Holding Top Three Prices for a Bottle of Japanese Whisky at International Auction
A Unique Yamazaki 50-Year-Old, Created for Nagoya’s Club Natsume, Achieves HK$8,250,000 (JP¥168,480,000) Karuizawa 52-Year-Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship Realises HK$6,250,000 (JP¥127,640,000)
HONG KONG, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 30 May 2026, Bonhams set a new world auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky at The Legendary Japanese Whisky sale, where a unique Yamazaki 50-Year-Old created exclusively for Club Natsume soared to HK$8,250,000, nearly doubling its high estimate.
The sale also saw the Karuizawa 52–Year–Old Cask #5627, 1960 – Treasure Ship realise HK$6,250,000.
Fierce bidding drove both lots past the previous record of HK$6,200,000 (JP¥126,620,000), set by Bonhams Hong Kong in 2020 for a Yamazaki 55-Year-Old. The two rarities achieved a combined total of HK$14.5 million, underscoring strong demand for ultra-aged Japanese whiskies. Bonhams now holds the top three prices ever achieved at international auction for a bottle of Japanese whisky, cementing its leadership in the category.
Among the rarest Japanese whiskies in existence, the Yamazaki 50-Year-Old is the distillery’s second–oldest expression, released in 2005, 2007 and 2011. This example stands apart for its exceptional provenance: it was created exclusively for Club Natsume in Nagoya to commemorate the club’s 50th anniversary, distinguished by a washi label and signed by Suntory’s Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo.
Amayès Aouli, Global Head of Wine & Spirits, Bonhams, comments: “Breaking the world record for Japanese whisky is an important milestone. We are not simply responding to demand; we are defining the market through expertise, authenticity, and an international platform. This record underscores our ambition to be the trusted global reference and keep elevating the category to new heights.”
Terrence Tang, Bonhams’ Head of Wine & Spirits, Asia, adds: “Bonhams has a strong track record in rare and ultra-premium Japanese whisky, having set multiple records over the past decade in our Hong Kong saleroom. These stellar results highlight Asia’s position as the premier market for the category, uniting an international community of collectors at the highest level.”
Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of the world’s leading auction houses, operating a global network of trusted specialists across 24 countries, including flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong across more than 60 categories. www.bonhams.com
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BONHAMS HONG KONG SETS NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A BOTTLE OF JAPANESE WHISKY
TAIPEI, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ACON OPTICS (TWSE: 6820), a leading provider of advanced optical connectivity solutions, showcased its latest innovations in AI optical interconnect technologies at COMPUTEX 2026 under the theme “Shaping Next-Generation Interconnect.”
The company presented a comprehensive portfolio spanning CPO Connectivity Solutions, Optical Connectivity Solutions, and AI Data Center Interconnect Solutions, including high-precision, high-density Fiber Array Units (FAU), Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) connectivity technologies, MicroLED CPO optical interconnect solutions, MPO connectivity products, 1.6T transceivers, and high-speed AOC, AEC, ACC, and DAC solutions.
As generative AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and hyperscale AI data centers continue to drive unprecedented growth in data traffic and computing demands, optical interconnect technologies are becoming a critical foundation for next-generation AI infrastructure. ACON OPTICS continues to invest in high-speed optical transmission, precision optical alignment, and high-density optical connectivity technologies to address the evolving requirements of AI networking and computing architectures.
Advancing CPO Connectivity for AI Infrastructure
At COMPUTEX 2026, ACON OPTICS highlighted its high-precision, high-density FAU and detachable optical connectivity solutions designed for emerging CPO architectures.
These technologies demonstrate the company’s expertise in precision optical alignment, detachable optical connectivity, optical coupling, fiber array design, and advanced manufacturing capabilities, enabling scalable and reliable optical connectivity for next-generation AI systems.
The company’s CPO solutions attracted strong interest from key players across the global AI ecosystem, including NVIDIA, Intel, Cisco, Lightmatter, Ayar Labs, AWS, NTT, HPE, MediaTek, and ASE. Discussions focused on future optical interconnect architectures, AI networking requirements, and the evolution of high-bandwidth optical connectivity for AI infrastructure.
Showcasing MicroLED CPO Innovation
A major highlight of the exhibition was ACON OPTICS’ joint demonstration of a MicroLED CPO optical interconnect solution developed in collaboration with Brillink and PlayNitride.
The demonstration combined MicroLED light source technology, advanced optical packaging, and high-density optical interconnect architectures to showcase the potential of next-generation optical communication technologies for AI computing platforms.
The collaboration further underscores ACON OPTICS’ capabilities in high-density optical connectivity, precision optical alignment, and advanced packaging interfaces, positioning the company within the rapidly evolving CPO ecosystem.
Enabling Next-Generation AI Data Center Interconnect Solutions
In addition to its CPO portfolio, ACON OPTICS showcased a complete range of AI data center interconnect solutions, including MPO optical connectivity products, 1.6T transceivers, AOC, AEC, ACC, and DAC solutions designed for AI servers, high-speed switches, and large-scale data center deployments.
These solutions are engineered to meet growing industry demands for higher bandwidth, lower latency, enhanced reliability, and scalable connectivity in AI-driven networking environments.
The showcased solutions also attracted attention from leading technology companies and industry partners, including Supermicro, Celestica, Sumitomo Electric, Amphenol, CommScope, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Wistron, Accton, Pegatron, and Foxconn.
Expanding Optical Connectivity into Automotive Applications
ACON OPTICS also presented automotive optical transmission technologies targeting next-generation vehicle architectures, including infotainment systems, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and autonomous driving applications.
As in-vehicle data traffic continues to increase, optical connectivity is expected to play an increasingly important role in future automotive network architectures by providing higher bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and enhanced system reliability.
Driving the Future of AI Optical Interconnects
“AI infrastructure is driving a new era of demand for advanced optical connectivity solutions,” said ACON OPTICS.
“We remain committed to advancing high-speed optical transmission, Co-Packaged Optics, precision optical alignment, and high-density optical connectivity technologies while expanding global partnerships and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.”
By continuing to invest in innovation and technology development, ACON OPTICS aims to strengthen its position within the global AI supply chain and accelerate the adoption of next-generation optical interconnect technologies for AI data centers and high-performance computing environments.
About ACON OPTICS
ACON OPTICS (TWSE: 6820) specializes in optical connectivity solutions for AI data centers, telecommunications networks, automotive applications, and high-speed networking environments. The company’s portfolio includes MPO optical connectivity products, transceivers, optical assemblies, Fiber Array Units (FAU), Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) connectivity technologies, and advanced optical integration solutions that enable next-generation communication infrastructure.
For more information, visit www.aconoptics.com.
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ACON OPTICS (TWSE: 6820) Strengthens AI High-Speed Interconnect Portfolio with CPO and 1.6T Connectivity Technologies at COMPUTEX 2026
