Geoff Hess, former CEO of Analog/Shift and latterly international specialist of Phillips Watches Department in New York, has jumped ship to Sotheby’s.
He will take the role of senior vice president and head of watches for the Americas, based at Sotheby’s in New York.
Mr Hess has successfully turned his passion as a collector into a career and has even used his love of watches to enhance his social life after creating Rolliefest, a sort of Fight Club for Rolex fans in New York (First rule of Rolliefest is not to talk about Rolliefest!).
“The watch market is one of the most global and fastest growing collecting categories, and we are delighted to welcome Geoff during a moment of unprecedented growth for Sotheby’s, where annual worldwide auction sales achieved a record $179m in 2022, a 22% increase from 2021, says Josh Pullan, head of Sotheby’s global luxury division.
“As an internationally respected curator with longstanding experience and deep commitment to fostering a passionate collecting community, Geoff brings unmatched gravitas, scholarship and strong relationships to our Americas team, and I look forward to working with him on further strengthening Sotheby’s Watches position to meet the ever-growing interest and demand from the region,” he adds.