The Speedmaster Chronicles #4 – Aurel Bacs, Auctioneer at Phillips Watches

The Former NASA Program Manager and Aerospace Engineer who certified the Speedmaster, the journalist turned watch-designer who initiated “Speedy Tuesday”, a seasoned Speedy collector… What could have been the next step when it comes to the Omega Speedmaster? At a certain point, when you look at such an iconic watch, you have to talk auctions and markets. So no shortcuts, we asked renowned auctioneer Aurel Bacs from Phillips Watches to join us and talk about the Speedmaster. And the best surprise was that not only he talked about his professional view on this piece of history, but this movie ended up to be much more personal than expected. Please meet Aurel and his personal Omega Speedmaster.

If Aurel Bacs and Phillips Watches are in the spotlights these days, it’s not by surprise. Aurel and his team members are all, without exception, watch enthusiasts. They love watches, they know watches, they have true confidence in the watches they sell. This knowledge is crucial to gain collectors’ respect and trust. This is why, today, we’re very grateful to have Aurel sharing his knowledge and passion for watches in general and in particular, the Speedmaster. Our biggest surprise though was that Aurel Bacs, when we showed up at the Phillips’ offices in Geneva, was wearing a very nice Omega Speedmaster Professional “Pre-Moon”, a piece he bought in the late 1980s and that he still owns today.

This moment, besides the pleasure of having this conversation moving to personal matters, demonstrates one important factor. You can’t succeed in the watch industry if you don’t love watches. On one side, Aurel is a professional auctioneer, with his great expertise, which he shares here by giving his views on the evolution of the market and several tips on how to collect the Speedmaster. On the other side, Aurel is a watch lover, which he demonstrates here with his own Speedmaster.

The Speedmaster Chronicles is a series of 5 movies dedicated to the Omega Speedmaster. You can see the 5 Episodes here:

• The Speedmaster Chronicles #1 – James H. Ragan, The Man Responsible for Testing the “Moonwatch”
• The Speedmaster Chronicles #2 – Robert-Jan Broer, Mister Speedy Tuesday
• The Speedmaster Chronicles #3 – @VintageWatchzilla, Watch Collector
• The Speedmaster Chronicles #4 – Aurel Bacs, Auctioneer at Phillips Watches
• The Speedmaster Chronicles #5 – Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of Omega Watches