ZURICH.- Koller’s June auctions were spectacularly successful, with seven lots breaking the million mark, more than 50 lots selling for between CHF 100 000 and CHF 1 million, and over 85% of all lots sold. There was auction fever in the saleroom during the entire auction week – some lots had over thirty telephone bidders competing, along with saleroom and online bidders. Two world records were set in the Watches auction, including the CHF 2.4 million achieved for a Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ gold Daytona.

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Two works by Ferdinand Holder sold in the seven figures. ‘Sunset on Lake Geneva from Caux’ was the subject of a fierce bidding battle which ended at CHF 7 million, among the top prices ever achieved for Holder at auction (lot 3035, estimate CHF 3/4.5 million). ‘The Jungfrau massif from Mürren’, also from Hodler’s mature period, sold for CHF 1.8 million (lot 3041, estimate CHF 1.2/1.8 million).

Paul Signac’s magnificent view of Venice, held in a private collection for more than 100 years, sold for CHF 4.16 million (lot 3229, estimate CHF 2/3 million). ‘Jeune fille lisant’ marks Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s return to the soft, light-filled style of painting characteristic of around 1890, and seduced bidders to the tune of CHF 1.17 million (lot 3214, estimate CHF 900 000/1 400 000).

‘Waterloo Bridge’ by Claude Monet, a small-format pastel made during his return to London in 1900/01, fetched CHF 1.06 million (lot 3221, estimate CHF 350 000/450 000). ‘The little brother’, a touching family scene by Albert Anker, sold for CHF 1.8 million (lot 3008, estimate CHF 1.5/2.5 million).

Robert Rauschenberg’s large-format work ‘Crosstown [Anagram (A Pun)]’ from 1997 sold for more than four times its lower estimate at CHF 450 000 (lot 3448, estimate CHF 100 000/150 000), and a 1952 landscape by Nicolas de Staël fetched CHF 375 000 (lot 3417, CHF 300 000/400 000). Homage to the Square (White Enclave) by Josef Albers tripled its lower estimate at CHF 350 000 (lot 3424, estimate CHF 150 000/250 000).





The Watches sale was once again a ‘White Glove’ auction, with every lot finding a buyer. Besides the CHF 2.4 million auction record set by the Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ 18K gold Daytona watch (lot 2861, estimate CHF 350 000/700 000), a Rolex ‘Kew A’ chronometer from the 1950s also set an auction record at CHF 287 500 (lot 2860, estimate CHF 18 000/36 000). The Jewellery auction was also a resounding success, with a by-lot sales rate of over 90%, and hammer prices totalling 1 ½ times the lower estimates.