
Aurel Bacs
International Department Head
Geneva
An internationally renowned specialist and auctioneer, Aurel Bacs joined Christie's in 2003 as International Co-Head of the Watch Department, having been in the auction industry as a watch specialist since 1995. Mr. Bacs has held sole responsibility for the watch department worldwide since 2010. Widely acknowledged as the best auctioneer in in the field of horology, he is the only quadri-lingual auctioneer for watches in the world.
Throughout his career, Mr. Bacs has overseen numerous landmark sales, repeatedly totaling in excess of US$ 20 million each – unmatched by any other house for years. No other international watch auctioneer has sold as many watches over US$1 million, or achieved as many world records at auction as Mr. Bacs and his team have since his appointment at Christie’s.
In May 2010, Mr. Bacs sold a Patek Philippe wristwatch for US$ 5,708,833, the highest price ever paid for a watch in US dollars. In 2009 and 2010, Aurel Bacs and his team dispersed A Connoisseur’s Vision – by far the most valuable wristwatch collection ever sold at auction. The collection fetched an outstanding total result of more than US$ 21 million – for only some 40 Patek Philippe wristwatches.
In 2011 Christie's international auction sales of important watches, including in Geneva, Hong Kong and New York, achieved an unprecedented total of more than US$ 116.3 million, reconfirming the firm’s global supremacy for this category for the 5th year in a row.
Mr. Bacs studied business and law in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Since 2008, he has been a member of the jury of Geneva's prestigious "Grand Prix d'Horlogerie". He is also a member of the Honorary Committee of the "Concours International de Chronométrie" organised by the “Musée d'Horlogerie” du Locle and is a member of the cultural council of the “Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie”.