Haute Time Talks With Edouard Caumon, US Country Manager at Watchfinder & Co., About Creating Added Value, The Genderless Campaign And The Hottest Watches Of This Moment

The world of exclusive watches is in constant motion. One who is in particular aware of that is Edouard Caumon, US Country Manager at Watchfinder & Co. Haute Time sat down with him to discuss how they ensure that their clients get the most value for their money and the best experience. We also touch on the subject of which brands are on the rise and how taking away gender as a search option leads to discovering exciting new watches. 

How has Watchfinder’s business developed the past year with the COVID-pandemic, in the US?

Watchfinder has always been an agile business, and this put us in good stead over the past year. We have showrooms and boutiques located around the UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and the US but we are a native online business. Our focus has always been centred around the customer experience – ensuring every customer can buy and sell premium watches exactly the way THEY want to. That is why, even with some of our showrooms and boutiques closed, our customers have still been able to engage with our experts through the website, over the phone, via WhatsApp or even on video calls. It is all about choice and convenience.

Watch collecting is known to be a predominantly male pursuit, yet women are becoming increasingly more active in the field: do you also see this on the Watchfinder platform, and is this something you also take into account as you further develop the business? 

We have just gone through a large shift in the business removing gender categories from our websites and stores. Categorizing a watch as explicitly men’s or women’s is not only restrictive but hugely outdated. Our focus is on customers finding the perfect watch for them and by declassifying watches and opening up more makes and models to more customers we are helping facilitate that.

What makes Watchfinder unique in the world of buying and selling premium pre-owned watches?

For 19 years Watchfinder & Co. has been the premier resource from which to buy, sell and part-exchange pre-owned luxury watches.

We really pride ourselves in the fact that quality and dependability sit at the heart of our business – every single one of our watches has been meticulously inspected, authenticated, and prepared by a team of expert watchmakers in Europe’s largest independent service centre – a service centre that has been accredited by 19 of the world’s leading watch manufacturers. In addition to that, all of our watches come with a 24-month Watchfinder warranty.

To us it’s about more than just buying and selling watches – it’s about discovery. Alongside renowned bestsellers we will also introduce you to less obvious watch makes and models. From vintage pieces to limited editions, we have over 4,000 watches from more than 70 luxury brands for you to explore – all of which are immediately available online and via our network of boutiques and showrooms.

Customer experience is also extremely important to us; with intuitive tech, concierge services, private viewings, same day delivery, part exchange and bespoke finance solutions – we want to ensure every customer’s watch is selected, prepared, and delivered to them the way they want it.

In terms of pre-owned watches, Rolex and Patek Philippe are the brands first on the mind of many people: are there other trends that you identify becoming more significant?

I think we are seeing a rise of interest in smaller production watchmakers such as A. Lange & Sohne, who only produce 6000 or so watches a year. Lange has a level of finishing at least equal to Patek Philippe and offers something a little different to the big two.

We can also see a trend in classic Cartier models on the rise, which are incredibly accessible and affordable whilst still retaining the design and exclusivity of the famed Parisian watchmaker and jeweler.

Most recently we became the first retailer to remove gender from our website and stores. With personal style and taste continuing to evolve, and in many cases overlap, we feel that categorizing a watch as either men’s or women’s is now not only redundant but restrictive.

By removing the men’s and women’s categories from our business we are encouraging customers to explore and discover more watches, helping them find exactly the right watch for them. Everyone should be able to choose whatever style they want, without being dictated as to whether it is suitable for their gender or not. From now on our watches will be categorized by case size.

What can we expect from Watchfinder within the next couple of years?

We have exciting things in the works over the next couple of years, which we are not ready to share as of yet, but will be sure to keep you updated as news is announced.