Auction rules

How ChronoBid online auctions run. Increments, fixed closing times, reserves, and lot status.

Increments

Each lot carries a published bid increment. Your next bid cannot sit below the current highest bid plus that step. The lot page shows the step so you know what the next offer must clear.

Closing time

The auction closes at the displayed time. Bids do not extend the clock. Watch the countdown and place your bid before the lot ends.

Reserves

Some lots carry a reserve. If bidding finishes below that line, the lot can end without a sale. You may see a Reserve Not Met outcome in that case. The house decides whether to offer the lot again later.

Estimates

Catalogue estimates are a broad guide from past sales and house judgment. They are not a prediction of the hammer and they are not a valuation for insurance. Bid what the watch is worth to you.

Your status on a lot

While a sale is live you may see yourself as leading or outbid. After close, a lot can show as won or lost from your side. Sold, Ended, Reserve Not Met, and Withdrawn are house outcomes on the auction itself. ChronoBid never shows Live and Ended together.

Confidential bidding

Amounts are public in the online auction. Names stay with staff. We do not publish a public bid book.