eBay has made a big statement of intent by confirming its headline sponsorship of this year’s WATCHPRO Awards.
The annual gala dinner, hosted this year at 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London on 10 November, brings together the great and good of the UK watch industry for an evening of fine dining, networking and celebration.
It’s another example of eBay integrating itself closer and closer into the traditional UK watch trade, with primary brands and authorised retailers becoming increasingly interested in buying and selling on the eBay platform.
The company’s major sponsorship of the biggest night in the UK watch industry’s calendar will involve attendance and branding at the event, and the hope is that it will further legitimise the eBay offering in the eyes of the wider watch community.
The head of lifestyle and luxury at eBay UK, Keith Metcalfe, is enthused at the prospect of partnering with the WATCHPRO Awards in such a major way.
“eBay UK is very proud to be headline sponsor of the 2022 WatchPro Awards and we’ll be bringing along our US and German contingents too,” Metcalfe explains.
“Our decision to attend and sponsor the event represents our renewed focus on the category, part of a wider global strategy to lean in on categories that are the core of our business.”
The human customer service element of eBay UK is something that the company is keen to promote in the next stage of its development, so being present in the room with the crème de la crème of the watch industry in November is so important as part of its wider strategy.
“The step change in eBay’s focus on watches has depended on investment in our people; firstly in the US in 2020, then with the new team in place in the UK in 2021 and its dedicated customer support team in Dublin,” Metcalfe elaborates.
“To come together as an industry is invaluable,” Metcalfe believes. “The watch industry is driven by community, in the primary and secondary sectors alike. eBay was founded and is fuelled by our community, so we relish any opportunity to step out and connect with the industry and to learn what might matter to our customers”
“We have long been a silent leader in the watch industry, but now we are dedicated to really connecting with this unique industry in order to provide the best, most relevant service for our buyers and sellers,” Metcalfe continues.
As well as its sponsorship of the WatchPro Awards, eBay is also going to be exhibiting at this year’s greatly anticipated WatchPro Salon event on 11-12 November.
It will showcase a selection of some of the finest watches and watch brands in the world for collectors, the press and retailers alike.
Metcalfe explains what visitors can expect to see when they visit the eBay stand at WatchPro Salon: “They can expect to be greeted by the friendly faces of eBay’s Luxury Goods team and ask all the questions they might have on using the eBay platform as a buyer or a seller – at any scale. There may also be an opportunity to win a pre-owned luxury watch, with the stamp of approval from our Authenticity Guarantee programme!”
WATCHPRO Salon 2022 exhibitors and partners
WATCHPRO Salon is a showcase of prestige watchmakers where collectors, brands, retailers and press meet in 5-star luxury.
Back for a second time after a spectacular debut in 2021, the two-day event takes place from November 11 to 12 at The Londoner, one of the capital’s most spectacular 5-star hotels on London’s Leicester Square.
ALLEMANO | ANORDAIN | BALL WATCH | BIANCHET | BONHAMS | CHARLES GIRARDIER | CYRUS | CZAPEK & CIE. | DOXA | EBAY | ELLIOT BROWN | ENCELADE 1789 | GRAND SEIKO | HANHART | IKEPOD | JUNGHANS | LAURENT FERRIER | MARATHON | MAURICE LACROIX | MICHEL HERBELIN | MONTRES LEROY | ORIS | PARMIGIANI FLEURIER | PEQUIGNET | PERRELET | SCATOLA DEL TEMPO | SEIKO | SINN | SPEAKE-MARIN | SQUALE | SWISS CAPSULE | SWISS KUBIK | VICTORINOX | WILLIAM WOOD WATCHES | ZEITWINKEL
