OpenDown net YouTube Selling Watches in Geneva City Of Watche Media JFlYLn8Z8Do 001 1080p

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Sotheby's. My name is Clara Kessey. I am a watch specialist and auctioneer here at Sotheby's. As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be an auctioneer. It's incredible. You see the most beautiful collectibles in the world, and you get to meet the community. I've been an auctioneer since November 2020. That was right in the middle of COVID, extremely stressful because that was the first time on stage, nobody in the room, and you cannot get the energy from the bidders. You just had to engage with a camera. And when I got off that stage, my feet were not touching the floor. It was incredible. And from that day on, I was hooked. That was the only thing I wanted to do. Auctioneering is like sailing to me. I'm a big sailor. I grew up on a boat across the Atlantic when I was three years old. And that childhood and sailing especially taught me that you need to adapt to every situation and you have to work with whatever is thrown at you or given to you. So for sailing, for example, you have the waves, you have the wind, and you just have to keep going forward. And it's the same when you're on the rostrum. You don't make the bids. The bids come to you and you just have to navigate straight and make sure that everything goes in the right direction. It's not only hard for the brain or you need to smile and keep being there, but also physically, it's demanding. So I'd like to open here at 500,000. One million. That was quick. My auctioneering style is perhaps different than the other auctioneers. I don't try to fill up the blanks. Forty-five. I leave a lot of space, a lot of air. Forty-eight. I think it's important for the bidders and the collectors to have a minute to think. We're not rushing them into something. They're bidding with us to acquire a very important timepiece or an important object. So it is important to be respectful of their time and their investment. My past didn't predict that I would ever work in watches. I studied art. I went to London, Glasgow, working in contemporary art galleries, and in 2017 moved back to Geneva where I started working in an auction house in the watch department. At the time, I didn't know much about watches. It's by being curious and wanting to understand that I got to be where I am today. I thought, you know, why do people collect art? Why wouldn't they collect watches? I tried to find the synergy between the two. And I found that most interesting is that a watch is something you wear so close to you. It's on your skin. I mean, it's on my wrist. There is that personal link. It can be many things. It can be so personal that it was a gift from a family member for a wedding, for a birthday, an inheritance, or a celebration, a milestone at your work. You could do the same with a work of art, but a watch is very close to you. This special commission are as rare as a blue moon. A watch can be a statement piece. It can be an historical artifact. It can be about the complication. You're all about mechanics. It can be a tool. Rolex is all about tool watches for divers, for racers, for doctors. There are many facets. So don't be mistaken. It doesn't only tell the time. Geneva during Luxury Week is very special. What happens in Geneva stays in Geneva. It gathers collectors from all around the world. They're really sharing the passion, sharing the love for horology. It's incredible to be in the center of it. The last one in private hands, sold to you, Fred. Big congratulations. Being an auctioneer is very niche. It's not every day that you hear someone saying, yeah, what do you do? I'm an auctioneer. For an auction, I like to practice my speech for eloquence. English is not my first language, so I like to make sure I will pronounce the word correctly. I reassure you, it doesn't always happen. But I like to do a few tongue twisters. So I say red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather, yellow leather, red leather, red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather, yellow leather, red leather. Things like this to make sure I know how to pronounce, to be properly eloquent. And I try to go up on stage with a clear headspace. The brand new online bidder is joining the dance. Welcome. You don't have to rush into speaking. Not the numbers, not the description. The gavel's going up, adding a little bit of pressure here. People are here to be with you. If they want to bid, they will be here. And up there, you live in the moment. You cannot be overthinking. You just go with the flow, like sailing. Adjugé. Congratulations, Michael, and thank you very much.