Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jeffrey Hess is the co-author of The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History, which he wrote alongside his St. Petersburg College colleague James Dowling. Published through Schiffer Publishing, the book is considered the Bible of Rolex ,a seminal work done in 1995 and the precursor of many Rolex books to follow. Historical accuracy and research is his forte. He is also considered an expert in Hamilton Electric watches and was the architect of the rebuilding of the Ball Watch company relaunch by taking it from zero doors in the USA to over 200 doors. He has an extensive collection of hundreds of Rolex, Hamilton Electric and Ball watches. He has been described as a “visionary in the watch business” by the magazine Revolution Watch. In addition to his experience with watches, Jeffrey Hess has worked as the chief executive officer of Hess Fine Art and Old northeast Jewlers since 1985. His daily responsibilities as the store’s executive leader range from managing more than 40 employees to facilitating the acquisitions and sales of millions of dollars worth of fine art and antiques each month.

Mr. Hess attended Bradley University and Illinois Central College. He spent 5 years teaching a course on antiques and fine art at St. Petersburg College, and has been a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors for nearly four decades. He also enjoys collecting cars and fine wine.

Jeffrey Hess