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A discreet watch broker
for grail-tier references.

F.P. Journe, the Royal Oak archive, vintage Patek, the contemporary independent makers. Off-market, between private collectors, with the twelve-point protocol underneath.

— In one paragraph

Discreet brokerage at Maison Montres is the off-market placement of grail-tier watches directly between two private collectors — F.P. Journe (Octa series, Chronomètre Souverain, Tourbillon Souverain), the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak archive (A-series 5402, B-series, 14802 Jumbo, 15202, 15500), vintage Patek Philippe (1518, 2499, 3970, 2497, 5004, 5970, early Nautilus, Calatrava pre-1990), and the contemporary independent makers (Akrivia, Rexhep Rexhepi, Simon Brette, MB&F, Voutilainen, De Bethune, H. Moser, Grönefeld, Greubel Forsey, Ferdinand Berthoud, Hazemann & Monnin). The mandate runs buyer-side or seller-side; the structure is disclosed in the engagement letter before any transaction proceeds. Every piece passes a twelve-point authentication protocol signed by a named watchmaker in the Geneva atelier, with two-tier independent specialist review on vintage Patek, F.P. Journe pre-2010, AP A-series and B-series Jumbo, and any reference above CHF 50,000. Inspection window held by an independent third party. We never take title to the watch. Funds settle within 48 hours of authentication acceptance. Median time-to-close: 14 to 30 days. Commission on application, within the industry-standard 5 to 15 percent range on the seller side.

— Four tiers we broker

Where we work, specifically.

01 · Tier

F.P. Journe.

Octa Lune · Octa Divine · Octa Calendrier · Chronomètre Souverain (platinum boutique editions) · Tourbillon Souverain · Astronomic Souveraine · Répétition Souveraine · Élégante · Early production pre-2010

Active brokerage relationships at the Geneva boutique and across the private collector network. The work is discreet off-market trades for pieces that are not, and will not be, on any public listing. The market splits cleanly between modern boutique allocation (the boutique handles that, not us), public auction (Phillips at scale, occasionally Christie's), and the private collector market — which is where the most interesting Journes move and where we work. Two-tier specialist review mandatory on every pre-2010 calibre.

F.P. Journe brokerage →
02 · Tier

The Royal Oak archive.

A-series 5402ST (1972–1977, serials to ~2000) · B-series (1977–~1980) · Jumbo 14802 · 15202 (A-series tribute) · 15500 (current) · Royal Oak Concept · Complications · Royal Oak Offshore

Direct relationships with the principal A-series and Jumbo collector network in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Pricing has appreciated sharply over the past five years — clean A-series with original parts and the right polish geometry now trades at multi-million CHF levels and is one of the most-watched references in vintage steel sport. Two-tier specialist authentication on A-series and B-series is mandatory: parts originality, polish geometry, and case integrity are the variables that define the piece and the place where most A-series transactions go wrong.

Royal Oak archive →
03 · Tier

Vintage Patek Philippe.

1518 perpetual chronograph · 2499 (all four series) · 3970 (all four series) · 2497 perpetual · 5004 split-seconds perpetual · 5970 perpetual chronograph · Early Nautilus 3700, 3711 · Calatrava family pre-1990 · 5004P, 5970P platinum sets

Brokerage through a private collector network spanning Geneva, London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East — or, where the reference draws global bidding, structured consignment to the right auction house with seller's commission negotiation. Two-tier specialist review on every vintage Patek transaction without exception; the discipline is what protects the next sale of the same reference in the market. We work the Calatrava pre-1990 (rectangular and round) more quietly than the headline references; that part of the field is undervalued and underdocumented.

Vintage Patek brokerage →
04 · Tier

The independent makers.

Akrivia (AK-04, AK-06, AK-07) · Rexhep Rexhepi (RRCC, RRCC II, Antimagnétique) · Simon Brette (Chronomètre Artisans) · MB&F (Legacy Machine, Horological Machine) · Voutilainen · De Bethune · H. Moser · Grönefeld · Greubel Forsey · Ferdinand Berthoud · Hazemann & Monnin (LV Watch Prize 2026)

A small, relationship-led field where allocation is by invitation and most secondary trades happen between collectors who know each other. We work the collector-to-collector market — not the boutique allocation channel, which is a different game with a different posture. Akrivia secondary trades are tight; the Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II remains the most-asked-about contemporary independent at this writing. Simon Brette is the watching-list debut of the past three years.

Independents →
05 · On request

Historic master watchmakers.

George Daniels (co-axial, Space Travellers' Watch, Year 2000) · Roger Smith (Series 2, Series 5, GREAT Britain) · Philippe Dufour (Simplicity, Duality, Grande et Petite Sonnerie)

Auction-led and private-collector brokerage. Daniels, Smith, and Dufour pieces trade through Phillips Geneva and New York above all, with the highest-tier private trades passing through a narrow circle of specialist advisors. We bring the protocol — two-tier specialist authentication mandatory on every piece in this category — and the buyer-side mandate work. Available on request; not a standalone marquee in our flow because the market is too thin for it to be.

Historic masters →
— Not our marquee

Where we will refer you out.

Modern Rolex sport · A. Lange & Söhne · Vacheron Constantin · Modern Cartier Tank · Watches under CHF 50,000 generally

We handle these on request for portfolio management clients, but they are not the centre of our specialism. There are houses better placed than us — different relationships, different volumes, different discounts on retail. When the right answer is to send you to one of them, we will, and we will name the specific house and the right contact there. The instinct that builds the long relationships is not the same instinct that takes every mandate.

— The process, step by step

How a brokerage
mandate works.

  1. 01

    Confidential valuation — twenty-four hours, no fee

    Photographs, papers, service history, and provenance documentation reviewed against current market comparables. We return a valuation range with the methodology behind it. No fee, no obligation.

  2. 02

    Engagement letter — mandate structure disclosed

    Buyer-side, seller-side, or dual with disclosure. Commission stated in writing. The structure is documented before any transaction proceeds; nothing is left to verbal trust.

  3. 03

    Twelve-point authentication — Geneva atelier

    Serial verification, movement inspection, parts originality, polish geometry, water-resistance, six-position timing log, service history review, papers verification, stolen-database cross-reference, macro photography, dossier compilation, named-watchmaker sign-off. Two-tier independent specialist review on vintage and any reference above CHF 50,000.

  4. 04

    Buyer-matching or sourcing — the private network

    Sell-side mandates: we approach the right collectors directly, by name, with the dossier ready. Buyer-side mandates: we work the boutique allocation channels where allocation is available, the private collector network for discontinued and limited references, and the auction calendar where the right reference is on consignment.

  5. 05

    Inspection window — held by an independent third party

    Standard seven days, extendable to fourteen or twenty-one for vintage and complicated references. Funds and watch held by a third-party escrow; never by us. The buyer accepts the piece against the dossier before the funds release.

  6. 06

    Settlement — within forty-eight hours of acceptance

    Funds settle within 48 hours of authentication acceptance on private brokerage. The collector dossier — eight elements, exportable as PDF — travels with the watch on resale. Median time-to-close end-to-end: 14 to 30 days, depending on the reference and the depth of the search.

— Questions

For the questions that come up first.

What is discreet watch brokerage?

Discreet watch brokerage is the process of buying or selling a significant timepiece directly between two private parties, without public listing, advertising, or auction exposure. A broker holds the relationships, runs the search or finds the buyer, handles authentication and valuation, and structures the transaction so the watch transfers with full documentation, the seller is paid promptly, and neither side appears on a public record. For grail-tier pieces, brokerage is often the only practical channel because the pieces do not trade openly. Median time-to-close: 14 to 30 days.

How is brokerage different from an auction house?

Four practical differences. Speed: brokerage closes in 14 to 30 days; auction takes three to nine months. Privacy: brokerage produces no public record; auction is fully public. Commission: brokerage charges a single seller-side fee in the 5 to 15 percent range; auction adds a 20 to 25 percent buyer's premium on top of the hammer, plus a seller's commission and VAT. Matching: a broker delivers a named buyer at a known price; auction delivers price discovery against the room on the day. Auction is right when price discovery is the priority and the timeline is patient. Brokerage is right when discretion, speed, and certainty of net price are.

What is the brokerage commission?

On application, structured per engagement. The sell-side commission typically falls within the industry-standard private brokerage range of 5 to 15 percent, scaled to the rarity of the reference and the discretion required. The confidential 24-hour valuation is offered without fee. The exact commission structure is disclosed in the engagement letter before any transaction proceeds. For portfolio management clients on retainer, brokerage rates are preferential.

What documentation does the buyer receive?

The Maison Montres collector dossier, eight elements: (1) macro photography of dial, case, movement, and bracelet, archived; (2) the twelve-point authentication report signed by the named watchmaker; (3) the two-tier specialist review where applicable, signed by the external specialist; (4) the condition grade on the published 1-to-10 rubric across case, dial, movement, and bracelet; (5) original papers, archive extract, or service history as available; (6) provenance trail to the extent documentable; (7) the written lifetime authenticity guarantee with three named remedies; (8) the dispute-resolution clause. Exportable as a single PDF. Travels with the watch on resale.

How does one open a mandate?

By direct approach to the founder. For a sell-side mandate, send photographs, papers, service history, and any provenance documentation; we return a valuation range within 24 hours. For a buyer-side mandate, send the brief — reference family, configuration preferences, condition expectations, budget range. Both routes lead to a conversation in Geneva or Dubai, or where the piece warrants it, wherever the piece is. The room is small and engagements are by introduction or by direct approach. Both are read.

When is private brokerage the right channel — and when is auction or a dealer better?

Private brokerage suits a grail-tier or contemporary-independent piece where discretion, certainty of net price, and speed matter, and where the reference does not trade through authorised retail — F.P. Journe, the AP Royal Oak archive, vintage Patek Philippe, the independents. A typical sell-side close runs 14 to 30 days at a seller-side commission in the industry-standard 5 to 15 percent range, off-market and with no public record. An auction house (Phillips, Christie's, Sotheby's) is the better channel when a museum-grade or provenance-heavy piece will draw competitive global bidding that exceeds a private price — accepting a three-to-nine-month cycle, a public sale, and a 20 to 25 percent buyer's premium. A dealer offers immediacy but prices for the spread on inventory it then owns. Maison Montres brokers on the collector's behalf and never takes title; where an auction would realise more for a given piece, we say so, and can manage the consignment for you.

— Begin a brokerage mandate

A piece in hand. Or a piece in mind.

Send the piece you are looking to place, or the brief for the piece you are looking to find. The valuation or the search begins within 24 hours, in confidence, without fee.

Confidential 24-hour valuation · Commission within the industry-standard range · Funds settled within 48 hours of authentication on private brokerage
Geneva · Dubai
Speak with the founder