Auctions: Pharrell Williams' JOOPITER Hosts Its First Dedicated Watch Auction The Art Of Time

July 25, 2025

When Pharrell Williams launched JOOPITER in 2022, the debut sale was built around his own personal archive: sneakers, apparel, jewelry, as well as a handful of important watches including a platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar with a skeletonized dial. From the beginning, it was clear that JOOPITER was forging its own path and wasn't designed to mimic traditional auction houses. Entitled "The Art of Time: Rare and Coveted Watches", the platform's first watch sale is a 27-lot curation that hits where collectors are today and where they could go in the coming years. Call it trendy if you'd like. In contrast to a typical auction catalog, full of complicated vintage Patek and classic Rolex sport models, as well as a few independent pieces, JOOPITER's sale features many of the same makers as Phillips, Christie's, or Sotheby's, but with unexpected references and variants throughout. It's less about market darlings or safe bets; there are no Paul Newman Daytonas or 5711s here. Instead, The Art of Time is highlighted by pieces that ask more poignant questions: What does rarity look like in a modern context? How much does form matter over function? And what happens when you collect watches the same way you collect contemporary art or furniture? Many of the pieces track closely with the kind of watches Pharrell has owned or championed in the past. As I noted in a profile of Pharrell's collection a few years back, he was wearing skeletonized Royal Oak QPs and Concept models in the early 2000s, references that only recently gained traction among a wider pool of enthusiasts. His taste has always leaned more toward the experimental than the expected. The Art of Time: Rare and Coveted Watches runs through Tuesday, July 29th, on joopiter.com. Keep scrolling for a few highlights from the catalogue. Modern Heavy Hitters Cartier Tank Cintre Ref. WGTA0090 (NSO) Lot 5: Estimated at $40,000 to $80,000 A custom-order Cartier produced via the NSO program in yellow gold with a non-standard blue dial and Breguet numerals a tasteful yet notable deviation from standard Cintre production. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Chronograph Ref. 26587TI Lot 13: Estimated at $150,000 to $250,000 The first Concept model to feature a chronograph, tourbillon, and automatic winding. Patek Philippe Celestial Ref. 6104R-001 Lot 27: Estimated at $300,000 to $600.000 A rose gold Grand Complication with a baguette diamond-set bezel representing the night sky as seen from Geneva. For The Vintage Heads Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 484 Lot 8: Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000 Produced in 1931 one year before the launch of the more commonly known ref. 96 and one of only two known examples. At 29mm with hooded lugs, it's a slim and unusual early Calatrava that speaks to early wristwatch experimentation by Patek. Bueche-Girod Maxi Oval Lot 2: Estimated at $15,000 to $25,000 Just as uncommon as Cartier's Maxi Oval from the same period, Bueche-Girod's version is a great value proposition. Get Stoned Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18366 in Platinum with Baguette Bezel and Lapis Lazuli Dial Lot 10: Estimated at $100,000 to $130,000 Believed to be the only known example in this configuration: platinum case, baguette diamond bezel, and lapis dial. Piaget for Cartier Tank Ref. 9200 with Coral Dial and Inlaid Case Lot 12: Estimated at $25,000 to $45,000 An early 1980s collaboration between Piaget and Cartier, this example is inlaid with coral and onyx and fitted with a matching coral dial. This is the only known example. Patek Philippe Gondolo Ref. 3733/1 with Onyx Dial Lot 26: Estimated at $25,000 to $35,000 Minimalist and rectangular, with a black onyx dial, the ref. 3733/1 is emblematic of Patek's design-driven agenda of the 1970s. MC's Top Lots Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Ref. 77151 Lot 22: Estimated at $10,000 to $20,000 At 30mm this baby Offshore features a saturated orange dial and is a perfect reflection of a late-90s, early noughties aesthetic. A Trio of Franck Mullers Lot 17: Estimated at $25,000 to $50,000 / Lot 18: Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000 / Lot 19: Estimated at $6,000 to $12,000 Franck is quietly gaining momentum again, and these three pieces, especially the Crazy Hours Tourbillon, represent everything I love about the enfant terrible of watchmaking. Unapologetically loud and borderline gaudy what can I say? Nobody's perfect. Click here for the full catalog.