Why are classic timepieces suddenly more sought-after, more Instagrammed, and more valuable than ever before? The answer has a lot to do with auctioneer extraordinaire Aurel Bacs.

BY CAM WOLF, http://www.gq.com

The watch that Aurel Bacs is tenderly holding—like some precious endangered species—is ruined. Well, technically. The once crisp and pristine black sub-dials that arch along the bottom of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona are now the color of a dirty old penny, the result of years of exposure to the sun. The watch is ancient, tarnished, decayed. But Bacs is rapturous.

https://www.gq.com/story/aurel-bacs-vin ... h-auction/