The Watch Dealer Behind Your Local Jeweler

Some of the biggest watch dealers in the country are companies you’ve never heard of. They’ve never posted a video, and they almost never sell to a consumer directly. Their entire business runs through relationships with hundreds of traditional jewelry stores. In our world, that’s what a watch dealer for jewelry stores looks like.

When your jeweler doesn’t carry watches and you ask about a Rolex anyway, they have to call someone. A lot of the time, that someone is us.

The Jeweler With No Watches in the Case

Engagement rings fill one showcase and wedding bands fill the next, with some fine jewelry up by the register. There isn’t a watch anywhere in the building.

Then a longtime customer walks in. Maybe they bought their engagement ring there years ago and came back for every anniversary since. Now they want a Submariner, or they inherited a Patek and want to sell it.

They don’t start searching online for a watch dealer. They ask their jeweler, because that’s who they trust, and they assume the jeweler knows somebody. Usually the jeweler does. Most people just never see who’s on the other end.

How a Watch Dealer Partners With Jewelry Stores

At TNS, these deals start with a call from a jeweler we’re friends with. A customer of theirs wants to buy a certain watch, or has one to sell. We take over the watch side of it. The jeweler keeps their customer, and when the deal closes, we split the profit 50/50.

The customer still gets a fair price. Nobody marks the watch up twice to make room for two businesses. The difference shows up on our end, since we earn about half of what we would if that same buyer had walked into our store.

I’m happy to make that trade. One jewelry store can send us several deals a month. Multiply that across hundreds of stores and you’ve got a very big business, which is exactly how those dealers you’ve never heard of got so large.

Why TNS Built Its Business the Other Way Around

Most of our deals don’t come through jewelers at all. They come straight from the person buying or selling, and social media is the reason.

A typical client watches our videos for six months. They get a feel for how I talk about watches and how we price them. When they’re finally ready to buy or sell, they reach out to us because they already trust us.

I don’t think one model beats the other. The ideal business has both. Direct clients give you a real relationship with the end buyer, and jeweler partnerships bring in deals you’d never reach on your own.

That’s why we’ve spent years becoming the watch guy for jewelry stores that don’t specialize in watches. If you want an idea of what moves through here, take a look at our current watch inventory.

28 Watches From One Relationship

What got me talking about this on camera was one deal. A single jewelry store relationship led to a package of 28 watches worth well over half a million dollars.

That’s what one of these partnerships can turn into once both sides trust each other.

Buying, Selling or Partnering With TNS

If you’re shopping and your jeweler doesn’t deal in watches, ask them to give us a call. We’ll work the deal with them, and you keep the jeweler you already trust. You can also come see us directly at 136 S. 8th Street on Jewelers’ Row in Philadelphia.

If you have a piece to sell, start with our sell your watch page, or read up on what to expect when you sell or trade a luxury watch.

If you own a jewelry store and customers keep asking about watches you don’t carry, I want to hear from you. Call or text us at 215-922-1501, or reach out through our contact page.

And if there’s a business topic you’d like me to cover next, drop it in the comments on the video.