The other grouping of high results comes from Omegamania, an auction of important Omega pieces that took place on April 14 – 15 in 2007 at Antiquorum in Geneva. In a story that ran in the New York Times days ahead of the sale, Osvaldo Patrizzi, the chief executive of Antiquorum, said, “This sale should put Omega back in its natural position vis-à-vis other brands. In my view there is no difference from a technology or solidity point of view between Omega and Rolex.” According to the article, the value of Rolex watches rose 30 to 35 percent during the year prior. Patrizzi certainly succeeded in his mission.
Three Ploprof watches were auctioned in Omegamania, none of them prototypes, and they realized prices of $14,750, $20,479, and $29,256. Just the year prior, a comparable Ploprof brought in $3,000 at auction. The Ploprof had taken an astronomical leap in value in the wake of Omegamania. The Omegamania auction has often been cited as an example of the impact of “hype.” The watches went on a world tour prior to the auction, and the unusually high results are suspected to be due to the hype and buzz generated by Antiquorum. Saori Omura, who is now head of HODINKEE’s vintage department, was working at Antiquorum’s New York office during Omegamania and says that indeed, “there is no denying that this thematic auction brought a new life to the Ploprof market.” Ploprof prices remained relatively high immediately after Omegamania, with two examples in May selling for $14,750 at Antiquorom and $14,876 at Christie’s.