But what I’m watching is what it’s done to the rest of the market (also pushed by interest in Dufour, which has waned a bit, Smith, and Rexhep Rexhepi, the past few years) is the general awareness and interest in indie watchmaking. Take, for instance, that Phillips has the first Roger Smith Series 3 to ever come to market. It’s absolutely gorgeous, wears super well on my wrist, and is one of only five pink gold versions made so far.
The estimate is CHF 300,000 to 600,000, and I assume the owner believes the hot market for indies makes it a good time to sell. A tiny step upmarket is the Akrivia AK-06, a watch that collectors falling in love with Rexhep have deemed “the” Akrivia to own (because it’s the simplest and easiest to get, maybe). Bigger and less elegant than a Chronomètre Contemporain, it’s still got amazing finishing, and the estimate is CHF 350,000 to 700,000. Even more expensive is the Naissance d’Une Montre 1 (N°1/11). A collaboration between Greubel Forsey, Philippe Dufour, and Michel Boulanger, this not only inspired the Naissance d’une Montre project but also the Handmade series at GF.
Mark Kauzlarich
2026-04-28 13:00:00