Categories revealed for US Watch Awards
Watch Insider has unveiled the categories ahead of the first US Watch Awards, to be held in November of this year.
Taking place at Manhattan’s Guastavino’s in New York City on Monday November 23, the night promises to be a celebration of the outstanding people operating day in, day out, within the US watch industry.
Inclusive of retailers, brands, and external suppliers, Watch Insider believes it is the people at the coalface who deserve the credit at an annual ceremony to recognize how the work they do benefits the wider ecosystem.
With awards designed to reflect that, as well as businesses operating across all levels of the market, the US Watch Awards team has curated a total of 18 awards which are as follows:
Retail:
Independent Retailer of the Year (average selling price below $1,500)
Independent Retailer of the Year (average selling price $1,500–$5,000)
Independent Retailer of the Year (average selling price above $5,000)
Multiple Retailer of the Year
Pre-owned Watch Retailer of the Year
Sales Team of the Year
Unsung Hero of the Year
Best New or Refurbished Store
The retail category will be voted for by brand teams working within the US market.
Brand:
Watch Brand of the Year — Volume (average price below $1,500)
Watch Brand of the Year — Affordable luxury (average price $1,500–$5,000)
Watch Brand of the Year — Luxury (average price $5,000–$10,000)
Watch Brand of the Year — Prestige (average price above $10,000)
Marketing Campaign of the Year
The brand category will be voted for by retailers operating across the United States.
Other:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sustainable Business of the Year
External Supplier of the Year
Rising Star Award (retail or brand exec under the age of 30)
Event of the Year
Miscellaneous awards will be voted for by both brand and retail teams operating within the US market.
Nominations for all categories will open on June 8 and the process will run for 12 weeks, closing on August 28.
Shortlists will then be announced, and the industry will be given a six-week window to vote for its winners.
“The US Watch Awards is an irresistible event whose time has come,” said Watch Insider CEO Daniel Malins, when launching the awards in March. “There is simply no more important market for watches in the world than the States, and this shows in the quality of the retailers and brands that I’ve had the privilege to meet and get to know over the past decade.
“A flagship gala event like this should reward those individuals and companies that are working tirelessly in their roles all year round. These are the people that keep the magnificent US watch wheel turning, and now they will get the recognition they deserve on November 23.
“Watch Insider is the US watch industry’s magazine and the US Watch Awards is a physical manifestation of the audience and community that we speak with and bring together on a daily basis,” Malins added.
Working in partnership with the US Watch Awards will be Jewelers for Children (JFC), whose amazing work over decades has transformed the lives of young people, donating over $65 million along the way.
There will also be a line-up of talks and seminars in the afternoon on the day of the US Watch Awards, creating a real sense that November 23 will be a genuine jamboree and coming together of the leading lights of the American watch trade. The talks and seminar program will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more details email daniel@watchinsider.com.
