The Th. Beyer Private Collection.

The Theodor Beyer Private Collection was sold at auction by Antiquorum at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich on Sunday, 16 November 2003. Since all the pieces in the sale were of exceptional quality, it is not surprising that many pieces achieved four or five times their estimated value. The 143 pieces finally achieved 145 % of their total estimated value, giving rise to a total of CHF 5,538,745 (€ 3'527'860). René Beyer, Theodor Beyer’s son, commented: “I’m absolutely delighted at the result. Friends, competitors and people who were acquainted with my father and his reputation have been able to buy one – sometimes even three or four - pieces from his collection, which is exactly what my father intended.” The atmosphere in the auction room was electrifying, with every seat in the room occupied by the over 180 bidders, their families and friends. There was also non-stop bidding via the Internet and the ten telephone lines, as well as a large number of advance bids in writing. Naturally, given the quality of the pieces, virtually all the major Swiss watch museums were represented, including the Breguet Museum and the Musée de l'Hologerie de Genève.

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