At the end of the year, auction houses publish their financial statements like a barometer: they reveal figures, but also an underlying trend. For Christie's, 2025 can be summed up by two interconnected data points: projected global sales of $6.2 billion (+6% vs. 2024) and a Luxury that climbs to $795 million, representing a 17% year-on-year increase.
This is not a minor detail. In the breakdown of auction sales, Christie's places Luxury goods just behind 20th and 21st century art , confirming that jewelry, watches, bags and large collectibles can act as a driving force when the market becomes more selective.
Luxury collectables tick the boxes of current expectations: rarity, desire, tangible value and simpler purchase.
What about the astonishing growth in luxury sales at Christie's in 2025? A market that's recovering… but in a different way
The art market showed signs of recovery in 2025, but the recovery is not the same as before: less certainty, more trade-offs, and a heightened need for confidence. In its assessment, Christie's emphasizes a more competitive second half of the year and a renewed energy both in the auction room and online. The Financial Times , for its part, speaks of a modest recovery and a more pronounced shift towards luxury categories to attract younger buyers, at a time when the art market remains more varied and demanding than at its pre-crisis peak.
In this context, luxury has a clear advantage: it triggers a reaction more quickly. One might hesitate before a painting (value, taste, market), but an iconic piece of jewelry or a rare watch offers more immediate "proof": material, brand, condition, rarity, value.
Luxury as an emotional asset… and tangible value
Luxury at auction occupies a highly sought-after niche: it's neither a purely utilitarian purchase nor an abstract investment. It's an object that can be worn, passed down, collected, and resold, all while indulging one's own enjoyment. By 2025, this blend of " desire + value " is a powerful driving force, especially when buyers seek tangible items without sacrificing emotional appeal.
Key figures: what Christie's reveals about 2025 – What about the astonishing growth in Luxury sales at Christie's in 2025?
Christie’s doesn’t just say “things are getting better.” The auction house documents a very modern mechanism:
- 81% Bids have been placed online.
- 33% of customers are millennials or Gen Z, up from 2024.
- Luxury represents $795M (+17%) and is becoming a pillar of the mix.
- Private sales reached $1.5 billion, or 24% of total sales (a useful reminder: part of the luxury market also takes place outside of public auctions).
What Christie's calls “Luxury” (and why it matters)
A quick vocabulary clarification, useful for understanding the +17%: at Christie's, "Luxury" doesn't mean "everything that's very expensive." In its sales figures, the auction house distinguishes between art (20th/21st century, Old Masters, etc.), automobiles (via Gooding Christie's), and a Luxury focused on collectible items such as jewelry, watches, bags & accessories, and wines & spirits, often showcased during "Luxury Weeks."
Why is this important? Because it shows that growth doesn't depend solely on a few "trophy" art sales: it's driven by a category capable of generating volume, attracting first-time buyers, and then channeling them into other departments. And the fact that automobiles are also growing ($234 million, +14%) but are treated separately underscores the strategy: multiplying the "entry points" into the world of auctions.
These figures tell the same story: luxury is no longer just a "glamorous category". It is a customer acquisition channel and a driver of volume, supported by digital uses that have become mainstream.
The drivers of the +17%: what really made the Luxury sector take off
Luxury at auction is not just an inventory: it's a drama. A major lot creates an aura of confidence, attracts attention, encourages participation, and energizes subsequent lots. Christie's cites, for example, a week of sales in Geneva that saw a 24% year-on-year increase, driven by a spectacular diamond (" Mellon Blue"), presented as the most important jewelry lot sold at auction that year.
Even if not everyone buys an " event" diamond, everyone benefits from the effect: when a house proves that it can sell the exceptional, it reassures about the rest.
Digitalization: from option to reflex
Luxury goods are fully benefiting from digitally assisted purchasing : ultra-detailed photos, reports, videos, comparisons, and bidding from your phone. Christie's reports that 63% of new buyers make their first purchase online, at an average price of around $22,700 (excluding wines).
The "Luxury Weeks": transforming auctions into appointments
Christie's structures luxury around an event calendar, with "Luxury Weeks" (both in-person and online) that focus on jewelry, watches, handbags, and wines. At Hong Kong Luxury Week (autumn 2025), the auction house will showcase a selection of rare and coveted pieces and emphasize strong global demand for its luxury categories.
Luxury as a gateway: recruitment that changes everything
Perhaps the most strategic point is this: Christie's states that Luxury is the primary entry point for new buyers (38%), ahead of 20th/21st century art (33%).
It makes sense: an iconic bag, a signature watch, or an exceptional ring are objects whose value is more readily apparent to a newcomer than that of a work of art. One quickly understands why they are desirable, and one has a general idea of how they can be resold. As a result, luxury becomes a gateway to other categories.
Which "luxury" categories drove growth?
At Christie's, the Luxury category includes jewelry, watches, bags and accessories, as well as wines and spirits depending on the sales and "Luxury Week" events.
Jewelry: the power of stones… and craftsmanship
Jewelry remains one of the historical hearts of luxury at auction: because it combines rarity, prestige, and tangible proof. The results highlighted by Christie's in Geneva show that the market responds when the offering is exceptional and well-documented.
Watches: mechanics that have become cultural
Collectible watches have become pop culture objects : they are recognized, compared, and sought after. This visibility fuels demand, and demand drives up auctions. Luxury watches also have an advantage: their language ( brand , reference, condition, provenance) is highly codified, making them easier to explain to a new collector.
Bags and accessories: the highly publicized scarcity
The designer handbag has become a global collectible, driven by image culture. The phenomenon is strong enough that year-end media outlets cite spectacular sales among competitors (for example, a Birkin sold for over $10 million at Sotheby's), proof that demand is global and highly competitive.
Wines and spirits: diversify through pleasure
wines and collectible spirits fulfill another need: that of acquiring a heritage that can remain an asset… or become a moment in time. This “ dual function ” is appealing: one collects, but retains a living, festive, and shareable dimension.
The new collectors: youth and international at the heart of the movement
The luxury sector is recruiting because it naturally appeals to digitally savvy generations and online communities. Christie's reports that 33% of its clients are millennials or Gen Z, and that 46% of new buyers and bidders are millennials or younger.
The auction house also observes a key phenomenon: new buyers return and increase their spending, with some purchasing in a different category than their initial purchase. In short: they start with luxury goods, then explore art, design, and specialized sales.
Asia-Pacific and the Middle East: two poles that carry weight
In its report, Christie’s mentions increased spending in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) and strengthened momentum around the Indian diaspora. In the Luxury sector, one figure sums up the importance ofAsia-Pacific : APAC clients account for 37% of spending on Christie’s luxury auctions worldwide.
This is not anecdotal: it explains the importance of luxury weeks in Hong Kong, and more broadly the investment of auction houses in experiences adapted to international, mobile, connected clientele.
Christie's facing the competition: luxury as a battleground
Luxury has become an open battle between major houses. Several analyses from the end of 2025 describe a broader recovery in the auction market, with Sotheby's and Christie's on the rise, and competition particularly visible in the "Luxury" segments.
The common thread in these strategies is clear: using luxury as an entry point. Sotheby's also highlights the increase in its luxury sales and "trophy" lots, while Christie's emphasizes Luxury as the main entry point for new buyers.
Trust as fuel: authenticity, provenance, responsibility
Beyond the record prices, luxury goods are sold primarily on one word: trust. A piece of jewelry or a watch worth tens of thousands of euros will sell if the paperwork is impeccable: condition, certificates, provenance, logistics, insurance, and a team capable of responding quickly. This is also why private sales remain crucial: Christie's projects $1.5 billion in 2025, representing nearly a quarter of its global sales.
Another growing concern, especially among younger buyers, is responsibility. In its report, Christie's highlights its efforts toward a more sustainable culture and mentions a significant reduction in its emissions since 2019 through its impact reports. Without being preachy, this reinforces the auction house's credibility: when you buy expensive items, you're also buying into a certain approach.
And now? What 2025 changes for 2026
If 2025 proved anything, it's that luxury is no longer a secondary category: it's a structural pillar, capable of stabilizing the industry when art goes through more erratic phases. Christie's is already projecting continuity: solid private sales, a younger audience, an established digital presence, and an event-driven approach (Luxury Weeks) that fosters engagement.
The challenge for 2026 is therefore not simply to "achieve a +X% increase." It is to transform this flow of luxury buyers into long-term relationships: personalized support, specialization, cross-collection, and bespoke services. On this point, the 2025 indicators (entry through luxury, first online purchase, return visits from new buyers) already provide a fairly clear roadmap.
The 17% increase isn't a fluke, it's a sign of changing times
The 17% in Luxury sales at Christie's by 2025 is not simply a passing fad. It reveals a profound transformation: the collection is becoming more culturally accessible, the purchasing process is becoming increasingly digital, and luxury, because it embodies both emotion and readily apparent value, is establishing itself as one of the best " entry points " into the world of auctions.
In short, the "astonishing growth" is above all very consistent: when supply is scarce, when the experience is seamless, when the narrative is strong and trust is solid, luxury does not slow down... it accelerates and a dynamic that is set to last.
