In late September, Christie's dedicated a live and online auction to the jazz and literature collection of Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones' long-time drummer, who died in 2021. 'Charlie Watts: Gentleman, Collector, Rolling Stone – Literature and Jazz' reflected Watts' great passions aside from the rock n roll stage.
A world-famous name like Charlie Watts naturally attracted global interest, and bidders from 25 countries registered for the floor auction held on September 28 – 33% of whom were attending a Christie's auction for the first time.
Related: Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts' Collection Heads to Auction
But besides the appeal of a name like Charlie Watts; the books and memorabilia offered in his collection were also known worldwide.
The highest price was achieved by a presentation copy of the first printing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby from 1925, which sold for £226,800 (about $276,615). Besides the rarity of this copy, it was Fitzgerald's dedication to 'the original Gatsby' written in this book that made the manuscript something very special. A first edition that was also offered changed hands for £100,800 ($122,940).
Related: How The Great Gatsby Got Its Cover
Two greats of crime literature were able to set new world records: While Agatha Christie's The Thirteen Problems from 1932 achieved £60,480 ($73,764); Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous work The Hound of the Baskervilles from 1902 was able to achieve a price of £214,200 ($214,200), against an estimate of £70,000 - £100,000.
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A rare copy of Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited also achieved a new top price at £60,480 ($73,764), estimated at £25,000 - £35,000. This book was one of only 50 copies that had been sent to the author's friends on Christmas 1944 in advance of publication.
One of the lots of jazz memorabilia also set a new world record, and it was once again a book. In 1989, jazz legend Miles Davis published his autobiography, written with Quincy Thomas Troupe Jr. The auction included a first edition that contains a dedication from Davis to his last drummer, Ricky 'Sugarfoot' Wellman. Miles: The Autobiography sold for £27,720 ($33,808), a huge increase compared to the estimate of £2,000-3,000.
Related: From Haydn to Hip-Hop: Music for Collectors
The total of the September 28 auction stood at £2,751,588 (about $3.35 million). The almost 300 lots in the online auction, which ended a day later, brought in £1,063,692 (about $1.29 million).
Following the auction, Benedict Winter, Specialist in Private & Iconic Collections, and Mark Wiltshire, Specialist in Books and Manuscripts at Christie's, commented: "The results so far for this landmark collection – celebrating the life and legacy of Charlie Watts – are a true testament to the erudite and passionate eye of Charlie, the epitome of an informed and inspired collector."
