Aurel Bacs, "the Indiana Jones of watches"

Aurel Bacs is such a commanding auctioneer. The hands on the watch he's selling should start clapping. 260, 270!

He auctions exquisite timepieces. Some are Gilded, some audacious, some iconic. Going twice. Sold for $3 million.

The prices could make a tycoon blush.

Congratulations.

On stage, he's ultimately flamboyant, mischievous, beguiling. 175, 180. You see, Alex, I warned you about it.

And the best in the world at imploring one watch lover to outspend another. Collecting is nothing rationale. It's what you do with your heart. Yes, you use your brain too. But it's a love affair. And you cannot put limits on love. When did your love affair with watches begin? 11 or 12 years old. Falling in love with not a pretty 12-year-old girl, but with a watch. What about that watch was so alluring? I was fascinated by the features, the beauty of the details-- a script, a color, a shape, a facet that you say, wow, that's what I like. So here.

Bacs, now 54, grew up middle class here in Zurich. He caught the watch bug from his father. At 23, he had talked his way into Sotheby's as a Junior Watch Expert. 30 years later, if the watch world has a celebrity, he's it. You have this incredible Calatrava.

Bacs walked us through the auction room at the annual Phillips Watch Auction in Manhattan. From here, he juggles bids from multiple continents in multiple languages. He speaks five. [NON-ENGLISH]

His audience at Phillips 2000 collectors and enthusiasts in 60 countries, bidding in person, on the phone, or online for 200 watches. Since he and his wife, Livia Russo, partnered with Phillips in 2015, they have been responsible for $1.6 billion in watch sales In the watch auction world, bar none. He's the most influential person.

Ben Clymer is one of the watch world's best known voices. He's the founder of Hodinkee, a luxury watch and lifestyle website. The watch is only worth what two people are willing to pay. Since he gets both the seller and the potential buyers hot for the same transaction. Every watch in this room could sell for a record if those two guys hate each other. Raise your paddles now because the gavel is up.

Explaining passion. What makes people tick is complicated.

600,000.

Understanding it is Aurel Bacs gift. Do you see yourself as a performer or as a ringmaster? A bit of everything. So they feel the adrenaline. They feel the excitement, the tensions, the rivalry. But everybody should be happy at the end. To many here in the room, the most iconic Rolex wristwatch in the world.

In 2017, Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona came up for auction. A legendary moment in the world of horological exotica. I think we hoped on a good day, he could make $4 to $6 million.

The opening bid, $1 million, then quickly $10 million. Officially at 15,500,000.

The numbers kept climbing. Final sales price nearly $17.8 million, a record. It is history now.

You were as astounded as everyone else? Speechless. Just a huge release. Just every kind of high and low you can ever imagine in your professional life. It was amazing. Some called me the Indiana Jones of watches. I'm hunting, I'm searching, I'm romantic. I'm looking for that next grail. Well, the Paul Newman record ever be beaten? There will be a $50 million watch. Oh, yeah. The community is growing. 50 million, 5-0? You bet. And you want to be there for that? Of course. I love a good adrenaline rush. No doubt. [MUSIC PLAYING]