June 22: Gold & Oil Sell Off; $17.4M Diamond Sold at Auction; New Creative Directors at Moschino
Safe havens sell off as US and Iran peace talks progress, with gold and oil falling and the dollar near a one-year high, a single coloured diamond tops our entire auction database at 17.4 million dollars, and there's a changing of leadership at Moschino.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260622
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260622-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260622-p

Markets: A Peace-Deal Unwind
- Talks between the US and Iran showed real progress over the weekend, easing fears of a wider conflict and sending safe-haven assets lower. Gold fell about 2 percent this morning to around 4,228 dollars an ounce, and silver dropped close to 5 percent.
- Oil slipped too, with US crude back near 75 dollars a barrel, as Iran resumed shipping more crude through the Strait of Hormuz. The dollar held firm near a one-year high.
- US markets reopen today after Friday's Juneteenth holiday; Asian shares rose overnight. European luxury opened mixed: LVMH 500.40 euros (up about 0.2 percent from Friday's 499.25), Hermès flat at 1,722.50 euros, Richemont 183.10 Swiss francs (down about 0.3 percent), Kering 271.70 euros (down about 0.1 percent), Burberry 1,131 pence (down about 1.4 percent), and Brunello Cucinelli the weakest at 84.46 euros (down nearly 4 percent). The watch names were the bright spot: Watches of Switzerland 731.5 pence (up about 1.1 percent) and Swatch Group 210 Swiss francs (down about 0.3 percent).

Luxury Business: A New Duo at Moschino
- Creative director Adrian Appiolaza stepped down on Friday after two years, a mutual decision amid financial troubles at owner Aeffe. Moschino has hired the founders of Milan label Sunnei, Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina, to take over (Business of Fashion, Reuters).
- Loewe named a new global communications director, Eloise Hautcoeur, who joins from Versace in Milan (WWD).
- Luxury's beach-club era stretches into a ninth summer: brands are taking over the coastline, with Mytheresa, Gucci, and Jacquemus in Monaco and Burberry setting up in Athens (Business of Fashion).
- Alexander McQueen will return to the London Fashion Week calendar with a September runway show, its first London slot in years (WWD).

In the Art World (and tomorrow on Art Market)
- In France, the Coopérative-Musée Cérès Franco, a converted winery holding an eclectic private collection, has been recognized as a national museum and reopens after a major renovation (The Art Newspaper).
- A US court ordered veteran dealer David Nahmad to return a Modigliani painting found to have been looted, a notable Nazi-era restitution result (Artnet News).

Disclosure: ALT/FNDATA provides data and analysis, not investment advice.

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — this evening at 5 PM ET
- Art Market — tomorrow (Tuesday)
- Open Bid returns tomorrow at 6 AM ET

June 19: The Dollar Rises and Gold Falls; Swiss Watches Split Primary vs. Secondary; the Obama Center Opens; Milan Menswear Week
The week ends with a rising dollar and gold heading for its worst week; Swiss watch exports stall even as the auction market booms; Art Basel wraps; the Obama Presidential Center opens; and the Milan menswear shows begin.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260619
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260619-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260619-p

Markets — A Strong Dollar, a Weak Gold
- After the Fed signaled on Wednesday it intends to keep rates higher for longer, the dollar climbed and gold dropped. Gold is heading for its worst week in months (~$4,166/oz, down from Monday's record); Goldman Sachs cut its gold forecast, citing a lower chance of rate cuts this year.
- Stocks held up better — US markets rebounded Thursday, led by tech (Nasdaq +1.9%). European luxury opened mixed (LVMH/Burberry slightly up, Kering slightly down).
- One bright spot: UK retail sales rebounded unexpectedly in May (earlier months revised higher) — consumer resilience that's welcome for the luxury houses' big London businesses.

Swiss Watches, Two Markets
- New watches: Swiss watch exports barely grew in May after two months of declines, as the Middle East conflict weighed on demand (Business of Fashion).
- The secondary market tells the opposite story. Just last week, Phillips held the highest-grossing watch auction in US history — $75.8M, 100% sold (every lot found a buyer), led by a Swiss-made F.P. Journe at $13.9M, a world record for an independent watchmaker. Brands are shipping fewer new watches; collectors are paying record sums at auction.

Art Basel Wraps Up
- The fair's new "Basel Exclusive" section paid off, with early sales of big names like Picasso and Philip Guston — a sign the big-ticket end is finding buyers.
- In a first, New York's Paula Cooper Gallery won the inaugural Art Basel Gallery Legacy Award.

The Obama Center Opens
- The Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago — a campus with a museum and major new commissions from Mark Bradford, Maya Lin, Richard Hunt, and Martin Puryear. An instant cultural landmark.

Milan Men's Fashion Week
- The menswear season kicked off — Milan Men's Fashion Week plus the Pitti Uomo trade fair in Florence (Spring 2027). The mood among executives is cautious, with brand relevance and volatility front of mind.
- Debut to watch: Canali unveils its new creative director Alessio Lillocci (ex-Prada, Brunello Cucinelli) on Sunday.

Quick Hits
- Prada is planning a multifloor store with an underground passage beneath Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, opening September.
- Porsche revealed a limited 911 GT3 "Earls Court 51," a tribute to its first UK car — only 51 will be built.

By the Numbers (ALT/FNDATA data)
- Watch week (captured in our database): Phillips' New York sale was the highest-grossing watch auction in US history — $75.8M, 100% sold; top lot a Swiss-made F.P. Journe at $13.9M (world record, independent watchmaker). The auction market booms while Swiss exports stall.
- Markets: gold ~$4,166 (worst week in months, off Monday's record). Jun 18 close: Nasdaq 26,517.93 (+1.9%), S&P 7,500.58 (+1.1%), Dow 51,564.70 (+0.1%).

Week Ahead
- Art Basel closes this weekend; the Milan and Pitti menswear shows run through the next few days.

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — this evening at 5 PM ET
- Open Bid returns Monday at 6 AM ET

June 18: The Fed Turns Hawkish in Warsh's Debut; Stocks and Gold Fall; a $35M Picasso Leads Art Basel
Kevin Warsh's first Fed meeting turns hawkish and sends stocks and gold lower; a $35M Picasso leads a cautious Art Basel; Christie's unveils the Jim Irsay Collection; and two fights break out over who really owns a work of art.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260618
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260618-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260618-p

Markets — The Fed Turns Hawkish
- In his first meeting as chair, Kevin Warsh held rates steady but the Fed's projections showed nearly half of policymakers now expect at least one rate hike before the end of 2026 — firmer than investors expected.
- Bond yields jumped; stocks fell. The Dow closed −1.0% (~51,500), the S&P 500 −1.2% (~7,420). The US–Iran optimism gave way to a more sober rate view.
- This morning: gold dropped to ~$4,262/oz (it pays no yield, so a higher-rate outlook hurts it); oil eased to ~$74 (Hormuz supply). European luxury opened lower — LVMH (MC) −0.8%, Burberry (BRBY) −1.2%, Hermès/Kering/Richemont modestly lower.

Luxury Business
- Diageo (Johnnie Walker) — its new CEO is telling managers to cut jobs and costs (FT), a sign of pressure on the drinks industry post-boom.
- Allbirds has sold its brand assets to licensing firm American Exchange Group — a quiet end to its run as an independent company.

Cars & Watches (more in today's Auto Market)
- Bentley unveiled a 1-of-100 bespoke Continental GT S; Evoluto built a restomod of the 1990s Ferrari F355, limited to 55 cars.
- In LA, the third annual Open House gathered independent watchmakers and collectors — more energy around the independent end of watchmaking, the corner setting records at auction.

Art Basel, Day Two
- Buyers active at the top end despite a cautious mood; a Picasso led early sales at ~$35M.
- ALT/FNDATA data: the most valuable Picasso in our database is Les Femmes d'Alger at $179.4M (Christie's) — so a $35M Picasso sits comfortably within the artist's range.
- A small but telling note: the fair's prize for emerging artists was quietly cancelled this year.

Questions of Ownership
- Mexico has urged Sotheby's to halt the sale of two pre-Columbian artefacts, calling them national heritage.
- Dealer David Nahmad was given 30 days to return a Modigliani looted by the Nazis. Provenance is becoming as valuable as the work itself.

A Collector's Trove
- Christie's unveiled the Jim Irsay Collection, "Icons of History." Irsay, the late Colts owner, was a major collector; the final lot is the original working manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Also This Week
- The Obamas unveiled their first official painted portrait together, by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, timed to the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago.
- Old Pulteney released a 50-year-old single malt, its oldest and priciest; and Louisiana's Bayou Rum is reformulating after parent Stoli Group's bankruptcy.
- Jonathan Anderson was added to Dior's permanent exhibition space in Paris.

Week Ahead
- Art Basel runs through the weekend — the test is whether its strong start holds against the more hawkish Fed backdrop.

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Auto Market — today (Thursdays)
- Closing Price — this evening at 5 PM ET

June 17: $35M Picasso Leads Art Basel; De Beers Sale Heats Up; Dow Hits a Record, European Luxury Holds as US Falls
Art Basel opens with blue-chip buyers back and a $35M Picasso leading; the diamond giant De Beers may change hands; Christie's doubles its Old Masters estimate in Paris; and markets wait on the Fed's first decision under Kevin Warsh.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260617
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260617-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260617-p

Art Basel Opens
- The most important fair on the art calendar opened to collectors this week. Buyers moved quickly on blue-chip work on opening day, led by a Picasso at around $35M.
- The mood: cautious but improving — dealers "playing it safe" and watching for a broader recovery after a couple of softer years.

A Designer's Archive
- The long-hidden personal archive of Martin Margiela, the famously private Belgian designer, is heading to auction — following news that Sotheby's will sell ~1,000 personal Karl Lagerfeld sketches. Designer archives are becoming their own collecting category.

The Diamond Giant
- Anglo American is looking to sell De Beers, and a group led by Gareth Penny, a former De Beers chief executive, is said to be leading the race to buy it (Business of Fashion).
- ALT/FNDATA data: The Ocean Dream, a coloured-diamond ring that fetched $17.4M at Christie's Geneva (Magnificent Jewels, May 13). Whoever buys De Beers is betting demand for stones like that holds.

Old Masters
- Christie's Maîtres Anciens (Old Masters) sale in Paris totaled ~€5.7M, doubling its pre-sale estimate — more evidence that well-curated material still draws strong bidding.

Markets
- Yesterday's split: the Dow closed at a record (~52,000) while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both slipped as tech took a breather.
- This morning: Nasdaq futures higher; oil holding near a 3-month low (~$75/bbl); gold near its record (~$4,350); the dollar a touch softer.
- All eyes on the Federal Reserve's first rate decision under new chair Kevin Warsh, due later this week.

Luxury Equities
- Europe (today's open vs yesterday's close): a quiet, mixed open. LVMH (MC) +0.2%; Burberry (BRBY) +0.5%; Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) +0.4%; Hermès (RMS) −0.2%; Kering (KER) flat; Richemont (CFR) −0.6%; Swatch (UHR) −0.5%.
- The transatlantic split: yesterday in New York every US-listed luxury name we track closed lower even as the Dow set a record — Capri (CPRI) and Ralph Lauren (RL) each off more than 1%. European luxury firm, US luxury soft.

A London Bet
- Hermès opened a new mega-boutique on Bond Street in London — a big bet on the city's luxury appeal even as the wider sector recovers.

Week Ahead
- RM Sotheby's Sealed (featuring a 1969 Lamborghini Miura) closes today, June 17.

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Luxury Spending — today (Wednesdays)
- Closing Price — this evening at 5 PM ET

June 16: Patek Legend Philippe Stern Dies; Diane Keaton Estate Brings $4.2M; Japanese Whisky Sets $1M Record; Gold Hits New High
The watch world loses Patek Philippe's Philippe Stern; the Diane Keaton estate brings $4.2 million at Bonhams; Japanese whisky sets a $1 million record; and with gold at a new high, Rolex and Piaget lean in. Plus markets, where the Dow closed at a record on the US-Iran deal.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260616
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260616-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260616-p

Watches
- Philippe Stern, former president of Patek Philippe and one of the most influential figures in modern watchmaking, has died. He oversaw the Nautilus (1976) and the Calibre 89, billed at its 1989 debut as the most complicated watch in the world. He is the father of Patek's current president, Thierry Stern.
- Patek's grip on the top of the market held last week, when the rare "Red Dot" reference 3448G sold for $2.76M at Christie's New York.

Salerooms
- Bonhams sold the estate of the late actress Diane Keaton for $4.2M, led by the original script from her 1977 film "Annie Hall," which fetched nearly 100x its high estimate.
- Sotheby's will auction around 1,000 previously unseen personal sketches by the late Karl Lagerfeld, alongside other archive material including his iPods.

Whisky
- A Yamazaki 50 Year Old, made exclusively for a private Japanese club, sold for about $1M in Hong Kong — a record for Japanese whisky

Gold Is Hot
- Gold closed at a record Monday and kept climbing (~$4,360/oz this morning).
- Rolex raised gold-watch prices ~5%, its second increase this year (industry sources).
- Piaget unveiled Extraleganza, a 65-piece high-jewelry collection inspired by the gem-set dials of its ultra-thin watches.

Markets
- The Dow closed at a record Monday (~51,310) as the US-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz eased oil fears, and it added roughly another 1.7% this morning (~52,180). Crude fell to a 3-month low (~$75/bbl) and US gasoline slipped below $4/gallon for the first time since April.
- SpaceX extended its post-IPO surge, up more than 50% over three sessions (~$213).
- Markets steadied ahead of the Federal Reserve's first rate decision under new chair Kevin Warsh, due this week.

Week Ahead
- Sotheby's Important Watches caps a remarkable week of watch sales.
- RM Sotheby's Sealed (featuring a 1969 Lamborghini Miura) closes tomorrow, June 17.

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Art Market — Tuesdays (today)
- Closing Price — this evening at 5 PM ET

June 15: Phillips Hits $75.8M Record Watch Sale with F.P. Journe for $13.9M; Christie's Design Tops $20M; Luxury Rallies on the Iran Deal
A record-breaking weekend for watches, a $20M Christie's Design sale, the South Asian art market still smashing records, a question mark over luxury handbags, and luxury stocks ripping on a US–Iran deal.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260615
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260615-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260615-p

Watches — A Record Weekend
- Phillips held the highest-grossing watch auction in US history: $75.8M across two days, 100% sold by lot
- An F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance sold for $13.9M — the highest price ever for a watch by an independent watchmaker
- Christie's Important Watches totaled $17.1M (99% sold by lot), led by the ultra-rare Patek Philippe "Red Dot" Ref. 3448G at $2.76M

Design
- Christie's Design sale totaled $20.2M, 89% sold by lot, 140% of the low estimate

South Asian Art
- At Christie's London, the Goodricke (tea-company) collection was led by a £3.8M Ganesh Pyne, with new auction highs for Abanindranath Tagore and Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar — the latest South Asian sale to smash expectations

Coming to the Block
- A class-winning 1954 Maserati A6GCS race car heads to Broad Arrow at Monterey Car Week (August), est. ~$3M

The Handbag Question
- The WSJ asks whether the luxury handbag's heyday is ending, pointing to an $8B slide in sales — even as the trophy end of the market holds firm

Luxury Business
- A new fund backed by LVMH and pro athletes (Dak Prescott, Tyrese Haliburton) is putting ~$50M into the activewear label Rhoback — luxury capital moving into performance wear
- Sources tell WWD that designer Bruno Sialelli (ex-Lanvin) has joined Balenciaga's studio, ahead of new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli's debut

Markets — Luxury Rallies on the Iran News
- US stock futures jumped after the US and Iran reached an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; that deal is the engine behind a powerful luxury rally
- European luxury opens (vs Friday's close; opened sharply higher, then faded): LVMH (MC) 535 EUR +4.8% (~+1.2% intraday); Kering (KER) 280 EUR +4.3%; Hermès (RMS) 1,766 EUR +4.1%; Richemont (CFR) 183 CHF +2.3%; Swatch (UHR) 214 CHF +2.2%; Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) 721p +1.2%; Burberry (BRBY) 1,201p +2.1%
- A footnote from Friday's SpaceX listing: South Korea's watchdog has widened a review of broker Mirae Asset Securities over a failed allocation of SpaceX shares

Remembering David Hockney
- Tributes continue for the painter, who died last week at 88 — from Tracey Emin to former Tate director Nicholas Serota

By the Numbers — from the ALT/FNDATA database
- F.P. Journe: the prior auction high in our data was $10.8M (Phillips, December 2025) — context for today's $13.9M record
- 1954 Maserati A6GCS: the last one in our data sold for $2.3M (RM Sotheby's, November 2025) — a same-model comp for the ~$3M upcoming lot
- Handbags: the top result over the past year is a rare Hermès Birkin 20 in matte alligator that sold for ~$490K at Christie's — the trophy end is holding up

Week Ahead
- Sotheby's Important Watches caps a remarkable week of watch sales
- RM Sotheby's Sealed (featuring a 1969 Lamborghini Miura) closes June 17

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon-Fri at 5 PM ET
- Art Market — Tuesdays

June 12: David Hockney Dies at 88; Christie's South Asian Sale Hits £18.9M; Luxury Rallies on the Iran Deal
The art world remembers David Hockney, a £18.9M South Asian sale at Christie's, a world-record Elizabeth Taylor handbag, and luxury stocks surging on a possible US–Iran peace deal.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260612
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260612-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260612-p

In Memoriam
- David Hockney has died at 88 (at home in London, June 11). Born Bradford, 1937; pop-art pioneer; the Los Angeles pool paintings ("A Bigger Splash," "Portrait of an Artist"); joiners, Yorkshire landscapes, and iPad drawings. Held at the Met, MoMA, Tate and Centre Pompidou; his 2017 Tate Britain retrospective was the most-visited in that gallery's history; Royal Academician and Order of Merit, and he turned down a knighthood. "Portrait of an Artist" sold for $90M at Christie's in 2018 (then the record for a living artist) — he first sold it for $20,000 in 1972
- Nigel Cabourn, British menswear designer, has died at 77. Known for military- and workwear-inspired clothing drawn from his own vast archive of 20th-century military uniforms; a touchstone of the heritage-menswear movement

Auction Results
- Christie's "Sublime Shadows: South Asian Art From a Distinguished Collection" (London): £18.9M total — Christie's first dedicated sale of its kind since 2019, on strong international demand for South Asian modern & contemporary art
- Christie's "Handbags Online: The New York Edit": $3.26M total, 97% sold by lot. A Fendi Baguette once owned by Elizabeth Taylor set a world record for the model at $21,590

Markets — Luxury Rallies on the Iran News
- Luxury stocks surged on reports the US and Iran are nearing a deal to end their war; LVMH up ~5% in early trading; oil at a multi-month low. Bloomberg notes a whipsaw week, swinging from the year's worst day (Wednesday) to this rally in a matter of sessions
- European luxury opens (vs Thursday's close; US names open later): LVMH (MC) 508 EUR +3% (~+5% mid-morning); Kering (KER) 268 EUR +3.4%; Hermès (RMS) 1,680 EUR +2.3%; Richemont (CFR) 179 CHF +2.9%; Swatch (UHR) 205 CHF +1.6%; Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) 715p +1.4%; Burberry (BRBY) 1,161p +2.1%

Luxury Brands
- LVMH's Pucci, under designer Camille Miceli, is one of the group's fastest-growing labels via a Gen Z-friendly take on its Mediterranean heritage (BoF)
- Farfetch launches "Farfetch First," a new service to elevate the customer experience and support its brand partners (BoF)

Week Ahead
- Today: Christie's Important Watches (New York) + Christie's Paris Hermès online sale opens + Sotheby's Gem Drop
- June 13: Bonhams National Automobile Museum (Reno) + Phillips New York Watch Auction
- June 15: Sotheby's Important Watches

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon-Fri at 5 PM ET
- Art Market — Tuesdays

June 11: Christie's Fabergé Sale Hits $17.3M; Porsche Rules Out an Electric 911; Hugo Boss Weighs a €2B Bid
A $17.3M Fabergé collection at Christie's, a strong Asian-art result in Paris, the Empire State builder's Patek heading to Phillips, Porsche ruling out an electric 911, Frieze London's return, and where the luxury names opened.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260611
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260611-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260611-p

Auction Results
- Christie's "A Treasured History: The Stream Family Collection" (New York, June 10): $17.3M total, 99% sold by lot, 231% of the low estimate. The collection of Matilda Geddings Gray and her niece Matilda Gray Stream, rich in Fabergé tied to Tsar Nicholas II; online portion open through June 17
- Christie's "Art d'Asie" (Paris): €9.1M, about 3x its pre-sale estimate, part of the 9th Printemps Asiatique; bidders from 20+ countries

Coming to the Block
- A 1929 yellow-gold Patek Philippe with a Tiffany dial, owned by Paul Starrett (who built the Empire State Building with his twin brother): Phillips New York Watch Auction, Lot 27, June 13, est. $15,000–$30,000

Cars
- Porsche CEO Michael Leiters rules out an electric 911; the 911 stays combustion (hybrid in the GTS and Turbo S) as EV demand cools — the Taycan has sold below expectations and the electric 718 is delayed

Art Market
- Frieze London returns this October with 172 galleries (≈300 with Frieze Masters, Regent's Park, Oct 14–18); a new curated section and a David Zwirner / Joan Miró estate collaboration headline Masters

Fine Jewelry
- At the Couture show (Las Vegas), retailers describe a "K-shaped consumer": strong demand at the high and entry ends, a softer $5,000–$10,000 middle (WWD)

Luxury Leadership & Deals
- Saint Laurent names Anouck Duranteau-Loeper (ex-Isabel Marant CEO) as deputy CEO, in charge of product
- Hugo Boss weighs an unsolicited ~€2 billion takeover offer from Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which already owns ~26% (WWD)

Quick Hits
- Old Forester's collectible President's Choice single barrels + Garrison Brothers sherry-cask bourbons
- Scientists report a new way to spot fake Van Goghs, using surface metrology

Markets
- Wall Street's worst day of 2026 yesterday (Middle East clashes + inflation), bouncing today as the US wound down its Iran strikes and oil gave back gains; The Economist: the world's strategic oil reserves are running out fast

Luxury Stocks at the Open (vs Wednesday's close; US names open later)
- LVMH (MC) 486 EUR −0.4%; Kering (KER) 252 EUR −1.5%; Hermès (RMS) 1,630 EUR −0.4%; Richemont (CFR) 168 CHF −0.4%; Swatch (UHR) 200 CHF flat; Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) 698p −0.5%; Burberry (BRBY) 1,118p flat

Week Ahead
- Today: Bonhams London Fine Watches; Christie's first London sale of South Asian modern & contemporary art in 7 years
- June 12: Christie's Important Watches (NY) + Christie's Paris Hermès online sale opens + Sotheby's Gem Drop
- June 13: Bonhams National Automobile Museum (Reno) + Phillips New York Watch Auction (the Starrett Patek)
- June 15: Sotheby's Important Watches

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon-Fri at 5 PM ET
- Auto Market — Thursdays

June 10: Christie's Magnificent Jewels Hits $49.7M; India Pulls Ahead in Asian Art Market; CPI up 4.2%
A $49.7M white-glove jewels sale at Christie's, two upcoming lots worth watching, a hard data read on Asia's splintering art market, and where the luxury names and metals opened this morning.

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260610
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260610-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260610-p

Jewelry — Auction Results
- Christie's Magnificent Jewels, New York: $49.7M total, 100% sold by lot, 149% of the low estimate, led by a stone called The Azure Blue
- Buyers: 58% Americas, 21% Asia-Pacific, 21% Europe

Coming to the Block
- 1985 Lamborghini Countach (1 of 300 of the most powerful version): RM Sotheby's, August, est. ~$1.1M
- Christie's announces the Collection of the Hon. Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay: 6 specialist sales, June–October; first group (5 Old Master paintings + 2 Italian illuminations) on June 30

Art Market — Asia Data Dive (Artnet)
- Asia's fine-art auction market: $2.2B in 2025, down from a $5.4B peak in 2021
- Average hammer price fell from $81,000 to $36,000; lot volume steady at ~61,000 works/year (a repricing, not a retreat)
- India strongest of the 5 core markets: median hammer ~$11,000, 89% sell-through (region's highest); Mumbai house AstaGuru grew revenue 138% and opened a London outpost
- Measured against 2016 prices: China −37% (held back by its property downturn), Japan −50%; South Korea climbed 26% above 2016 by 2021, then fell 88% the next year

High Jewellery
- Chanel names Marie-Laure Cérède (ex-Cartier and Harry Winston) to lead its jewellery design

Markets
- May CPI: US consumer prices +4.2% year-on-year; core inflation (excludes food and energy) came in below forecasts
- Luxury stocks at today's open (vs Tuesday's close): LVMH (MC) 496 EUR +0.8%, Kering (KER) 257 EUR +0.9%, Hermès (RMS) 1,674 EUR +0.5%, Richemont (CFR) 168.25 CHF +0.3%, Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) 715p +3%, Burberry (BRBY) 1,124p +1%, Ferrari (RACE) $354 −1.1%, Signet (SIG) $86 −0.4%
- Metals at the open: gold ~$4,276/oz, +0.4% vs Tuesday's close; silver ~$65, roughly flat

Collectibles — Quick Hits
- Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel bourbon returns, first release of that age statement in over a decade
- Porsche unveils 3 one-off 911s inspired by Toy Story 5, to be sold for charity

Also Noted
- The Economist: a bidding war for Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank

Week Ahead
- Bonhams London Fine Watches + Christie's first London sale of South Asian modern & contemporary art in 7 years — June 11
- Christie's Important Watches, New York + Christie's Paris Hermès handbag sale (online, through June 24) + Sotheby's Gem Drop — June 12
- Bonhams sells ~100 cars from the National Automobile Museum, Reno — June 13

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon/Wed/Fri at 5 PM ET
- Luxury Spending — Wednesdays

June 9: $3.2M Wine Cellar Sells 100% at Christie's; Burberry's Bailey Buys a 175-Year-Old Pottery; New Balance Expands in India

ALT/FNDATA
- Membership (PODCAST15 for 15% off): https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260609
- Market reports: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260609-r
- Podcast episodes: https://altfndata.com/go/ob-260609-p

Christie's Wine Cellar Sells 100%
- The Exceptional Private Cellar of a Silicon Valley Pioneer sold June 5 at Christie's Rockefeller Center for $3,230,175
- 100% sold by lot; 132% sold by low estimate (total came in a third above the low end)
- A full white-glove result on a single-owner fine-wine collection

Christopher Bailey Acquires Burleigh
- Christopher Bailey, former chief creative officer and CEO of Burberry, is leading the acquisition of English pottery maker Burleigh
- The company is 175 years old — one of the oldest Victorian potteries still operating; terms not disclosed

eBay-Depop Under UK Review
- Britain's Competition and Markets Authority has opened a formal review of eBay's purchase of resale app Depop
- The regulator will decide by August 6 whether to clear the deal or refer it for an in-depth investigation

The Footwear Market, Two Ways
- StockX is launching a live-shopping service this summer — sneakers to electronics, sold in real time; CEO Greg Schwartz calls it the platform's next growth lever
- New Balance's India partner, Brandman Retail, plans to bring more global brands (Salomon, Anta) into India and more than quintuple its store count by 2028
- Designer Brands (parent of DSW) stock dropped on weak guidance; Q1 sales up just 1.4% to $696.35M

Quick Hits
- Nearly 11,000 bottles of Noble Oak bourbon were stolen in Philadelphia last week — the latest in a run of large spirits heists
- Actor Jason Momoa and Hedley Studios unveiled a one-of-a-kind electric Mini Bentley Blower — a scaled recreation of the 1920s race car, with 100 custom touches

Macro Note
- The Bank of France will raise its 2026 inflation forecast, Governor Emmanuel Moulin said, citing the effect of the Iran war on prices

Week Ahead
- Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels — June 9, New York (today)
- Christie's Important Watches — June 10, New York
- Bonhams Watches — June 11, London
- Christie's Paris Hermes Handbag (online) & Sotheby's The Gem Drop — June 12
- Bonhams National Automobile Museum (~100 cars) — June 13, Reno

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon-Fri at 5 PM ET
- Art Market — Tuesdays at 8 AM ET
- Luxury Spending — Wednesdays at 8 AM ET
- Auto Market — Thursdays at 8 AM ET