At the end of December 2021 we brought you the news that Gerald Genta’s very own Royal Oak would be offered for sale at Sotheby’s through three dedicated ‘Gérald Genta: Icon of Time’ auctions starting February 2022. Along with his very own Royal Oak, approximately 30 original Royal Oak design drawings will be offered in each of the sales. Paired with unique NFTs —non-fungible tokens— and 10 years since his passing, Gérald Genta’s personal archive is offering a total of 100 original designs encompassing his most iconic timepieces, never-before-seen private commissions and a special selection of designs for the original Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402 and the Nautilus ref. 3700.
Right now, the Gérald Genta: Icon of Time Sale in Geneva has just kicked off yesterday and it will run until the 24th. This sale featuring Genta’s original designs for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo including a never-before-seen ‘unreleased’ first design for the legendary timepiece is already getting a lot of attention from online bidders.
Lot number 1 which is the original prototype design of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak from 1972 with accompanying NFT is already at a bid of CHF 40,000 Swiss Francs —approximately $43,000 USD. With 12 more days to go, we are certain that this original drawing will break the six-figure mark once the auction ends.
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.
As soon as this Sotheby’s auction ends, we will be bringing you the final results. 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.
Gérald Genta’s Personal Royal Oak Jumbo
