Elton John didn’t go breaking Christie’s heart on Wednesday, with the first live auction in a series of wide-ranging sales of the singer’s possessions garnering $8 million and setting several world records.
The three wristwatches on the block all walloped presale estimates, achieving a combined $630,000, versus their total low-end estimates of $130,000.
An 18k gold, diamond, and yellow sapphire Rolex Daytona automatic chronograph with leopard-print dial sold for $176,400, setting a world auction record for the model. It went into the sale with a low estimate of $40,000.
John’s limited-edition 18k gold Cartier “Crash” timepiece sold for $277,200, nearly four times as much as its low estimate of $70,000.
A signed Cartier Tank Normale watch, which had a presale low estimate of $20,000, sold for almost nine times that: $176,400, a new record for the model.
The ongoing auction series is composed mainly of John’s belongings from his Atlanta home on Peachtree Road, which he owned from the early 1990s until 2023.
All 49 lots offered on Wednesday were sold. The auction attracted bidders and buyers from 34 countries—40% of whom were new to Christie’s.
The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree Road auctions began online Feb. 9 and will conclude on Feb. 28. Live sales are taking place Feb. 21–23. Jewelry items being sold online can be seen here.
(Photos courtesy of Christie’s)
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