OUR France put up for auction expensive Rolex watches, expensive bags seized as smuggled goods, as well as jewelry, sneakers and platinum bars. This is an ordinary treasure, as the Reuters news agency usually reports. Given their high value, they are expected to be transferred to the French state treasury in the amount of around 700,000 euros. Items seized as contraband by French customs officials are due to be auctioned in Paris on Friday and include, among others, a white gold Rolex Sky-Dweller watch estimated at between 15,000 and 25,000 euros, according to the auction website. Of course, it should be noted that these particular watches, in demand, will be available at a much lower price than the current market price of “second hand”. In particular, prices for luxury items average around 40,000 euros, according to WatchCharts, a website that collects online prices for pre-owned watches. So the auction can also be seen as an opportunity.

It is expected that about 700,000 euros will be paid into the French state treasury.

Another model is another Rolex GMT Master II model with a black and blue bezel, commonly known as the Batman model. The auctioneer’s estimate for this watch, which allows the wearer to keep track of different time zones, is between 4,000 and 6,000 euros. Again, the range is far from the average market resale price. It is worth noting that in the context of auctions, prices can jump to unimaginable heights during a sale, especially when there is serious interest from the bidder. “The state does not intend to sell these valuable assets cheaply,” said Alain Komel, who oversees the sale on behalf of the French finance ministry. More than 3,000 people have already registered to participate in the online auction, Mr. Komel said, of which 700 said they plan to participate in person. And this confirms the view that some of the seized items are likely to be worth more than previously thought.