Exclusive Watches of Switzerland To Open A Joint Patek Philippe & Rolex Boutique In Perth

The opportunity to open the doors of a franchise Cartier boutique alongside the Watches of Switzerland boutique helped settle the decision, but the early work was slow. As was the case in almost every Australian city in the late ‘90s, the market still had to be built.

Nearly three decades later, the business has returned its focus to the Western Australian capital with the opening of a boutique dedicated to Rolex and Patek Philippe, with the second of those names being new to Watches of Switzerland. For any retailer on the planet, an appointment with Patek Philippe is among the hardest in the industry to secure, making its arrival in Perth an unambiguous sign of just how far both the business and the city have come.

Perth has consistently been the location of important milestones for the family business. The first Rolex point-of-sale that Watches of Switzerland opened was in the city back in 2012, which van der Griend describes as "a wonderful moment for the business." With Patek Philippe now joining the network of boutiques in The Swan City, it’s something of a full-circle moment for the company, not only as “an honour for the business,” but also as a development that “validates Perth as an ongoing, maturing Australian market.”

"There was a great feeling of joy,” van der Griend tells me when I ask how the family celebrated the news of the Patek Philippe appointment. “We had been pursuing the brand for many years, and it was an amazing feeling to attend Watches & Wonders this year and to have our initial appointment as an official Patek Philippe retailer."

Against a backdrop of decades of growth and success while representing some of the finest jewellers and watchmakers in the world – from Rolex and Cartier to Vacheron Constantin and FOPE – welcoming Patek Philippe into the fold was a moment he described as an unforgettable “highlight for the van der Griend and Watches of Switzerland family."

Representing both Rolex and Patek Philippe is a particularly special distinction, however, and not one that many retailers ever have the privilege of enjoying. "The brands are so uniquely at the top of the Swiss watch industry with such a wonderful heritage that to have the opportunity to present them under the same roof is extremely special," he says. The Watches of Switzerland team has recently visited the manufactures of both brands, which he explains gave them "a small insight into the depth of skill and dedication to quality and detail that each manufacturer possesses, [...] every piece is created with tremendous dedication."

There’s a value that both Patek Philippe and the van der Griend family hold in high esteem, and it concerns – perhaps unsurprisingly – time. Patek Philippe has famously framed ownership of its watches as custodianship for the next generation, which is a philosophy that van der Griend sees reflected in his own clients. "This has to be one of the best marketing campaigns created, and one that speaks to how many of our clients and collectors view their purchases – for the next generation," he tells me.

It was a point of discussion when the partnership came together. "This shared vision was definitely a topic of discussion with Patek Philippe, and indeed with Rolex, as both companies plan and invest well into the future."

At a time when much of luxury retail has consolidated into listed groups, the fact that Watches of Switzerland remains family-owned and operated is another commonality shared with Patek Philippe, which four generations of the Stern family have run over the best part of a century. "As a family-owned and operated business, you live and breathe the business," van der Griend shares. His sons Sam and Ed have grown up inside it, as has his daughter Danielle, and he’s quick to credit his wife Joanne, "who has been the pillar of support for all of us." 

But beyond the family itself, he also sees that commitment extending to the people around them. "One of our greatest achievements is to have a wonderful team of people within the organisation," he explains, noting the staff who have been with the company for ten to fifteen years, and the General Manager, David Taubler, who has been part of the business for twenty-four years. "This depth of knowledge is a great benefit to the organisation and to our clients."

If Eric carries the history, it’s Sam van der Griend who speaks to what Perth is now, and as a result of Watches of Switzerland having boutiques in every major Australian city, he has a unique read on the market. “In our first chapter on King Street, it was a more tailored offering to the market, but like other luxury brands, we experienced strong growth in Perth driven by a growth in aspiration from the Perth locals.”

“It was apparent that the local market desired more and would increasingly travel to the Eastern states or Asia for a wider offering of luxury – that’s where the move to Murray Street came for all of the luxury brands – a bigger footprint in a new precinct meant a wider offering for the local clientele, and the offering is on par with the rest of our boutiques and the wider region.”

Perth's position also shapes who walks through the door. The city sits closer to Asia than to the eastern seaboard, and Sam has that geographical fact reflected in the clientele. "In Perth, there is definitely a closer proximity to Asia-Pacific, and this means that some of our clients have moved from the region to Perth. This brings some very established watch collectors, as markets like Singapore have been well developed."

The boutique itself occupies the former Faulding’s Buildings at 307 Murray Street, a now-impressive Federation warehouse that was built when gold was reshaping the city in the late 1890s. Its restored brick façade is one of the most recognisable on the street, and Sam explains this as one of the factors in the decision to house the boutique within its walls. "We wanted to build something truly spectacular to pay homage to our beginnings in Perth almost 30 years ago," he reveals, "with the full façade of the Fauldings Building embracing the heritage of both Rolex and Patek Philippe."

Despite a transformation of this scale requiring an overhaul that took “countless hours”, what Watches of Switzerland wants from the space is straightforward. "An experience that reinforces to the clients that we hold them in the highest regard," Sam says, "and whether it's their first Patek Philippe or Rolex, or it's a repeat client choosing something special to add to their collection, we want that to be everlasting."

Twenty-nine years after the first customer walked out of Watches of Switzerland on King Street with a watch on their wrist, the business has brought two of the most significant names in watchmaking to the city where it all started.

Watches of Switzerland is located at 307 Murray Street, Perth. The opening hours are 10 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Saturday, and 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. For more information and to book an appointment, click here.