The term ‘influential’ is something that gets thrown around a lot these days, largely due to the birth of the ‘internet influencer’, with disproportionately large collections of followers being the reason for the attributed ‘influence’, however, there are very few people around that truly deserve such a term to be associated with their name. One individual who has earned his stripes in the real world, who will be familiar to many of our readers, is Aurel Bacs. Bacs, who began his career as a watch specialist with Sotheby’s, has worked up the ranks to become the single most important player in the watch-auction industry, breaking record after record, including having sold the most expensive wristwatch ever at auction. The charm and the enthusiasm of Mr. Bacs during a sale makes the auction an event, not entirely dissimilar to how Steve Jobs transformed the traditionally dreary tech presentation into something to be excited about attending. We flew to Geneva, to chat with Mr. Bacs about growing up in Zürich, his introductions to watch collecting, and the very special watch he will be selling next week in New York City.

 

Do you remember any of your earliest interactions with watches?

There are probably two or three that I can barely separate from each other. I believe it was in and around 1980, maybe the late 1970s, that I had a black watch which had been given to me by my parents. It was a sort of G-Shock looking, plastic thing, but it was an analogue display, rather than digital. It looked like some sort of Rambo-esque tool and it made me feel twice as strong when I was wearing it.

 

[laughs] What ever happened to it?

Well, after just a few days of wearing it, the buckle broke; well done plastic. So I put it in my pocket, and the next morning I was searching around for it, but couldn’t seem to find it anywhere. I realised that it was maybe still in the trouser pocket I left it in, but I couldn’t find those either. I a