Men's Watches

There’s never been a doubt in my mind that if you want to know what’s going on in watches, as in, what’s really going on, talk to a retailer. Big stories, A-lister launches, and multi-million dollar ad campaigns draw the eye, yes, but do they translate into sales? With their view across brands, categories, and price brackets, the retailers know.

Mark Toulson is the Watches of Switzerland Group’s head of watch buying, overseeing more than 100 showrooms and several e-commerce websites. Given his decades of experience, few have a more finely attuned understanding of the watch landscape than he does.

Following some recent research commissioned by the group, we talked with Mark about the current trends he’s observing and the data behind them. Are consumers buying bigger watches than they were? Are waiting lists really as long as people say they are? And are green dials as all-conquering as social media might have us believe? Mark kindly shared his insights with us.

Robin Swithinbank \(RS\): Mark, the last 18 months must have been a challenging time to be a watch buyer – how do you buy a watch over Zoom?

Mark Toulson \(MT\): Well, it’s much harder than in person! We’re getting back into the office now, but we’re still really missing seeing watches in the flesh rather than on a screen while travel is so difficult. Often, we’re only seeing watches for the first time when they arrive in the warehouse. That can cause some surprises!

RS: You must miss the annual Basel and Geneva watch fairs?

MT: Yes, hugely. The immediacy of a fair, seeing people and product, is so important. Watches are emotional, and just like our customers, we want that tactile sensation of putting a watch on your wrist to help us make our judgments.

RS: How has the pandemic affected WOSG’s sales?

MT: Obviously, we had a slow period during the first lockdown, but then last summer when we reopened there was clearly some revenge purchasing going on, people spending the money they’d saved on other things. It was crazy. Busier than Christmas. And it’s been incredible ever since. People are after good watches like the Seiko Flightmaster UK

RS: Looking at the watch business as a whole – what’s changed over the last 18 months?

MT: Covid has accelerated the fact that brands are introducing watches throughout the year, nowadays. What that means is that we’re seeing products and then they’re in our stores a week or even a day later. Rolex’s new collections last September were a good example of that. People love this because they see a watch and then they can buy it. You used to have to wait six months.