Auctions: Our Top Picks From The Watches For ELA Charity Auction
Watches for ELA, a charity auction benefiting ELA International, will take place as part of the Christie’s Rare Watches sale in Geneva on Monday, November 9. The sale comprises 21 lots, all unique or one-of-a-kind pieces from a range of brands and independent watchmakers. ELA International brings together seven ELA associations across Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland) and has been fighting leukodystrophies since the 1990s. These rare, severe genetic neurodegenerative diseases attack the central nervous system, causing profound disability and early death in both children and adults. Proceeds will fund medical research and support affected patients and families. The first charity watch sale, held at Christie’s in 2024, raised close to $1 million. We got a closer look at the watches in Geneva this week, and below are our picks of the top lots, with all proceeds going to a worthy cause. Zinédine Zidane's Cartier Pasha (Estimate CHF 10,000 - CHF 20,000) Zinédine Zidane and his Cariter Pasha. Photo credit: Alex Teuscher One of France's greatest footballers (soccer for those in North America), Zinédine Zidane is now the manager of the French National team. But when he was a young player, and early in his career at French league club FC Girondins de Bordeaux, he bought his first proper watch. The one he chose, more than 35 years ago, was a Cartier Pasha. It's a design that pushed boundaries for the French jewelry powerhouse at the ...