How pre-owned luxury watch platform WatchBox blends the best of both worlds – e-commerce with bricks-and-mortar retail, and technology with a bespoke experience
“You never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation,” goes one of the most famous slogans in the world of luxury watches. But what if the timepiece you’ve been coveting was bequeathed to someone by their grandmother, or if you would like to give an heirloom timepiece to someone who could appreciate it?
Pre-owned luxury watch platform WatchBox aims to do just that, and co-founder Justin Reis describes the company as “something-between e-commerce and traditional bricks-and-mortar retail”.
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WatchBox offers watches online coupled with a highly personal experience, which Reis calls a “hi-tech meets high-touch approach”.
“Our mission is to bring authenticity, pricing transparency and confidence to the pre-owned category; ultimately to elevate the client experience and the global pre-owned perception,” he says.
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Since it was founded in 2017, WatchBox has expanded quickly, with headquarters in Philadelphia, US, and offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE.
More than just a middleman, WatchBox buys inventory and restores products with the help of Swiss watch experts, before putting them on sale. All watches come with a warranty, which is particularly important for those concerned about the authenticity of pre-owned luxury goods.
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And it’s perhaps this enterprising spirit, above all else, that has shaped his concept of time. “I’ve been drawn to entrepreneurial opportunities since I was a teenager, and I’ve learned how inherently important time management is to success as well as happiness.
“Time is one of the few assets we really cannot afford to waste, and that awareness contributes to both patience and an incessant drive for success – whether that is acquiring a special watch I’ve been seeking or achieving a personal goal.”
Time is one of the few assets we really cannot afford to waste
In many ways, Reis is a watch aficionado first, and founder of an e-commerce platform second. Highlights from his collection include Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi”, a gift from his better half. “I’ve travelled extensively with it on my wrist,” he says.
“As a tool watch, it is practical and comfortable, and even as the “new” Pepsi dominated the horological world, the 16710 retains a steadfast charm.”
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To mark the opening of WatchBox, Reis added a Patek Philippe Annual Calendar with Regulator Display to his collection. For Reis, the watch – contemporary yet classic – is a reminder of what he is trying to build with WatchBox.
It’s also fitting that Reis has in his collection the Venturer Vantablack Concept, a watch from H. Moser & Cie, a brand known for its innovative timepieces: “There is zero complication other than the time, and with the black-on-black dial, I have to purposefully look to see the time.”
Justin Reis’ watch
“To me, H. Moser represents the forward motion in the watch industry, a respect for tradition and a commitment to innovation.”
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- Despite Covid-19, WatchBox co-founder Justin Reis’ 2020 was busier than ever, with plenty of virtual events
- His personal collection includes a Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’, Patek Philippe Annual Calendar and H. Moser & Cie Venturer Vantablack Concept