Watchfinder

Watchfinder & Co. is an online retailer of second-hand watches based in Maidstone, United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest seller of second-hand watches.[2] By 2015, watches sold through the site totalled £155 million,[3] and annual turnover was £68 million in financial year 2015-16.[1] Online traffic amounts to around 6.7m unique visitors per year, putting it among the highest rates for any horological website.[4]

Watchfinder
TypePrivate
IndustryTimepieces
FoundedUnited Kingdom, 2002
Headquarters
Maidstone, Kent
,
United Kingdom
ServicesResale
Revenue£68 million, GBP (2016)[1]
Number of employees
200+
Websitewww.watchfinder.com

In addition, the brand is notable for several innovations in the industry:

  • It was the first UK website dedicated to the online sale of second-hand watches when it started in 2002.[3]
  • It was the first retailer to offer a "buy-back guarantee", in which the company refunds the cost of a watch if returned in good condition after two years.[5]
  • It services and repairs at least 600 watches per month in-house.[6]
  • It publishes an online magazine, The Watch Magazine. Published quarterly, it has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.[7]

Watchfinder has been recognised for business success by several industry awards[8][9][4] and is an alumnus of the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.[10]

The company was purchased by Richemont in 2018.[11]

References
  1. "Pre-owned watch specialist Watchfinder has been listed among the 100 fastest growing companies in the UK". Watch Pro. 5 November 2016.
  2. "Watchfinder to open bricks-and-mortar store". Professional Jeweller. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014.
  3. "Perfect timing". City A.M. 24 August 2015.
  4. Buttery, James (6 November 2014). "Watchfinder scoops Ecommerce Business award". WatchPro.
  5. "Watchfinder buoyed by free-floating franc". Financial Times.
  6. Doherty, Kate (20 June 2012). "Watchfinder unveils Omega and Longines Service Centre". Retail Jeweller.
  7. Buttery, James (17 March 2014). "New watches enter the Watchfinder mix". WatchPro.
  8. Buttery, James (26 November 2014). "Watchfinder named Retail Hero 2014". WatchPro.
  9. Jeanes, Will (12 August 2014). "Watchfinder & Co in Maidstone named Watch Retailer of the Year at the UK Jewellery Awards at Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, London". KentOnline.
  10. "Watchfinder". Fast Track. The Sunday Times.
  11. "Richemont to buy Watchfinder as pre-owned watch market heats up". Reuters. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
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