Photo ReportInside Rolliefest 2025 — The ‘Met Gala’ of Watches (200+ Photos)

We go inside amazing venues, good friends, and yes, look at a whole lot of Rolex (and more).

Iremember, not that long ago, when I was just a reader of Hodinkee and being blown away as I stumbled across this amazing photo report of “New York City’s Secret Vintage Rolex Meet-Up.” It was the first “Rolliefest” and I could barely comprehend it. Such a crazy collection of Rolex, all in one place, and in my city? It was impossible to believe, hard to imagine ever being invited, and the kind of thing I was glad to have a glimpse of from the outside. 

Today, I’m just over three years into my tenure at the “Big H,” and last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend my second Rolliefest. Yes, the exclusive, invite-only event, run by Geoff Hess (whose day job is Sotheby’s Global Head of Watches), continues to grow stronger than ever. No, it’s not all about Rolex. In fact, an hour into the second event, I realized I had barely taken a picture of a single Rolex. 

From a ton of F.P.Journe to two Roger Smiths, some wild Patek Philippes, a bunch of Longines, and (of course) some Universal Genève, everything was on the table (literally). Collectors’ tastes, sentiments, and “what’s hot” have changed over the past year, but the passion and friendship remain the same, and that’s genuinely what Rolliefest (which specifically calls itself brand agnostic) is all about. 

Across two days, Rolliefest hosted a dinner around the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a brunch and gathering on the 102nd floor at One World Observatory, and a farewell cocktail at the Winter Garden in the recently reopened Waldorf Astoria Residences. But more importantly, the event continues to draw more and more collectors from diverse backgrounds, yet it remains a tight-knit community of friends and long-time acquaintances. 

This isn’t an exhaustive documentation of every amazing watch at the event—for instance, there’s a Daytona ref. 6270 that I never got a chance to see (and a bunch of amazing watches the owners didn’t want photographed). But it should give you a taste of how incredible the event was. For privacy (and security), I didn’t mention too many names in the story. If you see yourself and your watch in a picture, feel free to drop a comment, and I can update the caption, if you like.

Every year, the group grows, and so if you’re like me and imagining a world where you might some day be one of the people to attend, don’t give up hope. But until then, I hope you find the same excitement and fascination in discovering, learning, and enjoying the pictures from the weekend.

Today, I’m just over three years into my tenure at the “Big H,” and last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend my second Rolliefest. Yes, the exclusive, invite-only event, run by Geoff Hess (whose day job is Sotheby’s Global Head of Watches), continues to grow stronger than ever. No, it’s not all about Rolex. In fact, an hour into the second event, I realized I had barely taken a picture of a single Rolex. 

From a ton of F.P.Journe to two Roger Smiths, some wild Patek Philippes, a bunch of Longines, and (of course) some Universal Genève, everything was on the table (literally). Collectors’ tastes, sentiments, and “what’s hot” have changed over the past year, but the passion and friendship remain the same, and that’s genuinely what Rolliefest (which specifically calls itself brand agnostic) is all about. 

Across two days, Rolliefest hosted a dinner around the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a brunch and gathering on the 102nd floor at One World Observatory, and a farewell cocktail at the Winter Garden in the recently reopened Waldorf Astoria Residences. But more importantly, the event continues to draw more and more collectors from diverse backgrounds, yet it remains a tight-knit community of friends and long-time acquaintances. 

This isn’t an exhaustive documentation of every amazing watch at the event—for instance, there’s a Daytona ref. 6270 that I never got a chance to see (and a bunch of amazing watches the owners didn’t want photographed). But it should give you a taste of how incredible the event was. For privacy (and security), I didn’t mention too many names in the story. If you see yourself and your watch in a picture, feel free to drop a comment, and I can update the caption, if you like.

Every year, the group grows, and so if you’re like me and imagining a world where you might some day be one of the people to attend, don’t give up hope. But until then, I hope you find the same excitement and fascination in discovering, learning, and enjoying the pictures from the weekend.