As it is near the end of the year it seems only right that we look back on 2022 and celebrate successes across the industry. It was a testing year for many in this industry with supply chain issues and fluctuating currencies spooking the market but it has still been a great time to be in the watch hobby. Lots of exciting new watches have been released, the vintage market has grown with more unique and interesting watches on sale. Today though we are going to go over the Top 5 Watch Market Influencers in the UK in 2022. In our opinion.
1 – Swatch Boutiques, it sounds like a joke but the truth is I don’t know many other companies who can release such a popular product and cope. Whilst there have been issues keeping up with demand the actual stores themselves haven’t gotten overwhelmed. Aside from an incident in London due to their simply being too many people it has been a remarkably smooth operation for such a popular product. As a side note the marketing team that came up with the Moonswatch deserves all the praise they get for making so many people interested in watches. The Moonswatch has introduced a whole new generation of people to watches and created a healthy preowned market. This is very impressive for a product which has only existed for around six months.
2 – Jamieson and Carry, for anyone who has ever lived in Aberdeen this high street favourite comes as no surprise. They are the city's, authorised dealers for Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe and more. Being an AD for Rolex means they are custodians for the fabled Rolex list for the North East of Scotland. Being an AD for Omega, Tag and Tudor does mean you can readily get brand new luxury watches. They are well respected with a 4.8 on Google Reviews and a good local reputation. They have recently announced a one million pound expansion of their premises to create a dedicated Tag Heuer Boutique, this bold initiative feeds into their view of history which they describe as;
“History is an ongoing process and we hope that you and your family become an important part of ensuring that Jamieson & Carry has, not only a history, but (more importantly) a future.”
3 – Chisholm Hunter, is similar to Jamieson and Carry with one or two key differences. The first is scale, Chisholm Hunter has twenty-eight stores across the UK and they are still expanding having recently opened a new store in Aberdeen. Their focus on taking in only the best brands has helped them become known for high quality and good service. They are an AD for high horology favourites like JLC, Glashutte and Vacheron Constantin. They also stock more mainstream brands like Tudor & Omega. If you are in the market for a new watch then Chisholm Hunter is a recommendation from us.
4 – Watch Finder, it’s difficult to discuss watch dealers and not land on the biggest name in the UK. They have a staggering online selection of watches and each watch has high quality pictures and a full description. This makes it very easy to know what you are buying and what condition you are buying. Their customer service is well regarded with a 4.8/5 on Trustpilot and multiple testimonials praising their staff. I don’t need to explain too much about why people like Watchfinder, whilst at times their prices can run high, they are a god resource for finding the watch you are looking for.
5 – Beaverbrooks, with multiple brands from entry to luxury Beaverbrooks runs the gambit of prices and brands. They are sitting on 4.5 on Google Reviews and sixty-nine stores across the UK. The share in common with Chisholm Hunter and Jamieson and Carry that they also stock jewellery and their instore teams are expert in their field. Whether it is for yourself or as a gift Beaverbrooks will keep you right and make sure you get what you are looking for. Their big brands are Omega, Breitling, Tag Heuer, Hublot and Bremont.
So that's our list for 2022, let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments below. If you are in the market for a watch then we have covered similar ground before when we spoke about selling platforms and a general guide on how to buy luxury watches online and I will link them below. Please consider reading some of our other articles on the subject.
https://theclassicwatchbuyersclub.com/blogs/blog-updates/how-to-buy-a-pre-owned-luxury-watch
If you have any questions or comments please get in touch at sales@theclassicwatchbuyersclub.com or leave us a comment below.
