Inside the watch auction world with Geoffroy Ader - YouTube - Collectability

John Reardon speaks with auctioneer Geoffroy Ader about his career, from growing up in a Parisian auction family and working at Antiquorum and Sotheby’s to becoming an independent watch expert. They reflect on landmark sales, including the Time Museum collection and Henry Graves Supercomplication, and discuss Ader’s belief that exceptional watches—not records—make auctions memorable. Ader explains the skill of conducting live auctions, from reading the room and managing determined bidders to sustaining energy, and argues that auction houses should keep sales live. The conversation also explores differences between French and English auction systems, watches he considers undervalued such as the Patek Philippe ref. 1518, and a humorous story about a record-setting Patek Philippe bidding battle.