GENEVA: Eight watches belonging to auto racing icon Michael Schumacher sold Tuesday for nearly 4 million Swiss francs ($4.4 million) at a Geneva auction.
The top piece in the sale, organized by Schumacher’s family, was a watch given to the German racing superstar by former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt as a Christmas present in 2004. The hammer came down at a price of 1.2 million francs, or 1.5 million including the buyer’s commission.
That was well within the pre-sale estimate range of 1-2 million francs.
The custom-made platinum timepiece from F.P. Journe, the Vagabondage 1, features 18-carat white gold, a red watch face and images of a Ferrari logo, Schumacher’s racing helmet and a “7” — to honor his seven World Championship victories.
Remi Guillemin, head of watches for Europe and the Americas for auction house Christie’s, declined to identify the buyer, but said that five watches in the Ruthenium collection — a boxed set — were purchased by the same buyer.
While most of the eight watches sold within the pre-sale estimates, an Audemars Piguet featuring a Ferrari prancing horse emblem, sold for a hammer price of 330,000 francs — well above the top of the expected range at 250,000.
The sale of Schumacher watches, which garnered a total of more than 3.1 million francs at the hammer price, was timed for the 30th anniversary of his first Formula One Drivers Championship win in 1994.
The watches, which were taken to New York and Taipei for showings before the sale, were part of a larger auction of luxury timepieces to go under the hammer on Tuesday at Christie’s in Geneva.
Schumacher, who retired from F1 in 2012, shares the record for most F1 titles with British driver Lewis Hamilton.
In December the following year, Schumacher fell while skiing in the French Alpine resort of Meribel and suffered a near-fatal brain injury.
Since being transferred from hospital in September 2014, he continues to be cared for privately at a family home in Switzerland.
8 watches owned by F1 great Michael Schumacher fetch more than $4m at auction in Geneva
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8 watches owned by F1 great Michael Schumacher fetch more than $4m at auction in Geneva
- The top piece in the sale, organized by Schumacher’s family, was a watch given to the German racing superstar by former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt
- Remi Guillemin, head of watches for Europe and the Americas for auction house Christie’s, declined to identify the buyer
Leclerc fastest for Ferrari on final day of F1 testing
- Leclerc’s best time of one minute 31.992 seconds was 0.879 quicker than McLaren’s Norris
- Leclerc was in the car all day
MANAMA: Formula One wrapped up pre-season testing in Bahrain on Friday with Charles Leclerc fastest for Ferrari and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad pounding out a single-day record of 165 laps.
Leclerc’s best time of one minute 31.992 seconds was 0.879 quicker than McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris, second on the timesheets, and fastest of the three-day second test.
Four-times world champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, 1.117 off the pace and pre-season favorite George Russell fourth for Mercedes and well off Kimi Antonelli’s Thursday best of 1:32.803.
Leclerc was in the car all day, with teammate and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton watching from the garage, and completed 132 laps of the Sakhir circuit.
Alpine, last overall in 2025, had Pierre Gasly fifth fastest with Oliver Bearman sixth for Haas and Gabriel Bortoleto seventh for the Audi works team that has replaced Sauber on the starting grid.
Lindblad, the sole rookie this season, was ninth and set a record for laps in a single day in Bahrain with the Racing Bulls car looking solid with the new Red Bull engine. The most previously was 161 by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri last week.
At the other end of the table, troubled Aston Martin completed only six laps with Lance Stroll scheduled to be in the car all day but failing to set a time with the team sidelined by a battery problem.
The 24-round season starts in Australia on March 8.
