Page 86 - Esquire (November 2019)

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Pony Up
at the Auction

O N L I N E O R I R L , I T ’ S
M O R E A F FO R DA B L E T H A N
YO U M I G H T T H I N K
erhaps you picture a bunch
P
of sniffy, monocled men
waving paddles. And, well,
eyewear aside, there is some
of that. One could say the spectacle
is part of the point: the thrill of see-
ing six- and seven-figure pieces of
wrist jewelry going once and twice
in an equally resplendent room.
But for those of us who wouldn’t
feel at home in a stateroom on the
Titanic, Rebecca Ross of Christie’s
says that modern auctions are far
more accommodating to newbies
than one might expect. Did you
know, for instance, that they’re
open to the public? “They can
seem intimidating, but I’d encour-
age everyone to come in and watch
one—they’re really entertaining.”
But if that’s too much an ask, the
bidding has gone online as well,
with more-affordable lots for first-
time bidders. And even the remote
auctions can have an in-person el-
ement. “I like to get to know cli- Wa t c h e s o f t h e Ye a r
ents and see what they want,” Ross
says. She also says it’s a good op- R O L E X G M T - M A S T E R I I
portunity to try on some watches. Often it’s the simple things that
please the most. The GMT-Master II has a
But ultimately, auction houses re- separate twenty-four-hour hand that
main the best places to find pieces can be read off the bezel and reset using the
crown, jumping easily from hour to
with provenance—the December
hour in either direction independent of the
live sale at Christie’s will include, minute and hour hands. But then there’s
among other rarities, a pocket also a new movement, the high-visibility dial,
the high-grade 904L stainless steel—
watch once belonging to Ernest known as Oystersteel—used for the case and
Hemingway. So check it out: Be Jubilee band, and the distinctive black-
a wallflower, drink in the ambi- and-blue ceramic bezel on this year’s model that
prompted Rolex fans to nickname it the
ence, and get the lay of the land. Batman. What ’s not to like? $9,250; rolex.com
—DennisTang

80 November 2019_Esquire