JOOPITER introduces The Art of Time: Rare & Coveted Watches, its first auction focused entirely on high-end watches. The sale runs from July 17 to 29, 2025, and opens bidding to a global audience. The curation includes 28 watches from some of the most recognized names in horology, selected for both their mechanical integrity and cultural relevance.
Caitlin Donovan, Global Head of Sale at JOOPITER, describes the auction as a direct response to collector demand. She connects the offering to the platform’s goal of delivering a sharp and thoughtful perspective on watch collecting. Each watch in the auction brings together form, craft, and rarity, offering buyers access to pieces rarely available on the open market.
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The lineup features work from Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Hermès, Blancpain, Franck Muller, Ōtsuka Lōtec, Louis Vuitton, Gerald Genta, Bueche-Girod, Ebel, and Piaget. Some watches offer unusual design choices, while others push material or technical boundaries. The curation reflects a wide field of taste, well-known models appear alongside highly limited and independently produced pieces.
Among the top lots, JOOPITER offers a Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18366 in platinum with a lapis lazuli dial and a baguette diamond bezel. This configuration remains nearly impossible to find due to its use of hard-stone dials and rare-case construction. Each hour segment on the bezel features two baguette-cut diamonds, creating an architectural effect around the lapis dial. The Day-Date’s proportions and polished finish define the model, and this version pushes the format further with its material choices.
A Cartier Tank Cintrée Ref. WGTA0090 also enters the auction. The watch includes a blue dial with white lacquered Arabic numerals in an “exploding” style, made as a New Special Order through Cartier’s NSO program. It stands as the only known example in this configuration. The Cintrée’s long case and curved profile deliver an instantly recognizable shape, and this version amplifies the design through color and typography.
From Piaget, a Cartier Tank Ref. 9200 shows rare inlaid coral and onyx on its 18k yellow gold case. The coral dial carries only the Cartier signature, with no indices or numerals. This watch, made in the 1970s, may be the only one produced by Piaget with this specific stone inlay. The use of coral in watches became limited after CITES restrictions in the 1990s, making this watch notable for its saturated color and scarcity.
A Bueche-Girod Maxi Oval from the 1960s appears in the sale as well. The watch features a white dial with painted black Roman numerals and an oversized oval case in yellow gold. Collectors have long associated Bueche-Girod with rare and innovative shapes, and this reference sits among the brand’s most sought-after formats. Only about a dozen examples exist.
Audemars Piguet contributes the Royal Oak Concept Ref. 26587TI.OO.D010CA.01, the first in the Concept line to feature a self-winding tourbillon chronograph. Introduced in 2018, the watch uses a 44mm titanium case and a skeletonized dial. Ceramic pushers and crown complete the technical build. This piece applies advanced watchmaking to a format designed for strong proportions and visible mechanics.
Independent watchmaker Ōtsuka Lōtec enters the lineup with the No. 6 model in stainless steel. Built in Japan by Jiro Katayama, this watch includes retrograde indicators powered by a modified Miyota 9015 and an in-house module. The industrial aesthetic draws from analog meters and pressure gauges. This particular version comes from an early production run and includes details unique to the period. Since Ōtsuka Lōtec limits its sales to domestic buyers via lottery, this example presents a rare chance for international collectors.
JOOPITER opens the bidding on all 28 pieces on July 17, with the auction closing on July 29. The full catalog is now live online. The Art of Time sets the tone for the platform’s approach to watch auctions, with a selection built to resonate across collector circles and design enthusiasts alike.
