Sotheby’s presents the Glow & Glamour Luxury Pop-Up at its Hong Kong Salon, on view until 13 March 2026. The presentation brings together a focused selection of handbags, fine jewellery and high horology, reflecting the auction house’s continued engagement with collectible luxury beyond the traditional auction format. Works by Hermès, F.P. Journe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex and Cartier form the core of the offering, alongside a considered group of jewellery selected for both craftsmanship and market significance.
In recent seasons, Sotheby’s Hong Kong programme has centred on tightly curated exhibitions dedicated to major artists including Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin and Giuseppe Castiglione. During Hong Kong Art Week, private sales activity continued alongside these presentations, underscoring sustained regional demand for historically grounded collecting. Glow & Glamour extends this curatorial direction, prioritising depth of selection and long-term relevance over scale.
The Watch Collection
Throughout the history of watchmaking, innovation has emerged not from ornamentation alone but from technical necessity. Collectors have long sought precision and mechanical ingenuity, prompting advancements in materials, complications and movement architecture. Among independent watchmakers, few exemplify this discipline more clearly than F.P. Journe, whose practice balances technical evolution with a design language instantly recognisable to collectors. The maison produces its movements entirely in 18K rose gold, a first in the watch world and a defining hallmark of the brand within contemporary horology.
F.P. Journe Quantième Perpétuel Rose Gold
Offered at 182,400 USD, the Quantième Perpétuel represents a continuation of the Octa Calendrier lineage. Introduced in 2012 in 40mm and 42mm formats across platinum and pink gold variations, the model refines the perpetual calendar into a composition of clarity and restraint. The example presented at Sotheby’s Salon, Hong Kong, pairs a silvered dial with a pink gold case, demonstrating how high complications can maintain both technical authority and wearability.
Material choice has played a significant role in the maison’s evolution. By producing key references in gold while maintaining limited availability, F.P. Journe has sustained consistent demand, with many pieces surpassing 200,000 USD in private transactions and at auction.
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Platinum
At the more experimental end of the presentation, the Chronomètre à Résonance (circa 2008), priced at 470,600 USD, stands among the most technically ambitious works in modern horology. One of the earliest wristwatches to successfully harness resonance, it reflects the maison’s commitment to innovation grounded in mechanical research. A platinum case and white gold dial frame a movement later upgraded to pink gold, replacing earlier brass constructions. Visually distinctive yet intellectually rigorous, the model remains a defining reference within independent watchmaking.
Across decades, F.P. Journe’s high horology has earned global recognition, including multiple “Watch of the Year” distinctions across markets such as Japan, the United States and Switzerland, reinforcing its influence on the evolution of contemporary luxury watch trading.
Cartier Panthère Secrète de Cartier
Alongside F.P. Journe, the salon includes important works from Cartier, Audemars Piguet and Rolex. Cartier’s approach to watchmaking reshaped the perception of the wristwatch as both object and cultural signifier. A highlight is the Panthère Secrète de Cartier (Reference WG500131), a yellow gold diamond and onyx-set quartz wristwatch from circa 2013, offered at 63,800 USD. Designed as a sculptural panther head with Roman numerals and blued steel hands, the piece reflects the maison’s enduring dialogue between jewellery and horology. Its flexible structure echoes the movement of Cartier’s emblematic animal, reinforcing its position within the brand’s design narrative.
Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Diamond Watch
Also included is a white gold diamond-set Alhambra quartz watch by Van Cleef & Arpels (circa 2020), priced at 26,400 USD. Defined by the maison’s four-leaf clover motif introduced in 1968, the piece moves effortlessly between bracelet and watch, illustrating the enduring appeal of jewellery-led timepieces.
Handbags and Jewellery
The handbag selection is led by Hermès, including a Vert Amande Togo Kelly 25 Retourne with gold hardware (2022), offered at 24,000 USD. Lined in tonal Chèvre leather and complete with strap, clochette, lock, keys and original accessories, the piece exemplifies the maison’s precision in construction and materiality. The Vert Amande tone, poised between muted green and soft grey, is complemented by the cross-hatched texture of Togo leather, while gold hardware introduces warmth and balance.
Hermès jewellery is represented by the Diamond Kelly Bracelet set with baguette diamonds, where measured proportions and architectural clarity define the design language. In contrast, Bulgari introduces a more sculptural presence through the Serpenti Misteriosi ruby and diamond bracelet watch, designed as a coiled serpent with brilliant-cut diamonds, carved carnelian eyes and ruby scales, offering a distinctly Roman counterpoint to Hermès’ restraint.
Final Note
Over the past two centuries, Sotheby’s has established a globally recognised presence defined by prestige, scholarship and authority across the world’s most sought-after collectables. In a market shaped by constant evolution, the Glow & Glamour Luxury Pop-Up is guided by discernment and thorough selection; it presents a carefully considered mix of objects where design excellence and heritage craftsmanship take precedence.
The watches, jewellery and handbags presented have been chosen not only for their condition and craftsmanship but for their relevance within the broader luxury world. For collectors in Hong Kong and beyond, the salon is more than a retail setting, offering the opportunity to acquire objects supported by the expertise, heritage and international reach of the auction house.
