This is the most prestige retailer in Mexico and number one in Latin America. The family started their career in the diamond business as the founders of the Antwerp Diamond Exchange at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, BJ represents a portfolio of over 50 watch brands dedicated to the premium segment and is the only retailer promoting the independent brigade that includes Richard Mille, MB&F, Urwerk, Greubel Forsey, De Bethune, FP Journe, etc… According to Eric Kogan, Purchasing Director and fourth-generation in the family business, the Rolex Submariner steel with Cerachrom bezel and Patek Philippe Ref 5980R were best-sellers in 2012. “The Submariner is the first association someone makes in connection with Rolex and fans of the brand also want the new model.” He says. Why the Nautilus Chronograph ? Two reasons : “A Fine Watchmaking enthusiast knows that money invested in a Patek or a Cerachrom bezel is a good investment. Ref. 5980R is a large-size, sporty model, two qualities greatly appreciated by our customers.”
EMWA, Monterrey
This retailer has become an institution in Monterrey, the Mexican industrial capital, over its 50 years of activity. During the past decade, EMWA has evolved from historical forces such as Cartier, Rolex, Bulgari and Montblanc to 20 different brands. Here Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre coexist with DeWitt, Romain Jerome or Graham. “Our business has performed very well over the past year” says Jonathan Wapinski, in charge of new acquisitions. Wapinski explains that the majority of their customers tend to prefer sports watches to classic models, with a focus on distinctly larger dials. “Our top successes last year were the Cartier Ballon Bleu medium model in steel, Rolex Submariner Date steel version and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 40th Anniversary Collection. This result is not surprising given that our customers are inclined to choose brands that are well-known and appeal to men and women alike”. EMWA expect a similar trend to continue for the foreseeable future but are prepared for constant monitoring of any changes in their customers’ preferences.
PEYRELONGUE CHRONO, Mexico City
A global initiative (Corum) with local creations (Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon GMT ‘Mexican States’ Limited Edition) : a formula for successful and pleasant surprises by this veteran jeweller with French origins. The Peyrelongue family has been synonymous with luxury watches since 40 years ago when financial executive, Hervé Peyrelongue married a descendant of a historic Mexican jewellery house and immediately created his own retailer business. During the Severin Wunderman era, Corum discovered that custom-made pieces dedicated to patriotic local symbols generate a lot of fans. “We were very surprised at collectors’ interest in obtaining one of the unique pieces created for each state of the Mexican Republic,” says Luis Peyrelongue, owner of the company. As its Monterrey competitor, the Royal Oak (Ref 15400st) 40th Anniversary Collection was in remarkable demand, something which was not really surprising considering the long relationship between Audemars Piguet and Mexico over the past two decades. “The Calibre Cartier collection with manufacture-made movements, especially in steel and leather strap versions, is in increasing demand. Finally, the Rolex Explorer II displays strong sex appeal supported by an enlarged, 42mm case.”
BAHRAIN
Bahrain has been inhabited for thousands of years and for 5,000 years was considered to be the Garden of Eden, blessed with an abundance of fresh water and luxuriant vegetation. Its strategic position in the heart of the Persian Gulf meant that it was at the epicentre of trade exchanges of antiquity and Bahrain was thus very influenced by its neighbours – Assyrians, Babylonians, Sumerians, Greeks and Persians. Today, Bahrain’s small size and its position in the centre of the Persian Gulf countries results in it playing a delicate balancing act role amongst its powerful neighbours. Time has therefore had several different faces in this little emirate whose multicultural diversity is its greatest asset. The aesthetic choices of the men and women of Bahrain are consequently highly refined and different from the neighbouring countries. It is in the capital, Manama, that one of the most prestigious and the first public watch and jewellery exhibition, Arabia Jewellery, was created 15 years ago, and which each year attracts several tens of thousands of visitors in just a few days.
Asia Jewels
Established several generations ago, the main players in the watchmaking industry represent the most beautiful jewels in the crown of international jewellery and watchmaking.
Today, Asia Jewels is managed by the third generation and directed by two contemporary young women from Bahrain – Mayyan and Elyana Jaffar – together with their young brother, Mohamed. According to them, their clients seek established values and the best sales in the last three months have been for models from Van Cleef&Arpels, Cartier, Chanel and Audemars Piguet for their male clientele.
Barhain Jewelry Center
The Bahrain Jewelry Center, whose watch department is directed by Mohamed Quassim and Ahmed Shirazi, also achieves the best sales with established, historical benchmark brands such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Jaeger-Le Coultre and Piaget, as well as Hublot on the more sporty front. In the jewellery department successfully directed by Dina Shirazi, in addition to must-haves such as Chopard, woman tend to focus on models displaying creativity. Consequently, the more established brands are challenged by the smaller, highly creative, reactive niche brands. The so-called fair sex in this little Emirate consists of women of character with well-defined tastes. In ancient times, men went fishing for weeks at a time – largely assisted in their seafaring endeavours by freshwater springs under the seabed which enabled them to stock up. Women thus remained alone for weeks on end and were obliged manage their daily lives, developing a strength and independence of character that has been passed from generation to generation …
