Jeffrey Hess and Geoffrey Hess Are Not The Same Person
Jeff Hess and Geoff Hess
Due to similarities in name and a shared connection to Sotheby’s and the auction and luxury watch industry, they are occasionally confused online with one another.
While both individuals spent time associated with Sotheby’s during their respective careers, Jeffrey P. Hess is the founder and owner of Hess Fine Art and Old Northeast Jewelers in St. Petersburg, Florida.
About Jeffrey P. Hess
Jeffrey Hess, also known as Jeff Hess, is a former Sothebys.com associate picked by Sotheby’s to represent the Tampa Bay area. He was a charter master dealer for Sothebys.com.
He worked closely with Sotheby’s and was granted permission by Sotheby’s to use archival images in the Rolex book he co-authored with James Dowling, The Best of Time: The Unauthorized History of Rolex, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Hess spent a lot of time at Sotheby’s and Christie’s flagship New York auction houses going over archival pictures for his Rolex book. It was not easy, but after days of research at both auction houses and a full week in New York reviewing pictures for the book with Dowling, it was done. His love of analog watches has been written about in hundreds of publications.
With the help of his wife Katrina, Hess has parlayed his success, along with his journey with Sotheby’s and partnerships with Amazon through Sothebys.amazon.com and later Sotheby.ebay.com, into a $40 million per year business in St. Petersburg, Florida, while keeping a close eye on his New York colleagues.
“It’s a whole new ball game with Rollies,” he jokes. The shift from vintage to modern has been important as well. While quartz watches are suddenly becoming more collectible and have drawn his attention, it is analog watches that he really loves.
Former Sotheby’s Associate
