Auction Christie's Auction reveals the first day's sales of Elton John collection

Beginning February 21, Christie's auction began a series of eight sales featuring a collection of items belonging to Sir Elton John CH, known simply as Elton John, is an English singer, songwriter, composer and pianist, with a career spanning since 1962. More than 300 million records have been sold. From Elton John's former residence in Atlanta, it is titled "Goodbye Peachtree Road." This auction showcases Sir Elton's diverse collection of photographs, art, fashion and watches.

The Christie's event marks the most significant celebrity auction since Freddie Mercury's estate was sold in London last year, with The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree Road series anticipated to exceed $20 million in sales. The auction commenced with Opening Night, a tribute to Elton John and his keen eye for collecting. Elton John meticulously curated a diverse selection of items across various categories, paying homage to the significant role the Atlanta chapter played in his collecting journey. The sale featured 49 lots and achieved a total of $8 million, with sales continuing through February 28, both live and online. Nearly 1,000 pieces from his estate, including over 30 watches, are up for auction at Christie's this month.

Elton bid farewell to his leopard-print Rolex Daytona after it fetched $176,400 at a New York auction, surpassing its presale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000 and setting a new world record for the model. The Rolex Daytona ref. 116598SACO "Leopard," released in 2004, is crafted from gold and adorned with 36 orange sapphires on the bezel, 48 diamonds on the lugs, and 8 diamonds on the dial as hour indices, accompanied by a matching leopard-print dial and strap. Notably, although the watch was released in 2004, John's piece bears a K serial dating back to 2001, as is the case with some of these Leopard Daytona's.

The sale also saw remarkable results for three wristwatches, including a limited-edition Cartier Paris 'Crash' that sold for $277,200, nearly four times its low estimate of $70,000. Sir Elton's Crash is part of the Cartier Paris 1991 limited edition run of 400, featuring a slightly smaller case compared to the original London examples.

Furthermore, a Signed Cartier Paris Tank Normale fetched $176,400, almost nine times its low estimate of $20,000, setting another record for the model. The group collectively achieved $630,000 against a total low estimate of $130,000 for all three timepieces.

The final watch featured in the opening night of the Goodbye Peachtree Road sale is a custom Cartier Tank Normale from Cartier Paris, adorned with 20 baguette diamonds on the bezel, 16 blue baguette sapphires on the dial, and diamonds on the crown and deployant clasp. 

Several press reports stated that Elton's collection of watches contains many pieces of art, from Audemars Piguet and Franck Muller to Lange & Söhne and many others.

For more information, please visit the official website of Christie's.