During the weeks running up to the Christmas holiday period, there was, certainly in central London, a general sense of unease in the retail sector as the threat of terrorist activity continued to be discussed publicly, privately, in the daily press, and in Parliament. But a season of goodwill prevailed in the end. It is not of course possible to isolate an industry trend in the sale of watches during such a time with any exactitude. But after a round of telephone calls to both major chains and smaller sales points, and folding in private comments from distributors, my conclusion is that sales in value terms during this important period were “up by about 10%”.
That conclusion is not very exciting but acceptable in the circumstances, in fact almost a relief. However, the trade in the UK is perceptibly addressing itself to the fact that up to 45% of annual turnover is gained during the weeks before Christmas. From any business point of view this is not very satisfactory. This is why Valentine’s Day on 14th February was pumped up into an extra opportunity for retailers to get young, old and in-between lovers through their doors. Not to mention the “secret lover” market.




ATLAS DEMI-HUNTER by Tiffany & CUPIDON by Pierre Kunz


When birds begin to mate
For readers who need detail, the word Valentine is a corruption of galantin (a lover, a dangler, a gallant). St.Valentine (a 4th-century martyred Italian bishop) has been chosen by history for this day because of his name (sweethearts…gallant, valiant, etc.). One ancient legend has it that birds begin to mate on 14th February.
Shops were full of heart-shaped things in early February, with wristwatches alongside jewellery. Chopard do both in style. For Valentine’s Day this year the Scheufele art factories produced the Happy Heart watch. The open-work, diamond-set rings were set on a choice of pink or red satin straps. At the centre was an 18 carat white gold watch, set with pavé diamonds, which came in two sizes. Men’s as well as ladies’ı Pierre Kunz introduced a heart model entitled Cuoidon and Louis Vuitton joined the fun with its Tambour Lovely Red, although why a red heart is placed at 5 o’clock is a nice puzzle. Perhaps the message is, “5.00 a.m … time you went home, darling.”
At a lower end of the price scale, Nina Ricci found success with an offbeat diamond-shaped piece to go with its No.15 series. Available in either stainless steel or gold plate, it cleverly featured an arrangement that allowed for a pendant to be made from the bezel. Aquamaster, Dior, and Fossil (which started multimedia advertising for the first time this Christmas) applied themselves creatively to the ever-expanding Valentine’s Day market, perhaps having spotted the fact that actually getting married is once again a trend. And timepieces in cross shapes are certainly popular. Roger Dubuis knows this. At the bottom end of the market, no doubt Bling pieces, made of fake everything, had their day (and night).
Perhaps Father’s Days and Mother’s Days are next on the list for promotional activity. What about chicken alarm watches for Easterı And how about Midsummer’s Day, with suns all over dialsı The Midwinter Equinox is perhaps already catered for with moon phase models.




AUTOMATIC CHRONO GMT by Montblanc & ATLAS PERPETUAL CALENDAR by Tiffany


Top end going well
Any overview of current trading in the UK both before and after the annual Christmas break is inevitably bound to feature the all-time stars. So I will not go into the performances of Omega, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin (now in its 250th anniversary year), and other major brands. They all have stories to tell, no doubt, but getting actual sales figures is not of course easy.
The top end of the retail market in the UK is however sending out signals that all is well. These come in the form of new shop openings in some of Europe’s most expensive streets – and they are in central London. Last November Asprey reopened, in its venerable Bond Street premises but totally rebuilt, as Europa Star reported, coupled with its new No.8 watch collection. Further up Bond Street, and in the same month, Bulgari also reopened, in a much enlarged space. And soon Harry Winston is to open its first-ever store in the UK at 171 New Bond Street. Diamonds ahoy!
Meanwhile Tiffany trades on in Bond Street (so named after a British Army general), with, I consider, some of the finest window displays in all London. Inside, leaving aside other glorious merchandise, the Atlas watch collection, after a simple but highly effective advertising campaign, was all the rage. Named after the famous clock mounted outside the Tiffany store in New York, which was in turn inspired by the skeletal and enormous clock on the tower of St. Peter’s Church in Zurich, the Atlas range is not new but has been refined, as it enters its 22nd year. These are classic watches by any definition.
Sloane Street, which connects Knightsbridge with Chelsea, is fast overtaking Old and New Bond Streets as the most plentiful source of luxury timepieces in London. The newest arrival is a Montblanc store, as Richemont seeks to spread out the brand in its inimitable fashion. Now, this brings us south to Chelsea – once the home of the Swinging Sixties, and now a quite transformed area of affluence.
Athens has one, Paris has one, and Singapore has one. And now London is to have one. Have whatı A Watch Show, that’s what… for all those consumers out there, and not for the trade itself.

London’s consumer watch show
The inaugural London Watch Show is to be held in Chelsea from Friday 17th to Monday 20th June 2005, and there is to be an evening gala preview on Thursday 16th June. The location could not be more central. The 5,500 square metre air-conditioned Pavilion will be at Burton’s Court (once a military parade ground) on the ever-fashionable King’s Road, just two minutes’ walk from Sloane Square (where there is an underground or tube station, as we call it). Sloane Square is at the southern end of Sloane Street which starts in Knightsbridge, near Harrods. The organizers are probably right with their claim that the London Watch Show is set within one of the most affluent residential districts in Europe.
The Show is to target key consumer groups. They include young, professional high earners in the City of London, women who are increasingly “self-buyers”, the gay community which has a high disposable income profile, successful British Asians, and of course expatriate businessmen from countries such as China, the Gulf and Russia.
The month of June is famed for its range of sporting events, which attract huge visitor numbers: the Derby, Royal Ascot (in York for this year only), Test cricket against Australia, the Henley Royal Regatta, and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. And the Chelsea Festival also starts on 17th June (until 26th).
Watches will be displayed brand by brand, and will be for sale. The key promotional partners in this promising enterprise are the Goldsmiths chain of retailers, now using Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger’s ex, to front its advertising, the Financial Times, which will be doing a report on the event, Bonhams, which will be previewing an important watch auction, and the charity Action on Addiction, which will also be hosting a gala preview.
A key role in this event will be performed by the Goldsmiths Group, which has 170 stores in the UK. It is the largest distributor of watches by Cartier, Gucci, Omega, Rolex and TAG Heuer, and its 150,000-person database will be an important ingredient during these midsummer days. No doubt the publicly quoted Signet Group, the world’s largest retailer of wristwatches and jewellery, operating under the banners of H. Samuel, Ernest Jones and Leslie Davis in the UK, will be interested visitors.
This will be the first real overview of consumer demand in this country, and so the occasion is to be welcomed. And in Chelsea too!


Source: April-May 2005 Issue

More...Click here to subscribe to Europa Star Magazine.