Geneva – On 13 May, Christie’s is thrilled to present for the first time at auction eight unique and very rare watches from the collection of Formula 1 racing legend Michael Schumacher. This historic collection will highlight Christie’s live auction of Rare Watches at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.

2024 marks the 30^th anniversary of Schumacher’s first Formula 1 Drivers Championship win in 1994. In celebration of this moment, Christie’s auction will offer fans and collectors worldwide the unprecedented opportunity to experience Schumacher’s personal style and taste through the timepieces he wore and collected.

Two of the watches in the sale, first revealed in March, were custom-made for the F1 driver and given to him as Christmas presents in 2003 and 2004 by his Ferrari team principle Jean Todt. Highlighting key moments in Michael Schumacher’s career, these exquisite examples demonstrate the unsurpassed quality of the collection:

• AUDEMARS PIGUET, ROYAL OAK CHRONOGRAPH MODEL, REF. 25960BC, NO. E73509, CIRCA 2003 - Referring on the special dial to six F1 driver’s championships (estimate: CHF150,000-250,000 | $180,000-280,000) and

• P. JOURNE, INVENIT ET FECIT, PIECE UNIQUE, VAGABONDAGE 1 MODEL, CIRCA 2004 Including special reference on the dial to Schumacher’s seven F1 driver’s championships (estimate: CHF1,000,000-2,000,000 | US1,200,000-2,300,000). For more information: Announcement release

Rémi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches Europe and US commented: “What an exciting moment it is for all of us at Christie’s to share these masterpieces of horology with passionate collectors around the globe. We are thrilled to present these iconic and unique timepieces belonging to one of the most celebrated Formula 1 legends of all time, and we invite collectors and fans to personally view and experience these watches in Taiwan and New York, ahead of our final preview and auction of the collection on May 13^th in Geneva. It is my immense pleasure to announce the additional six watches from the Michael Schumacher collection.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER’S FULL F.P. JOURNE RUTHENIUM COLLECTION SET

Schumacher’s collection features a very rare set of F.P. Journe Ruthenium timepieces, which historically are almost never available on the market together with matching serial numbers.  It is also almost unheard of for a matching numbered full set to be preserved intact in the possession of the original owner. To allow wristwatch collectors and motor racing enthusiasts alike the opportunity to own a timepiece from the collection, each watch, numbered 92/99 will be offered by Christie’s as a separate lot.

The Ruthenium Collection comprises five watches that are each individually an epochal model of F.P. Journe’s production, some are great rarities of the brand’s entire production, including the ‘Octa Jour et Nuit’ which was only available as part of a complete set of the Ruthenium Collection. The five different models were all produced during the final phase of the brass movement era between 2001 and 2003 in a limited edition of 99 pieces each.

One of the most elusive and sought-after models of Journe wristwatches, the Octa Jour et Nuit was never produced on its own, independently from the Ruthenium collection. The name ‘Octa’ was given as a prefix to all F.P. Journe’s automatic watches because in Latin it means ‘eight’ and the figure ‘8’ on its side signifies infinity (estimate CHF150,000-250,000 | $180,000-280,000).

The Tourbillon Souverain is arguably Journe’s most famous wristwatch model. Launched in 1999, it was the first ever tourbillon with a remontoire d’egalité. It received the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ prize at the Geneva ‘Grand Prix d’Horlogerie’ in 2004 and won the ‘Watch of the Year’ grand prize in Japan in the same year (estimate: CHF300,000-500,000 | $350,000-570,000).

The Octa Chronographe is one of the rarest and most intriguing of F.P. Journe’s early series wristwatches with only 313 examples ever made across all production. It uses the same caliber 1300 as other Octa models but is fitted with an integrated stopwatch mechanism on the dial plate (estimate: CHF150,000-250,000 | $180,000-280,000).

The Octa Calendrier was F.P. Journe’s first annual calendar wristwatch and the third complication to be integrated into the Octaautomatic calibre series whilst maintaining the same dimensions of the movement, a significant horological achievement (estimate CHF150,000-250,000 | $180,000-280,000).

The Chronomètre à Résonance most clearly showcases the genius of F.P. Journe. It is the only wristwatch in the world with a movement based on ‘resonance,’ a natural physical phenomenon. F.P. Journe’s resonance watches notably feature two balances that are naturally synchronized and oscillate in ‘resonance’ with each other. The negative effects of wrist and body movements are hence considerably reduced. (estimate: CHF300,000-500,000 | $350,000-570,000).

The Paul Newman Daytona ref. 6262 represents the synthesis of two great sporting icons – Rolex’s most recognizable and desired vintage steel chronograph, and its present owner, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher. No other model of any Rolex watch focuses so much on its many dial variations and different references attention as this manually winding Rolex Cosmograph. One of the rarest vintage Rolex Daytonas, reference 6262 was in production for only a very short period of time, between 1970 and 1972 (estimate: CHF200,000-400,000 | $230,000-460,000).

About The Collector:  Michael Schumacher

• Michael Schumacher made his Formula 1 debut with the Jordan team at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991 and won his first Drivers’ Championship in 1994 driving for Benetton. After moving to the Ferrari team in 1996, Schumacher went on to win five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004, including an unprecedented sixth and seventh title, breaking several records. Schumacher retired from the sport at the end of 2006, although he later made a brief return with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.
• Perhaps less well-known is that Michael Schumacher, in conjunction with Schuberth helmets, helped develop the first lightweight carbon fibre reinforced polymer helmet for racing drivers. In 2004, a prototype was publicly tested by being driven over by a tank; it survived intact. The helmet kept the driver cool by funnelling directed airflow through fifty holes.
• Schumacher was a special ambassador to UNESCO and donated to the organisation while other charitable and philanthropic work included: the construction of a school for underprivileged children and for area improvements in Dakar, Senegal; support for a hospital for child victims of the siege in Sarajevo, which specialises in caring for amputees; funding in Lima, Peru, the Palace for the Poor, a centre for helping homeless children. Schumacher also donated $10 million for aid efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, surpassing that of many worldwide corporations and even some countries. From 2002 to 2006, he donated further millions to various charities. Schumacher also gave support to other campaigns, such as Make Roads Safe,to recognise global road deaths as a major global health issue. In 2017 his family founded the Keep Fighting Foundation to continue the charitable work that has always been so important to him.
• In a career that spanned three decades, Michael Schumacher remains one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history and has been described as “the most complete Formula One driver ever,” leaving an indelible impression on the sport.

Rare Watches, including timepieces from the Michael Schumacher Collection

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