotheby’s Biannual Auction in Geneva on May 2022, Genta’s very own unique Royal Oak Jumbo will be sold coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release. The watch will be sold along with four oil paintings by Gérald Genta, paying tribute to the Nautilus and the Royal Oak.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales will also benefit the Gérald Genta Heritage Association and their mission to encourage and reward the next generation in the watch industry, notably with the launch of the first edition of the Gérald Genta Prize for Young Talent.

For more info on the Gérald Genta Heritage Association click here and for Sotheby’s here.