ROBBREPORT.COM 91
T
here’s nothing like a
watch auction to stir
the blood and get the
adrenaline pumping.
As a collector I’ve been
fortunate to have had some great wins
on the block, such as a Lange Double
Split I bought at Christie’s in 2012 and a
rare pink-gold example of the first-ever
serially produced perpetual-calendar
wristwatch, the Patek Philippe Ref.
1526, at Phillips in November 2016.
There’s little that can compare to the
feeling you’ve captured a bargain that
really speaks to you. It’s dangerously
addictive. But with some pieces, you
know you’d better be prepared to go big
or get blown out of the water.
Which brings us to that fateful
evening of October 26, 2017: the
Phillips/Bacs & Russo auction in New
York, where the late Paul Newman’s
personal Rolex sold for the mind-
boggling record of more than $17
million. My wife and I were in the room
that night—I wasn’t even remotely
a contender for that piece—and we
watched with fascination as a telephone
bidder immediately jumped the price
to $10 million in an attempt to foreclose
other potential buyers before losing out
in a spirited battle.
I didn’t know it yet, but that under-
bidder’s woes were about to become
mine.
It was a long wait from Lot 8, the
Newman, to Lot 47: a platinum Duality,
Number 00, made by Philippe Dufour.talked with the specialists at Phillips
to be sure they knew of our intent, not
least so that auctioneer Aurel Bacs
would be looking for my waving hand at
the proper moment.
One side effect of going public was
that several watch friends attended
that night, to see the Newman but also
to cheer me to victory. As Lot 47 was
introduced, I looked over my shoulder
at them, stuck my paddle under my leg
and, after a quick kiss for luck from my
wife, got ready to go. Two competing
thoughts rattled round my mind: “I pray
that we win!” and “I can’t believe I’m
about to spend this much money!”
Bacs opened the bidding with
absentee bids at $50,000, $70,000,
$100,000 ... and then it was time to play.
I was just about to raise my hand when
a voice rang out from the phone bank
behind my left shoulder: “Six hundred!”
I felt like an emotional balloon had
burst inside me. “Really?” I mouthed
to a friend. My paddle dropped to the
floor. I was out of the action before my
hand even left my thigh. No victory
celebration, not even a chance to play the
game. The watch eventually sold for an
eye-watering $915,000—as it turned out,
to the frustrated Newman under-bidder,
who obviously had money to burn.
So much for my hubris about
bringing home a big one.Gary Getz (@garyg_1, as he is known
on Instagram) is a San Francisco–based
watch collector.Illustrations by CELYNField Notes
Gary Getz
on watches, p. 91Sara L. Schneider
on wine, p. 93David Coggins
on fishing, p. 92If you’re interested in watches, you
likely know of Dufour: the generally
acknowledged Greatest Living
Watchmaker, who, over four decades
as an independent, has produced about
200 highly sought-after pieces. The
bulk of these are the three-handed
Simplicity. I’m fortunate to own one,
but the Duality, of which only nine
were made and which features a
groundbreaking dual-balance design,
is rarely available for purchase and is a
true object of desire for indie collectors.
My bidding strategy involved finding
a pal to team with, as the pre-auction
low estimate was $200,000. Our
agreement was that we would have
usage rights over alternating six-month
periods as well as a buyout mechanism
that included the use of a pre-named
appraiser, to be available to either after
we had owned it for a set period. After
agreeing on terms, my friend and I
were keen to make our interest in the
timepiece broadly known.
Among watch enthusiasts there
is a bit of honor among thieves. It’s
common for friends to forgo bidding on
a watch if a member of the community
has expressed a strong interest. I’d alsoGARY GETZ
The Watch
That Got Away
WATCHES Knowing a timepiece belongs
on your wrist and actually getting it
there are two very different things.ROBBREPORT.COM 91
T
here’s nothinglikea
watch auctiontostir
the blood andgetthe
adrenalinepumping.
As a collectorI’vebeen
fortunate to have had somegreatwins
on the block, such as a LangeDouble
Split I bought at Christie’sin 2012 anda
rare pink-gold example ofthefirst-ever
serially produced perpetual-calendar
wristwatch, the Patek PhilippeRef.
1526, at Phillips in November2016.
There’s little that can comparetothe
feeling you’ve captured a bargainthat
really speaks to you. It’s dangerously
addictive. But with some pieces,you
know you’d better be preparedtogobig
or get blown out of the water.
Which brings us to thatfateful
evening of October 26, 2017:the
Phillips/Bacs & Russo auctioninNew
York, where the late Paul Newman’s
personal Rolex sold for themind-
boggling record of more than$17
million. My wife and I wereintheroom
that night—I wasn’t even remotely
a contender for that piece—andwe
watched with fascination asa telephone
bidder immediately jumpedtheprice
to $10 million in an attempttoforeclose
other potential buyers beforelosingout
in a spirited battle.
I didn’t know it yet, butthatunder-
bidder’s woes were about tobecome
mine.
It was a long wait fromLot8,the
Newman, to Lot 47: a platinumDuality,
Number 00, made by PhilippeDufour.talked with the specialists at Phillips
to be sure they knew of our intent, not
least so that auctioneer Aurel Bacs
would be looking for my waving hand at
the proper moment.
One side effect of going public was
that several watch friends attended
that night, to see the Newman but also
to cheer me to victory. As Lot 47 was
introduced, I looked over my shoulder
at them, stuck my paddle under my leg
and, after a quick kiss for luck from my
wife, got ready to go. Two competing
thoughts rattled round my mind: “I pray
that we win!” and “I can’t believe I’m
about to spend this much money!”
Bacs opened the bidding with
absentee bids at $50,000, $70,000,
$100,000 ... and then it was time to play.
I was just about to raise my hand when
a voice rang out from the phone bank
behind my left shoulder: “Six hundred!”
I felt like an emotional balloon had
burst inside me. “Really?” I mouthed
to a friend. My paddle dropped to the
floor. I was out of the action before my
hand even left my thigh. No victory
celebration, not even a chance to play the
game. The watch eventually sold for an
eye-watering $915,000—as it turned out,
to the frustrated Newman under-bidder,
who obviously had money to burn.
So much for my hubris about
bringing home a big one.Gary Getz (@garyg_1, as he is known
on Instagram) is a San Francisco–based
watch collector.Illustrations by CELYNField Notes
Gary Getz
on watches, p. 91Sara L. Schneider
on wine, p. 93David Coggins
on fishing, p. 92If you’re interested in watches, you
likely know of Dufour: the generally
acknowledged Greatest Living
Watchmaker, who, over four decades
as an independent, has produced about
200 highly sought-after pieces. The
bulk of these are the three-handed
Simplicity. I’m fortunate to own one,
but the Duality, of which only nine
were made and which features a
groundbreaking dual-balance design,
is rarely available for purchase and is a
true object of desire for indie collectors.
My bidding strategy involved finding
a pal to team with, as the pre-auction
low estimate was $200,000. Our
agreement was that we would have
usage rights over alternating six-month
periods as well as a buyout mechanism
that included the use of a pre-named
appraiser, to be available to either after
we had owned it for a set period. After
agreeing on terms, my friend and I
were keen to make our interest in the
timepiece broadly known.
Among watch enthusiasts there
is a bit of honor among thieves. It’s
common for friends to forgo bidding on
a watch if a member of the community
has expressed a strong interest. I’d alsoGARY GETZ
The Watch
That Got Away
WATCHES Knowing a timepiece belongs
on your wrist and actually getting it
there are two very different things.