Mechanical watches live in a curious space: luxury products built on the foundations of centuries old traditions, made to demanding and exquisite standards are often experienced on a small, smartphone screen.
The ability to instantly find everything everywhere is liberating and life changing. But our brave-new digital world disguises two quantum-sized white spots, which is why we developed our concierge system.
What are they?
People and experience.
Humans are social creatures: people like to buy from people! We love making new friends, discovering shared passions and forming relationships. It keeps us young, fuels our brains and makes us happy. Happy is good!
Watches are tactile products: we can assess them by watching videos and enjoying 1st class photography. But they only really reveal their true qualities when experienced in real life. How does that watch feel in my hands and on my wrist?
HORAGE consciously choose to not structure its business around a traditional “high-street” retail model. It is our belief that this system is no longer the ideal way to reach customers. Traditional retailing has of course many advantages: potential customers can visit a shop to touch and feel products. However, this main benefit is outweighed by numerous strategic disadvantages. A brand has little insight over what the customer experiences in store, nor do they know who purchases their products. Achieving a flow of information between all touch points in traditional retailing is extremely challenging. How can stock levels be managed? How can consumers know they won’t find the same product 20% cheaper next week? The lack of transparency and oversight as well as the inability to form a meaningful relationship with our customers were the key reasons we choose a different, more direct path.
We set about building network of brand-experts who could help us offer the best of two previously conflicting worlds: the advantages of a direct business-to-consumer model combined (transparency, stable prices, direct brand-customer relationships, strong value) with local convenience and the personal touch offered by genuine watch lovers. Our expectations of how this service should look and feel came from an unusual inspiration.
A last-minute weekend away staying at an old-fashioned, family owned 5-star hotel. Views over a crystal-clear lake, with a backdrop of jagged mountain peaks. The type of place you see in movies. Here we seemed to travel back in time. Starched shirts, charming formality and a never-before-experienced attention to detail. No questions which couldn’t be answered, every wish anticipated: sincere and effortless service.
This level of personal service was exactly what we wanted to offer our customers, just in a horology context. Inspired by our ‘Grand-Hotel’ experience we decided to name our global team of brand representatives “Concierges.”
What do they offer you?
They deliver a personalised experience bringing luxury watchmaking directly to you. Meet at a time and place that suits your schedule. Speak in your language, touch and feel the products which interest you and fit your style…. not the ones the retailer needs to clear out because a new shipment is coming next week.
A calm, soothing experience. No rushing, no heavy sales pressure, no hidden agendas. A direct connection to our brand, with all the benefits this entails but served up with a local twist by a human being who shares your passion for watches.
Innovation is an over-used word; one often associated with technology and products. At HORAGE it is our company mission to apply it to every step of our business. To empower our Concierges, we first had to build a set of digital tools. Our BrandCloud software manages inventory, pricing and transactions: all from a smartphone. BrandCloud and the Concierge Experience are perfect examples of our forward-thinking mindset: doing things a differently, not because we think the ‘disruptive’ moniker is cool but because we believe that old structures no longer function like they did in the past: the world never stands still, it is time for a fresh approach.
Thinking outside the box has allowed us to achieve the best of both worlds. We know our customers and they can talk to us directly. We can cut out layers of unnecessary, duplicated costs: you get the chance of fulfilling a dream, one which you thought could never come true. Innovation is never just about products.
Don’t you love a win-win-win situation?!
You can search for our Concierge locations here: The-Concierge-Experience
Passing through Switzerland? We are located in Biel/Bienne just 90 minutes from Geneva and Zurich airports. You can book a tour here Visit HORAGE in Biel Bienne
….our door is always open.
