Ace Jewelers owner targets microbrands for distribution
ChronoTime, which is a branch of Amsterdam and London jeweller Ace Jewelers, is a modern distributor with a fresh take on how the distribution model can still be relevant.
As part of an in-depth upcoming interview with Watch Insider, ChronoTime’s co-owner Alon Ben Joseph highlighted the need for specialist distribution for microbrands that have reached a stage where they’re ready to scale up, internationally.
“What’s interesting are the micro brands that are new to the watch industry,” Ben Joseph said. “I call them the Chronopolis brands — the cool cats.
“They all came from [a] direct-to-consumer [business model] and they’ve proven that they have the right to exist because consumers want them because they give a lot of bang for buck.”
It’s at this stage that Ben Joseph believes that brands require the services of an international distributor. ChronoTime already has distribution agreements in place with the likes of Fears, Bamford London “Now suddenly they encounter the difficulties of wanting more exposure, they want an advertisement in a print magazine, they have the issue of neeing to ship to Turkey but not factoring in insurance or import duties, or to create a lab report that costs thousands.
“They say: ‘We didn’t think that we need to give margin to our retailers. What happens to shipping? What do you need if you need to re-import and then re-export again?’
“These guys are suddenly rediscovering that you need these layers in the supply chain. That is something that’s interesting and there is a discrepancy there because they think they need retailers and wholesalers, but they realise that they have to give up margin,” he concluded.
The full wide-ranging interview will be published in the June 2026 edition of Watch Insider.
