As part of Watchfinder & Co. ‘s continued global expansion, the pre-owned watch specialist has signed significant deals with three luxury retail powerhouses in November – Bongénie Grieder, Printemps and Rinascente.
SEE ALSO : EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Austen Chu from Wristcheck
These strategic partnerships will result in three new boutique openings next month alone. The new partnerships come as the pre-owned market, and its pivotal role within the circular economy, continues to flourish – experts are forecasting continued growth of as much as 8 to 10 percent year on year until 2025.
Watchfinder’s second Swiss boutique will open within the preeminent Grieder in Zurich on the 9th November.
Grieder customers will be able to shop from a specially curated collection of watches including iconic bestsellers through to more eclectic vintage and limited edition pieces – all of which have been meticulously inspected, authenticated and prepared by Watchfinder’s team of expert watchmakers in Europe’s largest independent service centre. For added assurance every watch will also come with a 24 month Watchfinder warranty. In addition to the boutique on the ground floor of the Gothic Revival building, Watchfinder will also have a private showroom hidden away within the department store, available by appointment, for private viewings as well as selling and trade-in appointments for those looking to review or refresh their existing watch collection.
“We are delighted to be welcoming Watchfinder & Co. to Grieder this November. We see a strong demand for pre-owned watches and partnering with the most legitimate player in the market will bring a fresh dynamic at the heart of the world’s watch capital. Watchfinder’s remarkable collection of premium watches and their tailored approach to customer service, makes them the perfect addition to our Zurich store,” said Pierre Brunschwig, Partner at the Brunschwig Group.
Located within Rinascente’s ten storey flagship store, Watchfinder & Co. will open its first Milan boutique the week commencing the 22nd November.
Watchfinder’s arrival within Rinascente will provide Italian watch buyers with access to an impressive selection of highly sought after and otherwise unobtainable luxury watches including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre to name but a few. This new opening comes in addition to the pre-owned watch specialist’s private showroom already located within Milan’s exclusive Villa Mozart.
Speaking of the new partnership Giulia Pizzato, Buying and Merchandising Director for Rinascente said, “Rinascente has always been a hub of innovation and research. We constantly work with our partner brands to offer a unique experience and exclusive products. With this in mind, we are thrilled with the entry of Watchfinder and having for the first time a pre-owned watch retailer joining Rinascente. Watchfinder will enrich our offer and positioning in the world of watchmaking which is an extremely interesting segment for us.”
The pre-owned luxury watch specialist will also be opening a seven week pop-up within high end department store Printemps Haussmann on the 15th November 2021.
As well as an impressive collection of the world’s most wanted watches in store, the Watchfinder & Co. team will be on hand to assist clients with ordering any of the thousands of watches available on their global website, all of which are available for home delivery or click and collect in store.
“We are delighted to welcome Watchfinder & Co. and their exclusive pop up to Printemps this year. Following the successful opening of our second-hand and vintage floor, we are pleased to add Watchfinder’s expertise and professionalism. Watchfinder offers a wonderful shopping experience and will certainly help our customers find the watch of their dreams!” said Karen Vernet, Chief Merchandising Officer at Printemps.
“As we continue to expand across Europe, and the rest of the world, it is pioneering retail partnerships with esteemed retailers like Bongénie Grieder, Printemps and Rinascente that represent a significant axis of our strategic growth,” said Arjen van de Vall, CEO of Watchfinder & Co.
“It is also a real testament to our steadfast dedication to quality and dependability that such respected and well established retailers are choosing Watchfinder & Co. as their first trusted partner in the pre-owned market,” continued Arjen van de Vall.
SEE ALSO : Cartier and Kering launch the “Watch & Jewellery Initiative”
“This is a ground-breaking development for all stakeholders involved. Most importantly, we are thrilled to be paving a new path for clients to have a trusted experience buying luxury pre-owned watches. With Printemps, Bongenie Grieder and Rinascente, we have a real vision to build our partnership on many levels, including new services over the coming years,“ said Zahra Kassim-Lakha, Integration & Business Development Director at Watchfinder & Co.