Watches of Switzerland has opened three new mono-brand boutiques—bringing its U.S. total to 39 stores.

The openings include a new Tudor boutique in Orlando, Fla.; a Bulgari boutique in Aventura, Fla.; and a Breitling boutique in Short Hills, N.J. (pictured). The Bulgari store will sell both jewelry and watches.

“There is a focus in the group to grow the jewelry segment,” David Hurley, executive vice president of Watches of Switzerland USA, tells JCK.

In addition, it is refurbishing its Rolex boutique at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, so that will now be the largest Rolex boutique in the United States, it says. Its Mayors Jewelers location in Orlando, Fla., is being expanded to include a branded Analog Shift boutique.

Watches of Switzerland acquired Analog Shift, a vintage watch e-tailer, in September 2020 and Mayors Jewelers in 2017.

Hurley says the company, which became listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2019, plans to keep expanding and expects to make further acquisitions.

“We hope to grow in the U.S. somewhere between 25% and 30% a year,” he says, through “a combination of renovating and continuing to improve our store network.”

In November 2021, it acquired five stores: a Ben Bridge Jeweler store in the Mall of America in Minneapolis; Timeless Luxury Watches in Plano, Texas; and three Betteridge Jewelers stores—in Greenwich, Conn.; Vail, Colo.; and Aspen, Colo.

The Ben Bridge and Timeless Luxury Watches stores were rebranded as Watches of Switzerland stores; the Betteridge stores are keeping that nameplate for the time being.

Hurley says the company continues to believe in brick-and-mortar, and, in particular, U.S. brick-and-mortar.

“We are very bullish for the U.S. market,” he says. “People are getting more comfortable with buying online, but if you look at what’s happening across the U.S., companies like Kering and LVMH continue to invest in brick-and-mortar.”

Some 33% of Watches of Switzerland’s revenue now comes from the United States, according to its latest annual report. It says the United States is “underinvested as far as luxury watches.”

Top: The new Breitling store in Short Hills, N.J. (photo courtesy of Watches of Switzerland)

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