I was in Barcelona for the Catalunya MotoGP and visited with Alberto Eisenmenger, the owner of Relogeria Maurer, a watch store located right on the popular pedestrian thoroughfare, Las Ramblas. A family business founded by Eisenmenger's great grandfather, Relogeria Maurer has been in business since 1843.

Europa Star: How's business?

Alberto Eisenmenger: Business is OK. With the shift in our business plan that occurred two years ago, business is much better. We used to be a classical store, focusing on high-end brands, and now we are more of a fashion store. The watches are more affordable and there is no price war anymore with other retailers.
My great grandfather started the store here in Barcelona. He came from the Black Forest in Germany to Barcelona. He started the store to sell the clocks our family made. He took over a store from another German from the same village in the Black Forest.
I have been in the business for 30 years. I really like the contact with the people, and I love watches. When I first started, I wasn't so keen on being in the family business. I was sent to La Chaux-de-Fonds to learn watchmaking when I was 24, and then I came back here to work in the business.







ES: How has business changed in recent years?

AE: With the rise of expensive watches, it produced a big change inside the large classical brands. For the retailers, it was more about price and there was a lot of discounting going on. We made a decision to go in a different direction and it has really worked out for us.

ES: What don't you like about what you do?

AE: I don't like the hours we spend at the shop. We are open from 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. every day except Sunday and we are open on Sundays during the Christmas seasons. These hours make for long days.

ES: What is the biggest challenge facing your store right now?

AE: Finding people who can sell the watches. It's hard to find people who have the ability and the knowledge and who I can ask to work the long hours and work on Saturday and even on Sunday during Christmas time.

ES: What is the biggest challenge facing the watch industry right now?

AE: There are too many brands, I think. There's nothing that retailers can do about this situation, however. Some brands will survive and some brands won't. I think having too many brands really confuses the consumer.

ES: Who is your customer?

AE: We try to attract young people with our visuals and our product mix, but middle-aged people who are working in this area are the majority of our customers. We also get a lot of walk-ins. The people who want an affordable watch come here because they know they will find a lot of brands.

ES: How important is customer service?

AE: Customer service is very important. People know that we are watchmakers and not just a watch retailer, so we do a lot of repairs. Many times, our best customers come from repairs. Normally, we can fix the watches ourselves, but if there is a problem, we send it back to the distributors. A lot of brands don't sell us spare parts so we have to send those watches back to the distributors.

ES: How do you do training?

AE: We don't do any special training with our employees. When they start, they work side by side with me to get their training.

ES: Are you optimistic about the future?

AE: I am optimistic about the future of the watch industry. People always wear a watch and for men, it's the only luxury they can have.

ES: What is your favourite watch?

AE: My favourite watch is a Maurer watch, which we used to have made as a private label for the store. Unfortunately, the minimum quantity became too high for us to do, but when we were selling it, it was a fantastic watch."

Many thanks to Alberto Eisenmenger of Relogeria Maurer. Mucho gusto!


Size of store: 70 square metres
Location : Rambla de Catalunya 52, 08007 Barcelona
Tel. (+34) 93 216 02 27
How long: 163 years
Employees: 3
Average sale: 200 euros
Range of price: 50 euros to 800 euros
Best selling: Tissot followed by Swiss Army and Seiko
Brands: Armand Basi, Breil, Casio, cK, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Emporio Armani, Festina, Fossil, Grus, Guess, Lifetime, Lotus, Mondaine, Nike, Philippe Stark, Radiant, Seiko, Swiss Army, Tissot, Tommy Hilfiger
Website : www.maurer-watches.com