Although the Las Vegas jewelry and watch fairs have faded into distant memories—and perhaps a few still-healing livers—there is no denying that JCK Talks did an excellent job of educating attendees. I say that not only because I moderated one of the sessions, but also because this is my lane. After 30 years in the industry, there is a good chance you’ve seen me onstage under the bright lights with a microphone in hand. Hopefully, you stayed for the entire discussion; if not, perhaps you were there to rest your feet. zEither way, I was glad you came. So, as my gift to you, I’m sharing what we covered during my 45 minutes onstage in Sin City.
Too Big or Not Too Big? That is the Question
Size is a hot topic in many areas these days. Cars. Houses. Follower counts. Egos. And yes, even watches. But what is the trend of the moment? Well, over the last several years, case sizes have come down, at least for men. And women are increasingly interested in smaller vintage pieces and vintage-inspired watches. When I first started writing about watches, a hot trend was women wearing watches passed down to them by male relatives or borrowed from their partners. And while that’s still somewhat true, and while we cannot put every gender into a single trend bucket, the consensus is that good things come in small packages. Really good things, too.
A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet
(Clearly I’m on a Shakespeare kick with these trend topics, eh?) A debate has been quietly raging over the last several years about what makes a watch “men’s” and what makes it “women’s”. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, I know many women, including me, who proudly wear watches most likely made for men on their wrists. And a simple browse of GQ’s Instagram page will show you a plethora of big-name celebrities sporting teeny tiny Cartiers and Jaeger-LeCoultre on their wrists. So, should we or shouldn’t we sell watches by gender, given the current fluidity? The answer really comes down to knowing your clientele.
A Social Experiment
As discussed in Las Vegas, jewelry and watch retailers who aren’t currently on social media are clearly missing a huge opportunity to attract future customers, namely those in Generation Z and Gen Alpha. While for years, Instagram was king as it pertained to showing pretty products in still photos or highlighting new watches via a page’s stories, TikTok has taken over in terms of reaching new demographics while not leaving out the old, and jewelry stores with their own podcasts or YouTube channels have shown a solid ROI. While ten years ago it was easy to hire a niece or nephew to run a store’s social pages, the consensus is that investing in a full-time social media manager should be a top priority.
We Have Gathered Here Today
Some of the most successful watch retailers in the United States have caught on to the idea of the multi-day, multi-brand watch fair, and it has paid off. For relatively little cost to you if you are a seller of multiple watch brands, you can partner with said brands, have them send in a sales representative and extra product for two to three days, come up with a cool marketing campaign, or maybe even partner with a local liquor company or winery, and make it one big ol’ watch party. Another option is to host local watch collector groups in your area (such as a RedBar chapter) for a night of whiskey, wine, and watches. It’s not a new concept, but it’s still very on trend.
Color Makes the World Go Round
Bright, bold colors are everywhere in watches, and that trend started right after COVID. The days of dismal grays were replaced by oranges, pinks, and purples, via a watch’s dial, strap, or lume. Even the big brands got in on the fun by introducing whacky dials and using rare colored gems. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.
Everything Old is Hot Again
This last section will discuss the trend of carrying pre-owned or vintage timepieces in your store. This isn’t exactly something everyone can do, because vintage can get tricky. If this is something you’re interested in pursuing, I recommend doing some research first. First, you’ll need to hire someone in-house or use a local source to verify authenticity if you decide to purchase a vintage watch off the street, on eBay, or from a customer. The same goes for pre-owned. Getting a vintage piece with the original box and paperwork (warranty, receipt, etc.) from a sought-after brand can be a gold mine, and there are plenty of vintage pieces available, which is part of the reason the younger generations are drawn to them.
There is no exact science to creating an atmosphere for watch buyers that is welcoming, forward-thinking, and fun, but considering these tips might help. As I said, know your customer. Know your area. And don’t be afraid to take risks here and there. Watches have been around for centuries. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
