Before Geoff Hess was the global head of watches for Sotheby’s, he was just a guy who loved watches. What he’s done for the formerly staid, stuffy world of watch auctions since landing the job reveals as much about Hess himself as it does about the changing face of vintage watch collecting.
“The fun part of the hobby is not tied to money and how much a watch will bring, but rather the story and the narrative that the watch tells.”
Geoff Hess
Since taking on the role in 2023, Hess has presided over headline-grabbing auctions including the $5.4 million USD sale of a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime owned by Sylvester Stallone. More notable than these record-breaking results, however, is the vibe shift he’s ushered in along with them. Until recently, most watch auctions were buttoned-down affairs populated by a closed circle of dealers and industry professionals, and conducted in hushed tones. Under Hess’s leadership, Sotheby’s has begun to reimagine the watch auction as an interactive event that’s accessible to both seasoned collectors with million-dollar budgets and enthusiasts with more modest means. From partnering with French watch publication Heist Out to sell a collection of UFO-themed timepieces to introducing espresso martinis and a hot dog cart at a recent NYC event, watch auctions have become something previously unimaginable: entertaining.
“At our last auction, we had 1,400 bidders from 54 countries and 5,000 people watching from all over the globe,” he says. “We’re presenting watches with videos, showing little interviews. We want people to have fun; we want people to be entertained.”
A born and bred New Yorker, Hess has loved watches for as long as he can remember. In the aughts, during his previous career as a lawyer, Hess would spend his free time browsing the displays at Bucherer TimeMachine, a famed multi-brand store in Midtown Manhattan. As a passionate collector with a particular love of Panerai and Rolex, Hess would go on to establish RollieFest, the invite-only gathering of vintage watch enthusiasts that has grown into one of the world’s foremost watch events. Hess likens Rolliefest, which will return to New York City in September 2025, to seeing a beloved band playing live.
“If I go home and listen to music in my living room with a pair of headphones, I can absolutely enjoy the tunes I’m listening to. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable experience,” Hess says. “But if I go to a concert and there are 10,000 like-minded people sharing the energy, nothing can replace that experience. RollieFest is the concert of watches.”
After several years of ballooning interest in watch collecting that was accompanied by runaway prices and hype, Hess is glad to see a balance returning to the hobby that is more about passion and connection, and less about speculation and quick profits. “The fun part of the hobby is not tied to money and how much a watch will bring, but rather the story and the narrative that the watch tells,” he says. “Collectors love stories and provenance, and we’re really leaning into that.”
