Christie’s Rémi Guillemin: Connoisseurship Replaces 2021–22 Hype
WatchPro published a 25 August 2026 interview with Rémi Guillemin, Christie’s head of watches, arguing that connoisseurship—quality, provenance, condition, and scholarship—now defines collecting more than the 2021–22 price spike. Millennials are described as a dominant auction cohort. Wristwatches, he said, are bought as personal choices rather than as a checklist of prestige maisons.
From brand collecting to references
Guillemin’s first structural point is a shift from single-brand walls—Breguet, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Omega—to specific references across a wider map. European and American buyers, in his account, now take previously overlooked names if the object, story, and wearability line up. Diversity, rarity, and emotional value sit beside craftsmanship. Universally recognised masterpieces still sell; they are no longer the only definition of a “serious” collection.
The 2021–22 boom pulled in speculative capital. As prices normalised, he said buyers became more selective and built coherent holdings with a longer horizon. That, in his view, is a healthier market: fewer flippers, more people who can explain why a watch is in the box. Younger collectors arrive through digital channels, research faster, and weigh storytelling and cultural relevance with rarity.
What Guillemin says has changed
| Era or theme | Collector behaviour (as stated) |
|---|---|
| Older brand collecting | Deep single-maison knowledge, prestige names |
| 2021–22 | Rapid appreciation, speculative buying |
| Now | Provenance, condition, scholarship, personal fit |
| Object choice | Specific references, including overlooked brands |
| Younger buyers | Digital research, story, community, independents |
| Independents | Originality, scarcity, craft, community still in demand |
He also said successful brands understand collectors better than they did, via collector groups, social media, and secondary-market transparency. Independents, in his view, still match what this cohort wants even as the market gets more selective. Future collections will look like a person’s values rather than a museum’s greatest-hits wall.
Auction talk and the parts bench
Provenance and condition are auction-house words. They have analogues in the aftermarket. A mixed-parts Seiko-style build has no manufacture archive; its “scholarship” is serials, movement type, and whether the crystal and case actually seal. A compatibility checklist is the low-budget version of a condition report. Field-watch and Alpinist-style cases attract buyers who care about a specific reference language rather than a logo wall; an Alpinist mod outline is how that taste shows up in 38mm steel with a compass bezel.
Guillemin is not talking about NH35 kits. He is talking about seven-figure and mid-five-figure lots. The parallel is behavioural: after a hype cycle, buyers who stay tend to care about documentation and fit. Super-fakes and thin paperwork, covered elsewhere this month, make that shift more than a slogan. Christie’s pitch is that the house sells into a cooler, more literate room than in 2022.
FAQ
Is Guillemin saying luxury watches are cheaper now? He described a normalised, more selective market after 2021–22 speculation, not a collapse. Emphasis is on quality of the object and the collection, not on a single index.
What does he mean by scholarship? Research into references, provenance, and condition—knowing why a watch matters beyond the brand name—rather than buying a trophy logo.
Are independents out of favour? No. He said independent watchmaking still matches demand for originality, scarcity, craft, and community even as buyers become pickier.