Watch app launches to bring transparency to pre-owned industry
Redblok, a cloud-based technology and marketing service dedicated to the watch and jewellery industry, has created a new cloud-based service that aims to bring greater transparency to the sourcing and selling of luxury pre-owned watches from business to business.
The Watch App will also make it cheaper and more efficient for retailers to find unusual or rare timepieces requested by customers.
The Watch App launched on 14 September and is strictly for watch traders and retailers only.
New members can go to the app’s website to register and any professionals wishing to sign up must first receive an invitation from an existing The Watch App member or be able to provide references from within the trade to verify to the nature and reputation of their business.
Signing up, buying watches and listing watches is completely free of charge. Only when a watch is sold will The Watch App take a small commission of 2% from the seller.
The Watch App can also be used to track stolen watches. Retailers and dealers that have fallen victim to crime can log the details of stolen watches on the site, alerting other dealers that might come into contact with the timepieces when thieves try to sell them on.
John Freeze at JF Daughters, a watch dealer based in Epson, described the app as a “shortcut to your little black book”, while John Henn at TA Henn said is was a “great opportunity” to track down “quality used watches”.
Daren Daniels, Redblok founder and The Watch App creator, said: “At the moment, most watch dealers and retailers are selling their pre-owned watches through multiple sites, and paying multiple fees.
“What I want to do with The Watch App is to bring everyone in the industry together on one transparent platform that offers competitive pricing and simplicity of search.”
He added: “As well as making it fast and convenient to sell pre-owned watches, it is going to revolutionise the process of sourcing them. No more layers of middle men chipping away at margins, no more endless phone calls chasing an elusive watch, just a simple-to-use cloud-based service.”
