Today we spoke to one of our newest vendors on Montres Publiques Market, Tommaso Rattighieri of Watch Hunters! Watch Hunters is a vintage watch trader located in a historic storefront in the center of Milan. We briefly touched on how Watch Hunters was started and the kinds of unique vintage pieces they look for. To read the interview in Italian, please click here.
Tommaso (left) and Giovanni (right)
Andres Ibarguen: When was Watch Hunters founded?
Tommaso Rattighieri: Watch Hunters opened its first store in Corso Magenta 22 in Milan in 2018, after a careful search for the perfect location in the heart of the city.
AI: Who makes up the Watch Hunters team? How did you meet?
TR: After many years of friendship and collaboration in the watch sector, Giovanni Dardi and myself, Tommaso Rattighieri, decided to ‘settle down’ with a store. That’s when we looked at this historic storefront in Corso Magenta.
AI: Why did you decide to focus on vintage watches?
TR: The decision to get into the vintage watch market comes from an old passion and the continuous research into the kinds of vintage watches that satisfy the demands of collectors and of our clients.
The Watch Hunters storefront on Corso Magenta 22
AI: How do you see the future of the vintage watch market? Do you think that the adoption of the internet and new technologies could benefit the sector?
TR: In our view, the vintage watch market is constantly changing, and this is clear also by looking at the international auction market. The emergence of new technologies doesn’t exclude the passion and the search for beautiful timepieces.
Moreover, we’re convinced that the production of new and modern watches is not necessarily in conflict with the desire to collect vintage watches.
AI: How long have you been selling watches online for? Do you have a particular sales channel that you prefer?
TR: We started selling online immediately after opening in 2018, first using Chrono24. We’re very satisfied with the results so far, both in terms of sales and in terms of reviews from buyers around the world.
AI: Being in the center of Milan, who is your typical client? Do you get a lot of tourists?
TR: The clients who come into our store are very varied. We welcome everyone, from enthusiasts and collectors to tourists, all of whom we aim to build a long-term relationship with.
AI: For you, what is the most important aspect of the relationship you have with your clients?
TR: The most important thing for us is customer satisfaction, which forms the basis for an ongoing commercial relationship.
AI: What are the differences that you perceive in your interactions with clients in person versus online?
TR: Most of the people that contact us online already know what they want. Their requests are based on what we have on our website and informed by high-quality photos. Instead, in our store, we usually see collectors and enthusiasts. In that environment it’s much easier to have a trusting and open relationship, with frequent exchanges of opinion.
AI: What do you look for when you buy a vintage watch from someone? Are there any brands you look for in particular?
TR: When we buy a watch, we pay a lot of attention to the rarity, the aesthetics and condition, and to the functionality of it – and, if available, of course also its original box and papers. Our preference is high-quality Swiss watches from the more popular maisons.
Tommaso
AI: Turning instead to the current situation in the watch sector, was your business affected in any way during the recent lockdown?
TR: During the lockdown our online business kept running as usual, and we even found some innovative solutions that allowed us to expand our business while working safely.
AI: And in general, how do you think the lockdown has influenced the sector?
TR: Undoubtedly, lockdown made things more challenging and most operators in the luxury sector saw a decrease in business volumes, but we’re certain it’ll pick up again quickly.
AI: Going forward, what are your plans for the future of Watch Hunters?
TR: After the event we organized in May 2019 called ‘Arte in Movimento’ in the prestigious Residenza Vignale of Milan, which gave visitors an opportunity to admire a collection of over 180 timepieces from the most prestigious brands, we’re thinking of other initiatives to build awareness and maintain the interest of anyone and everyone who loves vintage watches…stay tuned!
Thanks, Tommaso!
1950s Cartier New York sold by Watch Hunter’s