As luxury stores prepare to reopen, the watch world embraces the 'new normal' to keep shopping ...

Aeschlimann has also noticed an increased appetite for online content "We've responded with new projects such as our Instagram Live sessions, as well as our #SpeedyTuesday platform which is gathering Speedmaster stories from all corners the globe," he says David Edwards, Managing Director at Seiko UK has also seen increased client interest across online platforms, as well as more people wanting to speak to Seiko's customer services team about the 2020 collection that was released in March.

"Online retail in the luxury industry is now very much a part of everyday life," he says "Many of our retail partners have e-commerce that has performed well throughout the crisis and the launch of our own platform has been hugely successful It's also clear that rich storytelling online is essential, increasing dwell time and the overall customer experience" As with Duffy and Aeschlimann, Edwards emphasises that, despite a significant increase in online business, feedback shows that customers are keen to re-engage with the product in person and, when the Knightsbridge Grand Seiko boutique reopens in mid-June, it will be with a much bigger emphasis on one-to-one appointments.

Early on, Patek Philippe took the decision not to debut its 2020 collections in April as initially planned, but international communications and public relations director Jasmina Steele confirms that the brand will launch a selection of its new models over the next few months. . Source