Pre-owned and second-hand luxury is experiencing a major moment right now.
In a world where climate change is on everyone’s mind, many are looking for ways to do their part.
Edoaurd, whose career has included roles in Paris with Cartier and in Hong Kong with Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, joined Watchfinder in 2020 to launch the pre-owned watch specialist in the US.
Edouard has established Watchfinders’ trade-in programs in boutiques including Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Montblanc, and has overseen Watchfinder’s first US retail partnership with Nordstrom.
“We’re already open in Nordstrom’s flagship store in Seattle, with more to open this year,” he shares.
Staying true to the spirit of the company name, Edouard thrives on briefs he is sent from clients who are on the hunt for exceptionally rare and unique watches, which they want found in record time, of course.
“That’s half the fun,” says Edouard.
The market for second-hand luxury items is growing, and growing fast.
Edouard has seen big changes within the industry, with “the most impactful change relating to the integrity of the industry; the customer experience, quality of inventory and warranty provisions have all improved significantly”.
And these industry changes are only going to propel the sector further.
“Experts expect the pre-owned market to expand by as much as 8% to 10% per year until 2025, reaching annual sales of between $29 billion to $32 billion,” he says.
Surprisingly, for someone so invested in second-hand watches, Edouard calls for collaboration between pre-owned and new.
“It’s time for watchmaking maisons to embrace pre-owned,” he says. “Today it’s as relevant an entry point into the passion for watches as new is.”
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