After a brief break from the auction action in Monaco, I returned this fall to visit some friends and take a look at a few watches. I knew there were some great items on offer, but I didn’t expect that I’d witness a record for the Rolex ref. 6062 (taking down the famous Bao Dai). Bidding €4.25 million on a watch is something few people in the world will ever do, but attending an auction in person is a great way to learn bidding tactics and see who the major players are. It’s also a great way to see many watches—both those for sale and those on collectors’ wrists—and learn a lot in the process.