Watchmakers take advantage of Mother’s Day proximity during Madison Avenue Watch Week

Asprey, Buccellati and Chanel are hoping to see a jump in women’s timepiece sales due to their participation in the fourth annual Madison Avenue Watch Week May 5-10 that coincides with Mother's Day weekend.

Held annually inside the individual watch boutiques that line the luxury retail strip, Madison Avenue Watch Week gives watchmakers the opportunity to present their finest watches to the United States market’s most concentrated area of wealth. In addition to creating an in-store relationship with watchmakers, the week-long event also provides a platform for watchmakers to display new pieces.

"This year, many of the brands participating in Madison Avenue Watch Week are highlighting their timepieces for women, which is a growing sector in the luxury watch marketplace," said Matthew Bauer, president of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, New York. "Clients visiting the fine timepiece flagship boutiques on Madison Avenue enjoy an immersive experience into the DNA of each brand.

"Clients can witness the full breadth and depth of each brands’ timepiece collection; explore and enjoy the comfort of the interior décor that meshes with the design vocabulary of watches on display; and meet the personnel that will be available not only to purchase a timepiece, but to service it as well," she said.

"[Also,] the physical proximity of Madison Avenue fine timepiece boutiques to one another allows for ease in finding a timepiece that meets the client’s needs and tastes."

The Madison Avenue Business Improvement District produces Madison Avenue Watch Week. The Wall Street Journal is a sponosor.

The right time
Scheduling Madison Avenue Watch Week to the days before Mother’s Day is an ideal time as many consumers will be out shopping hoping to find the perfect gift for the mothers in their life.

Promotion for Madison Avenue Watch Week

The location is also ideal as New York’s Madison Avenue is the “largest fine timepiece market in North America,” according to the event’s Web site. During the course of the week, consumers and collectors will have the opportunity to enjoy the unveiling of never-before-seen in the U.S. timepieces, exhibitions, demonstrations by artisans and brand events.

Madison Avenue Watch Week stretches up Madison Avenue from 55th Street to 70th Street. Participating watch brands, each of whom have flagships on Madison, include Asprey, Buccelati, Chanel, Chopard, David Yurman, De Grisogono, F.P. Journe, Georg Jensen, Girard-Perragaux, Hublot, John Varvatos, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Porsche Design and Vacheron Constantin.

Map of participating watchmakers during Madison Avenue Watch Week

Many of the brands will premier watches first unveiled at Baselworld. Others plan to present for the first time, watches that will appeal to women as Mother’s Day approaches.

For instance, Switzerland’s Chopard will unveil its Imperiale a watch set in rose gold and Mother-of-pearl with diamonds, sapphires and amethyst details.

Chopard's Imperiale

Danish jeweler Georg Jensen plans to show off its Special Edition Vivianna diamond bangle watch. These timepiece also features a dark Mother-of-Pearl dial.

Georg Jensen Special Edition Vivianna diamond bangle watches

Also, U.S. jeweler David Yurman will debut its Classic 38mm black ceramic quartz wrist watch with diamond bezel.

Madison Avenue Watch Week also features in-store events that are by invitation. Other preview exhibitions, such as artisan demonstrations, are open to the public so that all attendees can experience a brand firsthand.

For watch collectors, Ben Clymer founder of watch-enthusiast Web site, Hodinkee, will host a Watch President’s Panel breakfast.

Watching out
The watch industry continues, year after to year, to see growth in interest.

Global interest in fine Swiss-made watches grew by 5.7 percent despite a slowdown in sales throughout Asia, according to the Digital Luxury Group’s tenth annual World Watch Report 2014.

The World Watch Report’s full edition was released to coincide with Switzerland’s Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show March 27 to April 3, just as the Haute Horlogerie preview was distributed during the trade-only Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie event in January. The extended edition of the report examined more watchmakers as many brands represented at Baselworld are jostling for attention among the horology community (see story).

Marketers have learned that the best way to attract and interact with consumers is through events. This has been especially true with the watch industry.

For example, Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Richard Mille are among the fine watchmakers coming together for the TimeCrafters 2014 watch exhibition May 16-18 to unveil timepieces that debuted at Baselworld and SIHH to a United States audience.

Held at the historic Park Avenue Armory in New York, the third annual TimeCrafters will turn the drill floor into a “European Atelier” to celebrate the art of watchmaking. With many of the world’s premiere watchmaking events based in Europe, an event that caters to a U.S. audience is likely a welcome addition among watch enthusiasts (see story).

As more brands expand their retail footprint onto Madison Avenue, events like Watch Week will add additional foot traffic to the area.

"In order to maintain its hegemony as one of the world’s leading luxury destinations, Madison Avenue must have significant representation in the fine timepiece marketplace," Mr. Bauer said. "Furthermore, watches strengthen Madison Avenue for all categories within the luxury sector, complementing the sale of men’s & women’s fashion, jewelry, shoes and accessories.

"The Madison Avenue Business Improvement District was twice recognized by our peers for the creation of Madison Avenue Watch Week with our partners at The Wall Street Journal," he said. "Madison Avenue Watch Week was awarded the 2013 Pinnacle Award in the category of Events & Programming from the International Downtown Association at its World Congress, and the SASI-ONE 2013 GOLD Award for shopping and cultural tourism marketing excellence presented by the Shop America Alliance and the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council."

Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York