Chairman's Message

The year 2002, as you will have seen from the results, was the best in Antiquorum’s entire history. I would even say without hesitation that these results we re the best of all time, all auction houses included: 148.600.000 SFr. (US$ 103.400.000), of which 123.600.000 SFr. we re obtained at auction, and 25.000.000 SFr. by private treaty sales. These impressive results certainly make us stop and think about the current state of the auction business, about its “health” and about the future poten-tial of the horological market.

New price levels were reached for exceptional objects, world records were beaten, and new and passionately enthusiastic clients with seemingly infinite means came onto the scene, all bringing a breath of fresh air to the business. In so doing, they helped to elevate horological works of art of inestimable beauty and rarity to the rank they deserve.

In order to continue to nourish this astonishing ardor for collectible horo l o g y, whether antique or modern, Antiquorum proposes a new promotional strategy for 2003, with new and highly interesting thematic events, which will make access to auctions easier, more “transparent”, and more enjoyable.

The great influx of visitors to our internet site (approximately 3000 a day, with higher numbers of course being reached during sale periods) encouraged us to pursue a project that is very important to us. The number of entries has become so great that we believe the moment has come to initiate a new type of “Customer to Customer” on-line sale, of the “E-Bay” type, but simplified and modified to better suit our particular needs. On this site, enthusiasts and professionals will be able to directly buy or sell all types of horological materials. Items and spare parts such as dials, hands, crowns, buckles, “old-new stock” straps, boxes, horological books and tools, documents, clocks, watches, etc., will be offered. This new type of auction will be explained to you in the pages entitled “Antiquorum on line”. Briefly, however, it will consist in Antiquorum‘s selling space in its online electronic auction cata l o g u e s. The photos and the descriptions of the items featured will be briefly screened by our experts before being placed in the electronic catalogue, in order to eliminate unsuitable items.

In 2003, we will also expand our own “Antiquorum” online sales, in which the items are inspected and fully g u a ranteed by Antiquorum. The successes previously obtained, particularly by the Swa tch and the Bulgari sales, make us confident and optimistic for the future.

An important novelty will facilitate the online access to our “live” (classic) sales. It will be possible to follow these sales with J2ME-enabled GPRS cellular telephones. Beginning in March, it will be possible to follow the sale “live” with these phones. And in the fall, it will be possible to bid directly from your own telephone, wher-ever you may be (“wireless bidding”). The only thing you have to do to install the necessary software is to con-nect to Antiquorum’s web site through your phone’s wap browser. Afterward, it will be possible to take part, in real time, in an ongoing auction. Even our busiest clients, if they have previously registered the lot numbers which interest them, will be automatically notified of the sale’s progression, and will then be able to actively participate.

Antiquorum USA will grow and become even more visible, as horological auctions are linked with other pro-motional events, resulting in a greater influx of clients and an even stronger presence on the market.

As you can see, we remain faithful to the long-term strategy and long lasting vision, which began back in 1974. We have always strived to look ahead, to plan dynamic and creative ways to stimulate the horological world, to ensure its prestige and the real value of its art.

I leave you now to discover this new Vox, wishing you, as the season would have it, the happiest of holidays and an excellent New Year.