WatchBox Expands Into South Africa With Topwatch Partnership

Topwatch is South Africa’s go-to retailer for pre-owned luxury watches. And now the omnichannel seller is officially “Powered by WatchBox,” the Philadelphia-based e-commerce site that’s become a digital epicenter for pre-owned luxury watch enthusiasts.

WatchBox announced today that it’s formed a strategic partnership with Topwatch, an arrangement that will see the U.S. retailer expand the selection of watches on the Topwatch site and lend its fully formed marketing, operations, technology, and buying capabilities to the South African retailer in a bid to grow its presence in the region.

A representative for Watchbox says the company has a financial interest in Topwatch, but isn’t the e-tailer’s parent company.

Topwatch founder and CEO Johan Dreyer said in a prepared statement, “The partnership with WatchBox empowers Topwatch to expand our inventory, buying capacity, and market influence to attract more clients as we continue to deliver the highest levels of quality and service. We are proud to support the collecting behaviors of the growing South African watch community, now as a part of the global WatchBox platform.”

Topwatch Watchbox partnership
An announcement on the Topwatch site about the WatchBox partnership

WatchBox cofounder and CEO, Danny Govberg, said in the same statement, “We are making significant investments to drive WatchBox’s long-term vision to be the preeminent global buyer, seller, and trader of certified pre-owned timepieces—uniting tech-aided convenience with high-touch personal service. Topwatch adds a fourth continent [the company recently launched in Switzerland and Hong Kong] to our portfolio as we build our global platform to serve the growing market for pre-owned luxury watches.”

Amanda Ellison, WatchBox’s global president and chief operating officer, is a South African native and said she feels sure of the region’s potential: “As an emerging luxury market, Africa is of great strategic importance. South Africa’s expanding luxury market, coupled with the growth of e-commerce and digital marketing, ushers in a massive growth opportunity for WatchBox,” she noted in the statement.

Topwatch launched in South Africa roughly a decade ago, helmed by Dreyer, and boasts a popular e-comm website, a private buying office in Johannesburg, and a retail location and watchmaking facility inside Cape Town’s DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

(Photos courtesy of WatchBox/Topwatch)

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