99% sold by lot

40% of registrants new to Christie’s

Bidders from 32 countries

Over 70 records set for iconic books by authors including

 Samuel Beckett, George Orwell, George Bernard Shaw,

Dylan Thomas and P. G. Wodehouse

Over 15 author records set including

James Baldwin, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle,

Patricia Highsmith, Langston Hughes and Evelyn Waugh

London – A true celebration of Charlie Watts: Gentleman, Collector, Rolling Stone, the landmark two-part sale of his Literature and Jazz collection has now concluded, realising an overall total of £3,815,280. On 29 September, Part II closed achieving £1,063,692; this built on the success of Part I which realised £2,751,588. The sales comprised over 500 lots, with 40% of registrants new to Christie’s and bidders from 32 countries. Significant records were set for over 70 important literary works, more than 15 globally-acclaimed authors and a range of jazz memorabilia.

Benedict Winter, Specialist, Private & Iconic Collections and Mark Wiltshire, Specialist, Books & Manuscripts at Christie’s: “It has been a real privilege for Christie’s to offer Charlie Watts’s outstanding collection of literature and jazz to the world, opening a remarkable window into his lifelong passions. From the sale announcement, to exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York and London, through to the live and online auctions, Charlie’s exceptional taste has captivated the hearts of fans, connoisseur collectors and institutions globally.”

Part I was led by an important presentation copy of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a book which defines the Jazz Age, inscribed to ‘the original Gatsby’, which sold for £226,800. For full results please click here.

Part II was led by A Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse which sold for £21,420. For full results, please click here.

Following multiple world auction records set in Part I including Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems and Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, Part II achieved a number of further records including the world record for a signed photograph of Josephine Baker.