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At a time when ‘Work from home’, ‘lockdown’, ‘quarantine’ and ‘restrictions’ are the most common on everybody’s lips, it is fairly clear that the world has changed, and few have felt the effects of this change more than the luxury retail industry.
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Art of Time – The New Destination of Horology
In these unprecedented times, retail outlets have been forced to pivot and reinvent their business models in order to stay relevant and keep their doors open. While hopping on to Amazon or another E-Boutique site to buy a bottle of shampoo, some groceries or even clothes and shoes has become fairly commonplace, and something that most people are abundantly comfortable with, purchasing luxury goods online, is a fairly rare occurrence. However, It’s a “Time of change”.
Since opening its doors 6 years ago, Art of Time has taken great pride in providing its customers with an exceptional selection of high-end timepieces from renowned brands like Cartier, IWC, Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin and more. Known for their excellent customer service, unparalleled after-sales care and professional, well trained and knowledgeable staff, Art of Time has been a haven for watch connoisseurs, collectors and first-time-buyers alike and in keeping with the times, they are poised to take their next step towards being the go-to destination for luxury watches across India.
Starting this January, Art of Time will launch their exclusive E-Boutique, allowing customers to view and purchase their timepieces online from the safety and comfort of their own homes. The stamp of Art of Time’s bespoke in-store service will be the hallmark of their E-Boutique as well. Video consultations, personalised appointments and a dedicated concierge along with white glove delivery service across India will be standard practice, with customers being able to experience the Art of Time difference even without a trip to the boutique itself.
With additional complementary services like engraving (for certain brands and models only), Gift Cards, personal messages and customisation, it is a given that every customer will find exactly what they are looking for.
As the authorised retailers for global powerhouse brands like Cartier, IWC, Panerai, Jaeger LeCoultre and more, Art of time assures 100% authenticity.
The Art of Time Difference
First-time customers are drawn to Art of Time for a variety of reasons, not least their vast and diverse range of brands and watches that cater to every taste and budget. From popular and well-known brands like Cartier and IWC, which draw consumers across a wide demographic, to lesser known and equally masterful brands like Roger Dubuis and Ulysse Nardin, the Art of Time boutiques in South Mumbai and Bandra’s exclusive neighbourhoods have something for everyone. Similarly, the E-Boutique will showcase bestsellers from each of the stores portfolio of brands, offering a unique shopping experience.
With a target market in Tier 1 cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi as well as Tier 2 and Tier cities like Pune, Ahmedabad and beyond, Art of Time will offer a nation-wide free shipping, providing safe and secure delivery of all its watches to customers across India.
As a first-of-its-kind platform for high-end luxury timepieces in India, Art of Time hopes to boost the market for Haute Horlogerie as the country and the world’s economy begin to revive after an extremely trying period. Speaking to Gaurav Bhatia, CEO of Art of Time, he says “India is a key market for luxury watches and in the past the luxury watch buyers were slow to adapt to the concept of E-Boutique because of the widely held belief that E-Boutique’s transactional nature was at odds with luxury retail, however, the world has been reset in the last year and a half and we believe that people are more receptive now even to buying luxury items online. With travel still severely restricted, we hope that the service we provide and the reputation we have built over the last 6 years will give first-time watch buyers and seasoned collectors alike a sense of comfort to be able to buy their timepieces from us online as easily as they would in-store.”
Director Bharat Kapoor adds to that saying, “We understand that the only viable way to keep sales going and luxury consumers engaged is by getting on board with the rapid shift in online sales of luxury goods by the introduction of a digital platform and we hope to provide the same standard of service and care online as we have been doing in our stores so far.”
With luxury watch brands themselves recognising the value of India as a promising market for their products, several of them have created targeted campaigns for the country including India-specific models and the engagement of brand ambassadors from Bollywood and the Indian sports fraternity alongside international faces.
The luxury watch sales are projected to rise significantly by 2025, with E-Boutique and online sales at the centre of this predicted growth, Art of Time hopes to create a trusted and efficient conduit for the sale and distribution of luxury watches across India, over the coming years.
For more information, please visit artoftimeindia.com.
