She was an impressionable teenager at the cinema, watching the 2008 Sex and the City film when an auction scene came on. At a Christie’s auction, Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall, competed with a mysterious stranger for a floral diamond ring. Jones lost the bid. For most people, that ring would have been the focal point. Danielle So, however, was captivated by the auctioneer. She had grown up around auctions. The silent and live auctions held by her uncle at his annual fundraising gala dinners always fascinated her.
“I was amazed at how [the auctioneer] generated such excitement and participation among the guests,” So says.
Unlike her, Gertrude Wong’s first taste of auctions came after she joined Phillips, a leading auction house for art, design, watches, and more. She was working the phones during a 2020 auction and found the experience nerve-wracking yet exhilarating.
“You must respond quickly because the auctioneer is going so fast. It is also important for you to be organised and understand your role for foreign bidders. I was incredibly nervous.”
Phillips Hong Kong employs both of these women as auctioneers and specialists. Wong is a watch wizard, whereas So focuses on 20th-century and contemporary art.
As female auctioneers in a male-dominated field, we ask them to share their experiences of the auction world.
Initially, how did you get into Phillips and then the auction world?
So: Looking back, I was destined for a career in auctions. Ballet, theatre, art classes, and museum visits were among my favourite activities as a child. I grew up in an Asian family with unorthodox career paths. My grandfather pioneered the Cantonese Opera in the English movement, and my uncle was a real-life explorer. It was a chance encounter that led to Phillips. In my final year of Art History, I was walking through Mayfair in London for reading week and came across the Phillips space in Berkeley Square.
I was attracted to the large floor-to-ceiling windows and white cube place. A worldwide head of contemporary art was there when I went in. We discussed a 1965 white Lucio Fontana slashed canvas offered in the evening sale at the time. As soon as I saw how Phillips’ sales are curated, I knew I wanted to work there.
My first auction is still my most memorable. I had the opportunity to auction a single-owner collection of 17 Banksy prints. Bidders from every corner of the world jumped in.
Wong: Before joining Phillips, I had never worked in auctions or watches. I was a designer. The company hired me as a freelancer to work on its catalogues for its different departments—arts, jewellery, and watches. My interest in horology grew as I read more and more about watches.
Then I knocked on the Head of Watches Asia Thomas Perazzi’s door one day, asking if I could join the watches team in 2020. It was a natural progression to auctioneering from there. I’ve only been an auctioneer twice, once in Hong Kong and the second in New York.
What makes women unique in the field of auctioneering?
So: A great auctioneer knows their audience, since every auction is different. We have a natural sensibility over men, which works to our advantage. By adapting our tone, pace, language, and style to suit each auction, we can establish a better emotional connection with the bidders in the room. I adopt a strategy I like to define as gently powerful.
Wong: Women are less likely to be auctioneers for watches. It has always been a male-dominated field. Thus, female auctioneers tend to handle proceedings with more gentleness. In addition, there is a freshness that you don’t get with male auctioneers. The atmosphere tends to slow down and relax every time we switch from male to female auctioneers. It also helps that I know multiple languages!
What are some common misconceptions about auctioneering that you often encounter?
So: That one must speak very fast. There can be a difference in pace, depending on the auctioneer and the auction type.
From a marquee evening sale to a day sale or a watches auction with hundreds of lots to a black-tie charity auction, different skill sets and paces are needed. There is much more to an auctioneer than shouting numbers on the rostrum. Often, I compare auctioneers to orchestra conductors. There’s a highly performative element where you must control the room and the crowd while keeping track of all the moving parts.
Wong: The first thing I always notice about auctioneers is that they speak extremely fast. There are reasons for this pace. Our goal is to create excitement and interest in every property we sell.
Every auction requires a lot of preparation. The price isn’t raised by shouting random numbers from the podium. We need to know who are on the phones, how many phone bidders there are, and who would possibly bid on this particular item. To set the right pace, you must know your audience.
