WatchPilot Hosts Successful Grand Opening Event for Richmond Store
The specialist watch retailer opened its doors to VIP guests, influencers and media representatives for an evening celebrating its place in the local Richmond community.
Richmond, London: Fast-growing omni-channel retailer WatchPilot hosted a formal Grand Opening event for its store on George Street in Richmond on Thursday, July 20, 2023, designed to cement its position and influence on the local high street.
Although WatchPilot opened in Richmond in November 2022, the brand decided now was the ideal time to formally launch the store and welcome local community groups and members of the press to experience the brand for themselves.
Its VIP guests also included representatives from brand partners and distributors, many of whom have worked with WatchPilot since it launched in January 2020. Examples include Hamilton, Swatch, Rado, Pininfarina Hybrid Smartwatches, Fossil Group, Frederique Constant, Herbelin, and Citizen, as well as individuals from The Blue Company London, Apex Luxury, and Burton McCall.
Guests were invited to watch a ribbon-cutting ceremony by WatchPilot co-founder Tim Harrison, retail manager Malgorzata Roznerska, operations manager Paul Maxwell and creative director Nicolas Hawke before being welcomed inside to browse the company’s selection of watches, indulge in complimentary refreshments, and meet representatives of the watch brands on display.
Competitions on the night included the chance to win watches from the likes of Garmin, Rado, Herbelin and Baume & Mercier.
WatchPilot Co-founder Tim Harrison says: “Our Grand Opening event really exceeded our expectations. We were thrilled to welcome so many friends of WatchPilot, including representatives from our sponsors Herbelin, Ball Watches, Baume and Mercier, Garmin, Rado, Mondaine, Victorinox, and Bulova. Our goal is to become the ultimate destination for luxury Swiss and designer watches in Richmond and the surrounding areas, and this event really helped to put us on the map.”
WatchPilot was founded just before the Covid-19 pandemic and has since secured more than 40 brands for its fast-growing e-commerce presence. Its debut bricks and mortar store has continued to grow with new acquisitions, including Casio, Garmin, Swatch Group Brands and Frederique Constant, plus a dedicated Rado shop-in-shop.
Led by passionate and knowledgeable watch enthusiasts, WatchPilot focuses on targeted hiring practices that prioritise watch industry experience and digital brand landing pages to engage a more enthusiastic watch collector. Its current team has employment experience at Goldsmiths, Fraser Hart, Harrods, Fossil Group and Time Products, among other companies.
In April 2023, WatchPilot was named a Finalist in the Watch Retailer of the Year category at the UK Jewellery Awards 2023. Winner are due to be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, 6 September.
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Further information can be found here: www.watchpilot.com/pages/our-story
About WatchPilot
WatchPilot is an omni-channel independent retail business specialising in Swiss-made and designer watches for men and women. It was co-founded by Akbar Hussain and Tim Harrison in 2020 with the goal of combining a passion for and knowledge of watches with the accessibility of e-commerce. Today, the business operates online and via its debut bricks-and-mortar WatchPilot boutique in Richmond, Southwest London. It has partnerships with over 40 brands and distributors, including Swatch Group, Garmin, Casio and Frederique Constant.
