Watch collecting is currently experiencing a major renaissance among enthusiasts and collectors of all ages. From the old hands who have been part of the watch community since the 80s and beyond to Gen Z new blood discovering timepieces for the first time via such arcane means as TikTok and YouTube, the watch world is only getting wider. Pride & Pinion is a retailer that straddles both those worlds with their dedicated pre-owned luxury watch boutique in Belfast and popular online presence.
Life began for Pride & Pinion in 2019, founded by Nico van der Horst, with the opening of a luxury watch boutique inside the 5-Star Merchant Hotel in Belfast. Dubbed “The first Luxury watch Boutique on the island of Ireland” it remains a fantastic showroom and place to discover amazing watches. Though, like all brick-and-mortar boutiques, it has experienced its own share of problems in recent years.
The pandemic of 2020 meant the boutique was forced to shut doors during the various lockdowns. Though alongside the curse of restricted access to their own shop, came an unexpected boon. Rather than sit idle for a year, they placed even greater focus on their online endeavours. Specifically, they began a YouTube channel as a means to promote their business, reaching a staggering 100k subscribers in a matter of months. Buoyed by this support, they set their sights on becoming the biggest watch related YouTube channel in the world, which they achieved in October 2021 when they became the first watch channel to reach one million subscribers (now very close to two million).
They’ve translated this online success and Nico’s larger-than-life presence into a practical retail business with 15 expert staff buying and selling watches globally. They remain specialists in high end, luxury watches with a keen interest in Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, Cartier and more, the types of watches that garner interest from their wide audience and consumer base. After all, it’s their foundation in social media and online services that have made them a go-to destination for established watch collectors and first-time buyers alike.
More details at Pride & Pinion.
