The public exhibition for Sotheby’s first ever watch auction in the Middle East has opened this morning at Sotheby’s gallery in DIFC, Dubai. The exhibition will run until Monday, 19 November, with the auction itself then taking place on Monday evening at 7:30pm.

The auction comprises some 121 lots – a mix of male and female pieces and vintage and contemporary. The auction is led by an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication from 2002, which has never before been offered at auction (est. US$400,000 – 600,000). Adorned with diamonds, blue sapphire and mother pearl throughout the case, dial and integrated bracelet, this Grande Complication is driven by a calibre 2885, which is comprised of 648 parts, all hand crafted in-house by Audemars Piguet’s master watchmakers.

Lot 73, Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Grande Complication

Talking on this inaugural watch auction for Sotheby’s here in the region, Sam Hines, Global Head of Sotheby’s Watches, commented: “The horology market in the Middle East is evolving at a fast pace. The savviness coming from collectors in the region is remarkable: beyond the pure aesthetics, they are eager to learn about everything, from the technical and historical aspects to the individual stories behind each watch. This is fascinating for us and while we regularly engage with Arab clients in our international watch sales, this new sale provides us with an exciting opportunity to share our passion with collectors in the region and explain the advantages of buying a watch at auction.”