Antiquorum was founded in 1974 in Geneva by Osvaldo Patrizzi, then a young watch dealer, as the first major auction house dedicated entirely to watches and clocks. The house's exclusive horological focus and Patrizzi's curatorial instincts (themed and single-brand sales, detailed catalogues with collector-aimed essays) made Antiquorum the dominant centre of the vintage watch market through the 1980s and 1990s. The 1989 Breguet bicentenary sale and the 1990s Patek 'The Art of Patek Philippe' sales are widely cited as setting the modern template for thematic auction marketing.
Antiquorum's market leadership eroded through the 2000s as Christie's and Sotheby's built dedicated watch departments, and accelerated after Patrizzi was forced out in a 2006 dispute and went on to start his own short-lived 'Patrizzi & Co' venture. The house remains active under various ownership arrangements; it continues to run regular watch sales but no longer holds the market leadership it had in the Patrizzi era. The house's catalogues from the 1980s and 1990s remain reference works for vintage watch identification.