Swiss silver watch specialist Wencia took the first steps to launch into the UK market at last week’s Watch and Jewellery Birmingham trade event.
The brand exhibited in the UK for the first time, to showcase its range of watches that hold true to the historic tradition of crafting watches from solid silver cases and dials to retailers and distributors.
The independent brand, founded in 1937 by Oscar Wenger, is led by David Wenger, Oscar’s great grandson, who joined the company two-and-half years ago following the death of his grandfather Michel.
Speaking exclusively to WatchPro, Wenger, who worked in the diamond and high jewellery trade in Russia and Asia before joining the family business, said that the feedback from the show was even more positive than he had anticipated.
“It was our first event in Great Britain and I can tell you I have been extremely happy with the feedback we got from the people at the show, from dealers and retailers. We’ve got some extremely good feedback and they were very impressed with the quality and the design. I knew that we would have a market in England, because England has a special history of Sterling Silver.”
“We are actually already discussing with several contacts to have some major retailers work with us in England and high end dealers in watch and jewellery sectors to work with us in the regions.”
The push into the UK market comes after five years spent developing a new collection and this summer Wencia will launch a groundbreaking collection of divers’ watches using a tough new silver/ceramic composite material, resistant to pressure and salt water.
Wencia began making watches in silver at a time when steel had become the default watch-making material due to years of global economic upheaval.
Wencia’s collection, with a retail price range between £650 and £900, uses top of the range Swiss quartz movements from Ronda and ETA and mechanical Valjoux movements.
