Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction XXIII: Independent Makers Take Centre Stage
Small workshops with tiny outputs now share the top of a major catalogue with the most famous names in watchmaking.
Phillips will hold The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXIII over two sessions on 21 and 22 November 2026 at the WKCDA Tower in West Kowloon. Alongside vintage Patek Philippe, the highlights include independent makers: F.P. Journe, Beat Haldimann, Kari Voutilainen and the Hong Kong watchmaker Kiu Tai Yu.
The sale
Phillips' twenty-third Hong Kong watch sale runs over two sessions, at 11am on 21 and 22 November 2026, at the WKCDA Tower in the West Kowloon Cultural District, with viewing from 16 November, according to the Phillips sale page. Among the highlights Phillips lists are several Patek Philippe references, including a first series Ref. 2499 and a pink gold Ref. 1518. Next to them sit watches from makers who produce only a few dozen or a few hundred pieces a year.
The independents in the catalogue
F.P. Journe. The best-known lot is a Chronomètre à Résonance in platinum made for Mark Cho of The Armoury, one of five, with a navy dial chosen for the commission, as Haute Time reports. Phillips estimates it at HK$6m to 12m. A platinum Tourbillon Souverain of 2001 is also offered.
Beat Haldimann. An H1 Flying Central Tourbillon of 2012 from the PuristS Series 2, one of four made according to Haute Time, offered by its first owner.
Kari Voutilainen. A Vingt-8 in titanium with a blue enamel dial, from the Finnish maker working in Môtiers.
Kiu Tai Yu. An HK 2000 in white gold, one of four known in that metal, by the Hong Kong watchmaker who was the first Asian member of the AHCI, the academy of independent watchmakers.
Why independents now sit beside Patek and Rolex
For decades the top of a watch sale belonged to vintage Patek Philippe and Rolex. Over the past fifteen years independent makers have joined them. Their outputs are tiny, many pieces are finished by hand in small workshops, and early or commissioned watches are known individually by serial number. Collectors who bought from the makers directly now consign those watches, with their papers, and the provenance is often first-hand.
What this means if you own a fine watch
Whether the dial says Patek Philippe, Rolex or a small independent, the same things drive interest: originality of dial, hands and case, the condition of the case edges, service history, and the presence of box, papers and receipts. Do not have a watch polished or re-dialled before selling, and keep every document with it.
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- Phillips, The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXIII, 21 to 22 November 2026
- Haute Time, "The Rarest, Most Important Watches of Phillips' Three Fall Auctions", 21 Oct 2026
- WatchPro, "Phillips Spotlights Rare Independent Watches Ahead Of Hong Kong Auction"
Sale details and estimates as published by Phillips; edition details as reported by Haute Time. Mozeris Fine Antiques is not connected with Phillips or any watchmaker named. No auction-house images are used; the photograph shows a piece from our own stock.
