Watches of Switzerland Buys Analog Shift

RAPAPORT... Watches of Switzerland Group has acquired pre-owned and vintage timepiece company Analog Shift in an effort to capitalize on the rising popularity of the secondhand market.The brands first collaborated in 2018, when the UK-based watch group offered a curated selection of Analog Shift's pre-owned timepieces at its newly opened New York City flagship store. That collection became one of its strongest-performing segments, Watches of Switzerland said last week. "As we began our entry into the US market back in 2018, we saw the pre-owned and vintage segment as a significant area of opportunity and Analog Shift as the ideal partner to help us realize that," stated Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland. "Our relationship has had a very natural progression.It's two liked-minded brands working together in a space that is poised for exceptional growth."Meanwhile, James Lamdin, the founder of Analog Shift, will become Watches of Switzerland's new director of vintage and pre-owned timepieces.In addition to its Watches of Switzerland brand, which operates in the US and UK, the company also owns UK-based Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb, along with Mayors, which it purchased from Birks Group in 2017.Image: A watch from the Analog Shift collection at Watches of Switzerland. (Watches of Switzerland)