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On Tuesday 7 July, collector watchmaking has a date in Paris. The Millon auction house will hold a sale dedicated to watches, clocks and horological objects, in the familiar setting of the Drouot district, at the Salle VV. A session that should naturally hold the attention of enthusiasts, collectors and informed curious minds, so fully does it gather what watchmaking loves to offer when it goes under the hammer: diversity, signatures, periods, states of preservation, but also that share of uncertainty that creates all the tension of a public sale.
For a watch sale is never merely a succession of lots. It is a snapshot of the taste of an era. It tells what collectors are looking for, what the market is watching, what certain signatures continue to arouse as desire. It also allows the rediscovery of less publicised pieces, sometimes more accessible, but no less interesting for anyone who loves the horological object in its patrimonial, technical or aesthetic dimension.
An eclectic selection, from antique watches to contemporary watchmaking
The catalogue brings together a fine range of pieces, from pocket watches to wristwatches, from historic houses to contemporary signatures, from collection icons to more confidential objects. Patek Philippe, Breguet, Rolex, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, Zenith, Longines, Lip and even Seiko appear throughout the selection, drawing a broad panorama of collector watchmaking.
It is precisely this breadth that makes the sale interesting. One will find antique gold watches, form watches, chronographs, diving watches, jewellery pieces, small clocks, but also objects tied to the horological world. The sale is therefore not aimed solely at major bidders. It can also interest those who wish to enter the world of watch auctions through a more modest piece, a vintage model, a watch of character or a collector’s object.
The presence of numerous lots estimated at accessible levels serves to recall an often-forgotten truth: watch collecting is not limited to records, million-euro pieces or watches that have become unattainable. It sometimes begins with a watch chosen for its history, its design, its patina, its provenance or simply the emotion it provokes.
F.P. Journe in the spotlight with two lots to watch
At the heart of this sale, two F.P. Journe lots stand out clearly. They concentrate a significant share of the attention, not only because of the manufacture’s current standing, but also because they illustrate two very different facets of François-Paul Journe’s world.
Lot 91 is an F.P. Journe Élégante 48 in titanium, reference ELHT, circa 2023. This “tortoise”-shaped watch, offered with a white dial with Arabic numerals, a seconds counter at 6 o’clock and an aperture at 4:30 revealing the motion detector, is estimated between €60,000 and €80,000. It comes with its box and papers, which is an important element for collectors.
The Élégante occupies a singular place in F.P. Journe’s output. It is not a traditional mechanical watch, but a radical electromechanical proposition, fitted with the calibre 1210. Its principle relies on a motion detector visible on the dial: after a prolonged period of stillness, the hands stop in order to save energy, while the electronics continue to count time. As soon as the watch is set in motion again, the hands automatically reposition themselves to the exact time.
This very particular operation explains the fascination this model arouses. The Élégante deliberately blurs the boundaries between mechanics, electronics and horological poetry. It does not seek to reproduce the classic codes of complication, but to offer another way of inhabiting time. At F.P. Journe, a house whose motto “Invenit et Fecit” sums up the spirit of invention and execution, this piece takes on a particular resonance. It is contemporary, technical, immediately recognisable, and already part of the field of watches closely followed by collectors.
Lot 92, also signed F.P. Journe, offers an entirely different experience. It is a wall clock circa 2020, metal case, grey dial, small seconds at 8 o’clock, two quartz movements and a diameter of 40 cm. Its estimate, between €7,000 and €8,000, places it in a register very different from the Élégante, but no less interesting for admirers of the manufacture.
This clock is typically the kind of object that goes beyond mere timekeeping function. It belongs more to the world of the brand, of horological décor, of the boutique or private-collection object. In an enthusiast’s interior, an F.P. Journe wall clock is not simply a clock. It becomes a sign, a presence, almost a statement. It allows the world of a manufacture to be extended beyond the wrist, into a more everyday and more architectural relationship with time.
A sale that speaks to collectors
The interest of such a session also lies in what it reveals about the vitality of the French watch market. Paris remains a natural place for specialised sales, at the crossroads of collectors, dealers, informed enthusiasts and auction houses. The Drouot district retains this particular atmosphere, made of expertise, history, curiosity and sometimes fine surprises.
In the current context, where certain independent signatures reach very high levels of desire, the presence of an F.P. Journe Élégante 48 is obviously a strong marker. The Geneva-based manufacture is among the most closely watched names in contemporary watchmaking. Its limited production, its aesthetic identity, its independence and the personality of its founder feed a lasting appeal among international collectors.
But the sale should not be reduced to this single lot. Its interest also rests on the plurality of the offerings. One will be able to follow antique watches with a seductive patina, classics from great manufactures, form watches, sports watches, diving watches, chronographs, but also horological objects capable of seducing collectors by their charm or their rarity.
It is precisely this diversity that gives auctions their spice. One sometimes comes for an anticipated piece, and leaves fascinated by a lot one had not seen coming.
Practical information
The “Horlogerie” sale organised by Millon will be held on Tuesday 7 July 2026 at 2 p.m., at the Salle VV, 3 rue Rossini, 75009 Paris.
The public exhibition will take place on Monday 6 July from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., then on Tuesday 7 July from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the same address.
The sale will also be relayed online on Drouot Live and Interenchères, allowing bidders to follow the session remotely. Interested enthusiasts will also be able to leave an absentee bid or request to bid by telephone according to the terms set out by the auction house.
Naturally, before any bid, it will be advisable to consult the conditions of sale, the available condition reports, the applicable fees, as well as any additional charges linked to the online platforms.
The moment of the auction
A watch auction always carries a particular emotion. Watches change hands there, but they never truly change their nature. They continue on their way. They leave one collection to join another. They carry with them a share of technique, of taste, of memory and sometimes of mystery.
On 7 July, at Millon, collector watchmaking will therefore have its moment. Enthusiasts will probably follow with attention the passage of the two F.P. Journe lots, and notably that of the Élégante 48, a contemporary piece already highly desirable. But beyond these headline acts, it is an entire catalogue that deserves to be looked at with care.
For in watchmaking, as often at auctions, the finest surprise is not always the one you were expecting.
Frequently asked questions
Millon’s “Horlogerie” sale is held on Tuesday 7 July 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Salle VV, 3 rue Rossini, 75009 Paris, in the Drouot district.
The catalogue gathers collector watches and horological objects, from pocket watches to wristwatches, including brands such as Patek Philippe, Breguet, Rolex, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, Zenith, Longines, Lip and Seiko, with many lots at accessible estimates.
Lot 91 is an F.P. Journe Élégante 48 in titanium (reference ELHT, circa 2023, calibre 1210), estimated at €60,000 to €80,000 with box and papers. Lot 92 is an F.P. Journe wall clock circa 2020, 40 cm diameter with two quartz movements, estimated at €7,000 to €8,000.
The Élégante is a radical electromechanical watch: a motion detector on the dial stops the hands after a prolonged period of stillness to save energy while the electronics keep counting time, and the hands reposition automatically to the exact time when the watch is moved again.
A public exhibition runs on Monday 6 July from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday 7 July from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the same address. The sale is relayed online via Drouot Live and Interenchères, and bidders may also leave an absentee bid or request to bid by telephone through the auction house.
