Mr Porter Expands Luxury Watch Category in the U.S.
Mr Porter is expanding its luxury watch offering in the U.S. market, introducing an assortment of vintage timepieces. Curated by ex-Christie’s specialist and Wind Vintage founder Eric Wind, the 12 rare watches pay tribute to the history of horology from the ’40s to the ’90s.
“As a longtime customer and fan, I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to supply a curated collection of vintage watches for the platform. Each watch has an amazing history and I would be proud to own any of them in my personal collection. There is a variety of styles at different price points and I believe each is an heirloom,” Wind said.
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Highlights include the sought-after Rolex GMT-Master 16750, featuring the “Pepsi” blue and red bezel — famously worn by actor Tom Selleck in the ’80s television show “Magnum, P.I.” Also from Rolex, the Submariner 5513, a transitional collector’s piece, nicknamed for the rare format of the water resistance dial stamp showing “Meters First” as opposed to feet first, which became the standard from 1969.
Another from the late-1960s is the Heuer Camaro 7220NT. Recalling the golden days of motorsport, the racing chronograph features a cushion-shaped case, housing the Valjoux 72 movement, widely respected as one of the finest manual-wind chronograph movements in watchmaking history.
“Our customers will now be able to visit Mr Porter and discover the world’s best watch maisons and novelties across new, pre-owned (in partnership with Watchfinder) and now vintage watches. This is an exciting enhancement, providing an elevated shopping experience, service and product curation. Our community of watch collectors will appreciate the historical significance from our first vintage edit, which we look forward to working with Eric to curate and create throughout the year,” explained Dominic Weir, managing director of fine watches and jewelry at Net-a-porter and Mr Porter. “We are also thrilled to expand our vintage watch offering to wider regional markets throughout 2022.”
The menswear e-tailor will also introduce a vintage watch procurement program, the next step in personalized customer service. Customers can reach out to the Mr Porter team of watch experts for assistance with sourcing specific vintage timepieces, bringing together their network of industry suppliers to procure pieces through private inventories.
The vintage watches are priced from $1,900 to $19,800, and build on recent initiatives to promote the strong craftsmanship, quality and longevity of important timepieces, including its Part-Exchange Program through which Mr Porter’s watch experts can facilitate the trade-in of a customer’s timepiece, allowing it to be restored and resold via the site’s partners at Watchfinder.
Initially launching its vintage watch category within the U.S., Mr Porter plans to roll out vintage options globally throughout 2022.
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