NOW LAUNCHING: CHRISTIE’S WATCH SHOP
AN ONLINE RETAIL BOUTIQUE OF RARE, VINTAGE, AND LUXURY TIMEPIECES
Christie’s announces Christie’s Watch Shop, an online luxury retail boutique of rare, vintage, and luxury timepieces that will be available for immediate purchase all year round at www.christies.com/watchshop.
Christie’s Watch Shop opens a distinctive online luxury retail offering, which marks the next major step in its eCommerce strategy. As five-year auction market leaders in Watches, Christie’s Watch Shop offers a new way to build a watch collection that will complement Christie’s global auction sales schedule as well as its bespoke Private Sales service. There will be a selection of at least 30 watches available at all times. Each watch will have a set price, with no additional costs or buyer’s premium, and be available for immediate purchase, allowing clients the opportunity to acquire a watch at any time of the day or night.
Since the soft launch of Christie’s Watch Shop in early May 2014, Christie’s sold through 30% of its inventory within the first week, featuring varying styles by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and Tudor with prices ranging from $3,500 up to $58,000. Buyers participating in Christie’s Watch Shop come from all regions of the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
John Reardon, International Co-Head of Christie’s Watches, commented: “Every day, we are contacted by collectors, colleagues, and friends asking us where we can get the best price on a vintage or modern watch. In addition, they ask for a watch that is ‘right’ that they can buy with confidence in quality and originality. Our new site sells watches of uncompromised quality, vetted by our team of watch specialists, at competitive prices which are often better than those found in stores both online and offline. The vision of Christie’s Watch Shop is clear: we will scour the world for the best examples of vintage and modern watches and offer them to our clients at the best prices for immediate purchase.”
Christie’s will leverage its social media profiles on Instagram, @ChristiesInc and @ReginaldBrack, to highlight new additions to the store via @ChristiesInc #WatchWednesday. Newly added watches will have a flag on them to identify them as the most recently added property to Christie’s Watch Shop.
Christie’s Watch Shop will feature rare examples of references from blue-chip makers including many examples complete with original boxes and certificates. Online, clients will have the chance to directly connect with a Christie’s watch specialist through email or social media channels. Furthermore, Christie’s Watch Shop content will include The Vault: watches news, interviews, and analysis from our specialists, Deconstructed: an in depth look at choice selections from Christie’s Watch Shop collection, and Videos: Dialed In: where our specialists guide you through the collection, one watch at a time.
John Auerbach, International Managing Director of eCommerce at Christie’s, added: “Christie’s Watch Shop is meant to engage our audience in a new format by presenting content and stylized photography, instructional videos on how to care for and build a watch collection and, most importantly, the ability to purchase immediately.”