Phillips has announced a significant expansion of its team of international watch specialists, adding expertise in New York, Geneva and Hong Kong.
The new appointments are led by Douglas Escribano, senior international specialist in New York and a leading authority on extraordinary timepieces. Also joining the team are Amy Chow as senior specialist in Hong Kong and Alex Ghotbi as a specialist and associate director in Geneva.
Last year, Phillips appointed prominent watch specialist Sam Hines as international head of watches to work alongside exclusive consultants Aurel Bacs and Livia Russo to lead the global team of specialists from Phillips’ Asian Headquarters in Hong Kong.
The Phillips Watch Department was created at the end of 2014 and is dedicated exclusively to the vast world of fine collectors’ watches. In a little more than a year since the department’s inception, the company claims its watches team has captured a leading position amid the ever-increasing demand for the highest quality pieces and the rarest models across the globe.
Following the successes of the inaugural watch auctions in Geneva and Hong Kong last year, the expanded team will prepare for the May auctions in Geneva, which include a special thematic sale of epic steel chronographs on May 14, and the Hong Kong sale on May 31.
“In a very short amount of time, our watch department has pushed the boundaries of watch collecting and established a leading market position that is widely admired by collectors around the world,” stated Sam Hines and Aurel Bacs said jointly.
“We are excited by the addition of Doug, Amy and Alex to our team – they have all worked to build long-term relationships with many of the world’s most influential and passionate collectors. We welcome them to our team as we strive to set the highest possible standards of expertise, transparency, and integrity.”
Doug Escribano spent more than 10 years at the Christie’s watch department, most recently as vice president and head of sale, spearheading many groundbreaking sales of important watches. In this role, he sourced timepieces for global auctions and private sales and worked with exclusive collectors.
Amy Chow started her career in watches at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, moving to Christie’s where she held a senior specialist position until 2010. She then spent the next five years with China Guardian, a prominent auction house in mainland China.
Alex Ghotbi comes to Phillips from watch brand Vacheron Constantin, where he was the community and social media manager in Geneva. At Vacheron, he was the founder of the Vacheron Constantin Collectors Club, the first of its kind in the watch industry.
