SJX Watches
Interview: Lisa Bridge, CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler
Luxury watch retail has transformed markedly in the past decade – from the rise of mono-brand boutiques and e-commerce, to industry consolidation and the growth of the secondary market – traditional retailers have had to navigate several converging trends. We sat down with Lisa Bridge, chief executive of Ben Bridge Jewelers, to hear her views on these topics. Founded in 1912, Seattle-based Ben Bridge Jewelers is one of the largest watch and jewellery retailers in the western United States, operating 35 locations in nine states from Colorado to Hawaii. Although the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2000, it continues to be run by the Bridge family. The interview was edited for length and clarity. Brandon Moore (BM): What do you see as the biggest growth drivers in the U.S. luxury watch retail sector over the next few years? Lisa Bridge (LB): It’s been an exciting renaissance in the watch industry over the last few years in terms of the number of people who have a real interest and a real desire to collect and to be passionate about watches. It’s not necessarily what people predicted a few years ago when people were talking about Apple Watches as an existential threat to the Swiss watch industry. Instead, it’s been the opposite. [The Apple Watch] got people wearing a watch and then going, oh, let me learn more about this watch thing. And the experience for customers has also increased and will continue to improve over the next few years in terms of the ...
