Inside A $300 Million Watch Collection auction

Patrick Getreide amassed the one-of-a-kind OAK Collection over five decades. Now the French entrepreneur believes the time is right to sell 142 of his rare treasures at Christie’s this month.

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...The collection is one of the most diverse offerings of timepieces and includes some rare finds ranging from Hermès and Chanel to Audemars Piguet, F.P. Journe, Zenith and more. Among the lots for sale is an early-19th-century Breguet pocket watch that once belonged to Pauline Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon, that’s estimated to sell for between $200,000 and $400,000. Getreide is even parting with some of his beloved Patek Philippe watches—he owns some 200—including a stainless-steel chronograph, circa 1938. “I was at a flea market about 20 years ago,” Getreide recalls with a smile, “and I saw this watch. The price was ridiculous, [low], like $1,000 or $2,000. But I had to bargain with them anyway.” The watch is expected to sell for between $200,000 and $400,000 at auction.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertanaas/2023/11/21/patrick-getreide-interview-oak-collection-watch-auction-christies/?sh=76c0de531051