What I’ve Learned: Rebecca Ross

Name: Rebecca Ross

Job title: VP, Senior Specialist, Watches

Location: New York

Years at Christie’s: 12

Key areas of expertise: Watches, clocks

Watches are incredibly sentimental things. They’re always on your wrist, from the day-to-day to milestone moments. This can make their provenance hugely appealing. You could buy an Andy Warhol soup can print, or the watch that he wore when he created them. Which would you choose?

There is no such thing as an average day at Christie’s. I have a sense of overall structure, which is led by our sales calendar, but I can be hosting a public valuation in the morning, conducting insurance appraisals in the afternoon and curating an auction in the evening. My rule for everything is always show up and be on top of your game.

I inherited my passion for watches from my father. He was an avid collector, from grandfather clocks to marine chronometers. I remember him being really excited to show me a box of his watches, explaining each one diligently, describing the technical details, designs, where he bought them from and what they meant to him. It must have rubbed off on me.

The best part of my job is delivering good news. I got a call one day saying ‘Rebecca, I was passed your number. I have this watch and I don’t know what it is.’ I asked her to describe it. ‘It’s gold and has an unusual name on it.’ I asked if it said ‘Patek Philippe’ on the dial and she said ‘Yes.’ My ears pricked. Then she said, ‘It has italic numbers on the dial,’ and I knew it was extra special. When she told me her deaf mother had relied on its chiming function I got on the next plane. It was an 18k minute-repeater with Breguet numerals, which is incredibly rare. It also turned out to be a custom order not even listed in Patek Philippe’s archive. Its sale made the family a life-changing amount of money.

The secondary market fills a vital gap in the watch market. When I joined the department in 2014 practically everything was consigned to auctions. As demand has surged, now half my time is dedicated to private sales. Someone will say ‘I can’t get hold of a Rolex Rainbow Daytona in store. Can you find me one?’ And because I’ve been in this business for a long time, I know, in my head, who owns them. If the price is right, I can make the deal happen in a matter of days. It’s a great way to buy quickly, efficiently and discreetly.

People always ask me what it’s like being a woman in the world of watches. I never used to think about it, because gender wasn’t something I considered when I developed this passion. But as my career has progressed, I’ve realised we’re seriously under-represented in this industry. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved and now feel responsible for providing a female voice in this field.

There are many tiers to watch collecting. You’ve got movements, aesthetics, materials and makers. And that’s only modern pieces — the vintage market is much more nuanced. I always help new collectors navigate their interest. I ask them what they like, suggest that they view pieces in person if they can, and tell them to always set a maximum bid. Emotions can take over in auctions, and they will.

Buy what you love and don’t be scared to go against the grain. When you’re not competing with everyone else, that’s when you get good deals. My husband and I share our watches. We have a steel Rolex Datejust with an unusual salmon-coloured dial, a platinum Patek Philippe 5098 that has a distinct tonneau-shaped case and a large Panerai, which isn’t very fashionable right now. They’re not for everybody, but I adore them. I also wear my Swatch watches a lot. We have two children and things can get messy quickly.

There is one watch above all others I would love to sell. It’s John Lennon’s engraved Patek Philippe 2499. It was a gift from Yoko Ono on his 40th birthday, two months before he was fatally shot. There are lots of rumours regarding its whereabouts. Some people say it was stolen, others suggest it’s in a Swiss vault. But if this legendary object ever surfaces, competition will be fierce. I think it could break the world-record price for a wristwatch.