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Watch Industry Veteran James Marks Joins Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s has appointed the former Phillips executive as its global head of private sales and retail in its watches division.
James Marks has been named Sotheby’s global head of private sales and retail for its watch business.
New York—Following a record year for Sotheby’s watch category, the auction house has named former Phillips executive James Marks as its global head of private sales and retail for its watch business.
Marks, who is based in Geneva, will lead the continued expansion of Sotheby’s global watches business.
He will focus on scaling its fixed-price and private sales offerings, strengthening supplier partnerships, and elevating the client experience across both physical and digital platforms.
Sotheby’s said Marks brings “a rare combination” of financial acumen, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep passion for horology, with extensive knowledge of vintage timepieces, the collectors’ market, and brand building to the role.
Alongside the auction house’s established global watches team—spearheaded by Sam Hines, chairman of watches, and Geoff Hess, global head of watches—Marks will help drive the next phase of growth, expanding into new markets and shaping a clear strategy to accelerate the development of Sotheby’s retail capabilities.
“I am thrilled to welcome James to Sotheby’s at this pivotal moment for our watches business, particularly following our record-breaking sales in Hong Kong and Geneva. He is a seasoned leader with a truly global perspective, and his experience across auctions, retail, and digital innovation makes him uniquely positioned to build on the strong foundations we have established over recent years and take us to the next level,” said Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby’s Luxury Division.
“His entrepreneurial spirit and track record of building successful, innovative business is perfectly suited to our growth mindset and ambition.”
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Marks, who is based in Geneva, will lead the continued expansion of Sotheby’s global watches business.
He will focus on scaling its fixed-price and private sales offerings, strengthening supplier partnerships, and elevating the client experience across both physical and digital platforms.
Sotheby’s said Marks brings “a rare combination” of financial acumen, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep passion for horology, with extensive knowledge of vintage timepieces, the collectors’ market, and brand building to the role.
Alongside the auction house’s established global watches team—spearheaded by Sam Hines, chairman of watches, and Geoff Hess, global head of watches—Marks will help drive the next phase of growth, expanding into new markets and shaping a clear strategy to accelerate the development of Sotheby’s retail capabilities.
“I am thrilled to welcome James to Sotheby’s at this pivotal moment for our watches business, particularly following our record-breaking sales in Hong Kong and Geneva. He is a seasoned leader with a truly global perspective, and his experience across auctions, retail, and digital innovation makes him uniquely positioned to build on the strong foundations we have established over recent years and take us to the next level,” said Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby’s Luxury Division.
“His entrepreneurial spirit and track record of building successful, innovative business is perfectly suited to our growth mindset and ambition.”
Prior to joining Sotheby’s, Marks spent six years at Phillips, serving as deputy chairman of the Watches Division and international head of Phillips Perpetual, where he played a critical role in developing both the physical and e-commerce channels of its private sales business.
As a key member of the international management team at Phillips, he achieved multiple world-record auction results while spearheading the development of new retail and Perpetual boutiques in London, Gstaad, Hong Kong, and Zurich.
Most recently, Marks served as CEO of independent watch brand Biver since 2024.
At Biver, he led a period of accelerated expansion, strengthening the independent watch brand’s global distribution with a focus on the Middle East and North America which resulted in significant year-over-year revenue growth, Sotheby’s said.
He also led Biver’s digital expansion, growing its social media following while introducing new e-commerce and editorial platforms for collectors, and secured an international press award of the Automatique Atelier Carbon series.
Earlier in his career, Marks spent 17 years in financing, including roles in investment banking, wealth management, and hedge fund portfolio management.
Marks has also held positions at Merrill Lynch and BNP Paribas.
“I am delighted to be joining Sotheby’s at such an exciting time for its market leading luxury business whose approach and entrepreneurial vision I have long admired,” said Marks.
“I very much look forward to working with the team to further strengthen our position as the leading luxury marketplace with a dedicated focus on retail, fixed-price, and private sales, deepening relationships with collectors, and continuing to elevate the client experience and offering worldwide.”
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