How pre-owned luxury watch platform WatchBox blends the best of both worlds – e-commerce with bricks-and-mortar retail, and technology with a bespoke experience

“You never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation,” goes one of the most famous slogans in the world of luxury watches. But what if the timepiece you’ve been coveting was bequeathed to someone by their grandmother, or if you would like to give an heirloom timepiece to someone who could appreciate it?

Pre-owned luxury watch platform WatchBox aims to do just that, and co-founder Justin Reis describes the company as “something-between e-commerce and traditional bricks-and-mortar retail”.

WatchBox offers watches online coupled with a highly personal experience, which Reis calls a “hi-tech meets high-touch approach”.

“Our mission is to bring authenticity, pricing transparency and confidence to the pre-owned category; ultimately to elevate the client experience and the global pre-owned perception,” he says.

Since it was founded in 2017, WatchBox has expanded quickly, with headquarters in Philadelphia, US, and offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE.

More than just a middleman, WatchBox buys inventory and restores products with the help of Swiss watch experts, before putting them on sale. All watches come with a warranty, which is particularly important for those concerned about the authenticity of pre-owned luxury goods.

And it’s perhaps this enterprising spirit, above all else, that has shaped his concept of time. “I’ve been drawn to entrepreneurial opportunities since I was a teenager, and I’ve learned how inherently important time management is to success as well as happiness.