“We had to expand the department in a way that didn’t tread on the toes of the auction side of the business, but rather complemented it,” James Marks told us back in March with regards to Phillips’ plans to expand its private sales division in London. “We have to understand there are clients who want to buy or sell a watch in August and don’t want to wait for an October auction – we need to be a 24-seven business.” 

Following a number of highly successful private sales exhibitions in the weeks since – including Well Suited, which was held in collaboration with the British luxury menswear brand Thom Sweeney – Phillips has now revealed a dedicated space at its Berkeley Square HQ it’s billed as ‘Perpetual’. A first-of-its-kind platform, Phillips Perpetual is a beautifully designed concept boutique in which the world’s finest timepieces will be exhibited and sold. 

It will also serve as a gallery space for innovative private sales exhibitions and to showcase any partnerships Phillips has made, such as its relationship with Singer Reimagined. Incidentally, Phillips Perpetual will be Singer Reimagined’s new home in the UK. Given Phillips’ watch department is a mere four years old, this new move is an impressive signal of intent following some headline-grabbing records in the saleroom – who could forget when Paul Newman’s ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex Daytona sold for 17.8m US dollars? We can’t wait to swing by. 

Photos: Phillips