DUBAI: Auction house Sotheby’s is set to host a program of auctions, panel discussions and exhibitions in the UAE’s capital during Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week in December.
Set to run from Dec. 2-5, the series of auctions will include jewelry, rare timepieces, collectors’ cars and real estate from RM Sotheby’s, and Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, alongside a museum-quality exhibition of international fine art.
Prior to the opening in Abu Dhabi, sale highlights will travel to Sotheby’s international locations to be presented to global collectors.
Josh Pullan, the head of Sotheby’s Global Luxury Division, said: “The week will be anchored by a single-owner collection replete with top-quality jewelry and watches, alongside unparalleled automobiles.”
The auction week will take place alongside the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, with RM Sotheby’s marking the occasion by collaborating with McLaren Racing to offer a trio of competition cars representing the team’s racing portfolio.
The “Triple Crown” project gives the opportunity to purchase three competition chassis, including a 2026 McLaren F1 Team car, a 2027 McLaren United AS racer from the World Endurance Championship, and a 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Indianapolis 500 race-driven vehicle. The cars will go under the hammer on Dec. 5.
A 2017 Pagani Zonda 760 Riviera (estimate $9.5 million to $10.5 million) and a rare 2010 Aston Martin One-77 ($1.3 million to $1.6 million) are also being sold.
Leading the jewelry auction is The Desert Rose, the largest fancy vivid orangy pink diamond ever graded. Weighing 31.86 carats, the pear-shaped diamond radiates a sunset-like blend of pink and orange and will make its auction debut with an estimate of $5 million to $7 million.
Among the timepieces is a rare Rolex “Oyster Albino” Daytona. Produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this variant breaks from the standard Cosmograph Daytona aesthetic, which typically features contrasting sub-dials. Instead, the Albino is defined by its monochromatic silver dial and subsidiary registers. The timepiece carries an estimate of $500,000 to $1 million.
