Christopher Ward, famously, does not do brick and mortar retail.
That is until it experimented with a showroom at its recently opened Maidenhead headquarters, dabbled with a pop-up within Time+Tide’s studio in London’s West End, created a physical space within the new Everton football stadium and opened boutiques alongside its office in Dallas, Texas and a location in Falls Church, Virginia.
Suddenly sales through its showrooms are up 200%, year-on-year, albeit from a low base.
The once online-only watch business — a model it credits with delivering the best value timepieces on the market — is now decidedly omnichannel.
“For all the advances we’ve made online, nothing compares to having a Christopher Ward watch in your hands,” says Mike France, CEO and co-founder.
“These showrooms let customers experience the craftsmanship, design and feel of our watches in a relaxed setting — without adding the kind of overhead that would compromise our direct-to-consumer pricing. It’s the best of both worlds: real-world connection paired with online efficiency.”
This month marks its most significant opening to date, a showroom in the heart of London’s luxury retail district: Mayfair.
Again, it not a traditional high street store, but an appointment-only space on the second floor above a barber shop, just around the corner from Saville Row and a stone’s throw from Bond Street.
“Opening in Mayfair feels like a natural step for us,” says Sarah Baumann, Christopher Ward’s COO.
“It puts us right at the intersection of British style and craftsmanship and, with the holidays approaching, it’s a perfect opportunity for Londoners and travellers to the capital to discover our full collection up close.”
The showroom will give punters the opportunity to try and buy the entire Christopher Ward range.
Online booking for three slots per hour is open for appointments from November 17. At 30 slots per day, it will be Christopher Ward’s highest traffic showroom in the world.
