For this week’s Retailer Stories we went back to Europe to speak to our friend Pavel from ChronoTimepieces. ChronoTimepieces is an online purveyor of vintage and modern watches, started by a group of friends in Bulgaria. Pavel gave us some insight into his own operation and the watch scene in Bulgaria.
Pavel from ChronoTimepieces
Andres Ibarguen: How did you start ChronoTimepieces?
Pavel Vlachkov: As is often the case with this type of thing, I started off on the other side of the fence. My passion for collecting watches had been sparked by a charming little watch a few years earlier, and it had quickly spiraled into what I can only describe as an addiction. Time-only pieces, chronographs, minute repeaters - I wanted to get my hands on everything that I considered exciting. I would spend most of the day thinking about watches, and the rest - staring at the one that happened to be on my wrist. When I finally took the next logical step and put a minty Bovet Chronograph up for sale, it was gone within 10 minutes. As you can imagine, I immediately knew I wanted to sell watches full-time. When I met my partners a year later, ChronoTimepieces was born.
AI: And what kinds of timepieces do you mainly work with?
PV: We offer both modern and vintage pieces. For almost a year now, we've had a real atelier with one of the most promising young watchmakers in Bulgaria as part of the team (Tihomir). Not only that, but since the beginning of our journey we work with the best local watchmakers in Bulgaria and thanks to our combined efforts, we're able to offer a wide variety of intriguing, rare, and well-made watches - in their best condition, no less.
AI: How did you go from doing ChronoTimepieces on the side to hiring a watchmaker to work with you?
PV: During my years as a collector, I'd got a pretty good feel for my country's watchmaking scene. To put it bluntly, there was a lot left to be desired. Imagine my relief when I met Tihomir - at the time, a young and enthusiastic hobbyist. He was already impressively skilled when we started working together, but he would only grow more devoted to his craft as time went on. I, on the other hand, would only grow more convinced that he needed to become a permanent part of the team.
AI: What is the watch collecting scene like in Bulgaria? What kinds of brands do people enjoy?
PV: Flourishing would be an apt word to describe it. I wouldn't say there's any sort of significant difference between the international watch collecting scene and our own. Rolex, Omega, Panerai, and Breitling are by far the most popular when it comes to luxury watches, and Seiko, Tissot, and Hamilton are nestled comfortably within the entry and middle tiers. Lately, there has been a lot of interest in microbrands and vintage watches as well.
AI: Demographics-wise, which portion of the population is most interested in watches and watch collecting?
PV: Mostly younger people - as long as you consider 35 young, that is. Nevertheless, younger and younger people have been getting into the hobby, but I believe that's more of a global phenomenon.
AI: Do you also sell to people offline?
PV: For the time being, we only sell online. We do, however, plan on opening a physical shop when the time comes.
Pavel’s Heuer Autavia ref. 2446 C
AI: When did you first get interested in watches?
PV: Ten or so years ago, when I got my first watch as a birthday gift from my sister. I liked it a lot, so I bought two more of the same brand. When one of them eventually needed to have its strap changed, I had to do a bit of research because fashion-brand straps weren't offered locally. Reading about watches sparked my interest in other brands, and, since I was an eBay addict (still am), I purchased my first Omega, along with a vintage Breitling chronograph. They were both in awful condition, so I had to have them restored. Thankfully, I managed to find a great local community where I got a ton of useful information on the matter. The rest, as they say, is history.
AI: What was your first watch?
PV: A quartz Skagen. I visited the eponymous town a few months later and purchased a second one. As for my first mechanical watch - it was that beautiful gold-plated Omega that I found on eBay.
AI: Where are the majority of your customers from?
PV: We sell all across Europe and Asia - in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Singapore, and Japan to name a few.
AI: How do you see the market for vintage watches growing in Europe going forward?
PV: I think we're at the precipice of an unprecedented surge in the popularity of vintage watches. Big brands have been releasing heritage collections and reissues for a while now, so it only seems natural that vintage watches would become increasingly sought after. And they have, at least according to our sales.
AI: What are you and your partners’ plans for the future of ChronoTimepieces?
PV: Our main goal is to build confidence in our services and to make our shop known as a reliable and trustworthy seller. Other than that, we plan to continue offering our customers exceptional watches in excellent condition.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Pavel.