From an auction point of view, I think the sale of the Haslinger Collection was pretty much "the perfect platform" to trigger the highest possible prices.

For a sale to be a success, a combination of ingredients are needed. In this case, they were all there (except perhaps one):

1. The highest quality available in terms of range, rarity, and condition (most were NOS or Mint, limited series, or signed)

2. Great provenance (Haslinger is a very well-known and highly respected collector)

3. The best literature references (most were included in Haslinger's book, and the sale catalogue itself became an instant reference book)

4. Prestigious support and approval (introduction by Jack Heuer himself, and Tag heuer brand sponsoring)

5. The "first" sale of its type (obviously its hard to recreate such event, and the buzz is never the same the second or third time around)

6. Absolute consensus of approval from the collectors community (for months all the media supported the sale)

All of the above creates a perfect platform or "ideal comfort zone" for collectors to bid to their highest possible level... (as Tracy Chapman would say "if not now... then when?"). These are the ideal conditions for an auction success.

Perhaps one element was missing, at least that's what I thought when I first saw the catalogue online: the need for low and attractive estimates.

I thought the published estimates were too high, which could have acted as a deterrent to the overall sale by discouraging some potential buyers from bidding (me). It is a known fact that the greatest number of bidders (attracted by low estimates) competing against one another always lead to higher prices....

Clearly, I was wrong.

Judging from the results, low estimates were not needed for this sale (and neither were my bids), the sale platform was perfect as it stood....