Christie’s is making a mark in Miami. The auction house just opened a new office and event space in the heart of the bustling Design District. “Christie’s continued investment in South Florida reflects our commitment to meeting clients where they are and strengthening our presence in key collecting markets,” Julien Pradels, president of Christie’s America, tells Robb Report. “With our new Miami space and our recently opened office in Palm Beach, we are expanding strategically in a region that has shown remarkable growth and engagement.”

To kick things off, the brand hosted its first panel discussion in the space at the end of last month to a packed house, highlighting exquisite timepieces for private sale, along with a couple of highlights from the Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island auction. And there were also a handful of covetable Hermès Birkins also for sale. Rebecca Ross, watch specialist at Christie’s and Angus Dykman, car specialist at Gooding Christie’s, were joined by Adrian Douzmanian, co-founder of Very Special, and Lex Borrero, co-founder and president of Neon16 for a talk titled “Elite Assets: Culture & Collecting.” The panel was moderated by Robb Report‘s deputy editor, Paige Reddinger.

The discussion ran the gamut from the crossover between collecting communities in the watch and car world to the increasingly needle-eyed obsession with originality and coveted “fresh-to-market” examples. Ross said it mostly comes down to the thrill of the hunt. “Watch collectors can certainly be fascinated with design, mechanics, or both,” she says. “They are often keen researchers of horology, craftsmanship and history. I find that true and passionate collectors of watches are people with an attention to detail. Often meticulous, organized, and detail-oriented.” We can confirm. Some collectors we know have been to known to keep entire spreadsheets tracking a single reference. Borrero believes the common denominator is an interest in collecting things you can actually use, whether to wear or drive. “I think when you collect cars or watches, there’s a part of you that likes the utility, that likes to touch it and feel it, likes to grab it, likes to see the movement, likes to drive it,” he says. “So I think both car and watch guys are utility collectors.” He feels it differs from art, because, as he puts it “you can’t engage a wall,” but you can, for instance, take a friend for a drive in your car or let them wear or try on you timepiece.

Despite the prevalence of readily available information on pricing and market fluctuations as well as details that make some watches stand out, everyone agreed the excitement around collecting is still alive and well. “The thrill of the hunt is internal,” says Douzmanian. “It’s like what I’m personally into in the moment. It doesn’t bother me whether other people are into it or not. Is accessibility bad? I would say accessibility is great, and it makes you want to hone in your ability to distinguish your taste or your knowledge or whatever. Even more so that you’re separating yourself from the rest.”

A particularly rare ride at Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island Concours illustrated that rare finds are, indeed, still uncovered. “It was wonderful to see this fantastic Ferrari 212 fetch a strong result,” says Dykman. “If you read the description, you can see that it is a historically important example that was Roberto Rossellini’s first Ferrari and was originally sold new to him. The “thrill of the hunt” definitely came into play here as the car had been sequestered in a very private collection for the last 40 years. This shows that collectors are not merely focused on modern collectibles but exceptional examples of classic models.” His favorite car in the sale? A 1932 Miller FWD Special, which he calls “one of the most important Millers in the world.” It had previously long been in the collection of The Price Museum of Speed in Salt Lake City, Utah and, according to Dykman, “represented a very rare opportunity to acquire a special motorcar that may not become available again in our lifetime.” The car sold for over $3.3 million.

The journey of collecting can take many routes, but generally the path narrows with knowledge. Ross says she most often sees collectors with a specific interest, such as acquiring Cartier pieces from the Art Deco era. “I have one client who is only interested in white metal vintage Cartier,” she says. “Another of my clients is interested in buying only very complex Patek Philippe watches.” On the white metal front, in Christie’s current private sale lineup is a highly covetable 2024 Cartier Crash in platinum from London New Bond Street. “It is a true representation of the original crash design of 1967, although with a fresh take by being crafted in platinum, which the original design was never produced in,” Ross says. One of the first watches to fly out the door, however, was an 18-karat white-gold Cartier. The Tank Américaine is a very rare limited edition (50 examples) commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Foundation of Israel. Other highlights included a his and hers pair of 18-karat white gold Rolex Datejusts (Ref. 16234 in 36 mm and Ref. 6917 in 26 mm) sporting lapis lazuli dials.

But it wouldn’t be a party without a Rolex Daytona on hand and this one, which as of press time is still available, is quite special. This Ref. 6265 circa 1985 was retailed by Panerai and is in a highly-preserved condition with original papers. Cased in 18-karat yellow gold, it comes with a champagne dial and black counters. It likely won’t sit for long, but if you miss out and are looking for another opportunity, Ross has another Daytona up her sleeve. “I was just back here in Miami over the winter break and managed to source an incredible fresh-to-market Rolex Daytona Paul Newman ref 6241—from the family of the original owner,” she says. “What sets this watch apart is its almost flawless condition. These needle-in-a-haystack moments still exist and I am shocked and amazed at what we discover every time.” You can catch that piece at Christie’s upcoming June auction in New York.

Even a relatively novice collector probably has an inkling that the Rolex Daytona, the Cartier Crash, or the Porsche 911 are highly valued, but what’s next? Borrero thinks Daniel Roth is worth keeping an eye on. The brand, which was purchased and revived by LVMH, has been turning out exquisite pieces such as its new skeleton model, which Borrero added to this collection. He is also a car collector and cites vintage Mercedes such as the 190E. “You could probably find a beat up one for pretty cheap and then fix it,” he says. “And everybody’s recreating the evil DTM [Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters] looks and and so it’s becoming a car that’s starting to really pick up.” Predicting the cyclical nature of style, Douzmanian is already predicting the return of the bulky steel sports watch in the era of the small, gold, and design-forward dress watch. He has his eye on first-generation Royal Oak Offshores and Vacheron Constantin Overseas models. “When you think about how the trends have gone the last four or five years, right from smaller size watches, from big brands to maybe more like formal watches from independents, I feel like the watches that have kind of been pushed to the side are the bigger, utilitarian kind of stainless steel pieces,” he says. In case you’re after steel sports watches, Christie’s has a stunning 2014 Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5980 flyback chronograph in 40.5 mm with box and papers and an unworn and stickered 37 mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 15450ST (both price upon request) still available.

The event was just a taste of what’s to come at Christie’s Miami. Next up will be a contemporary art exhibition from the auction house’s 20th- and 21st-Century Art departments on view from April 7th through the 10th. “Launching the location with an exhibition of contemporary highlights—followed by a successful panel conversation featuring Christie’s Watches and Gooding Christie’s—is just the beginning,” deputy chairman of Christie’s Miami, Jessica Katz says. “In the months ahead, we look forward to activating the space with a dynamic calendar of talks, exhibitions, and cross‑category programming. Our goal is to create a welcoming destination for both emerging and established collectors across South Florida and beyond, and to deepen our longstanding commitment to this dynamic arts community.”