UK-BASED timepieces retailer Watches of Switzerland (WoS) is the latest luxury partner to offer American Express’s ultra-elite Centurion cardholders special access and perks.

The Centurion Watch Program will kick off with an event tonight-on Thursday (Jan 25) at the Centurion New York clubhouse on the 55th floor of One Vanderbilt tower on East 42nd Street. It will offer certain privileges, including access to Watches of Switzerland Group experts, who will respond to watch inquiries, help find rare pieces, and provide tips about the market.

The programme will also incorporate tailored in-person shopping sessions at 29 Watches of Switzerland boutiques through the US, including a store opening at One Vanderbilt in the spring.

Watches of Switzerland is a UK-based, global retailer of many brands of timepieces and jewelry, though Rolex accounts for more than 50 per cent of its sales. It’s the biggest dealer of Rolex, Omega, Cartier and TAG Heuer watches in the UK. When WoS cut sales and growth forecasts earlier this month, its stock plunged by more than a third. Its outlook has been dimmed by softening demand for luxury timepieces, as well as by Rolex SA’s purchase of its rival, retailer Bucherer, a move that immediately made the industry’s dominant watchmaker a power player in the consumer sales sector.

Adding to its challenges, Watches of Switzerland said it had been allocated fewer pricey precious metal Rolex watches than expected this year, and that will have an impact on sales.

The one-night-only shopping experience at Centurion New York will feature more than 200 wristwatches, including rare variations of classic watches and limited-run pieces from independent horologists. “We are providing exclusivity with regard to product,” says James Lamdin, the event’s curator and the founder of Analog/Shift, a vintage and pre-owned watch platform that WoS acquired in 2020. “It’s all about the blend of style, story and iconography.”

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The roster includes two limited production Nautilus timepieces from Patek Philippe, a first-edition Omega Speedmaster and a first-edition IWC Portugieser.

“This is not just about buying a beautiful watch; it’s about having a piece of horological history,” says Bess Spaeth, senior vice-president for US Premium Products and Membership Rewards at American Express. “These are some of the finest watch brands in the world-from Rolex and Richard Mille to Patek Philippe, Bovet, Omega and Jacob and Co.” The Centurion team personally invited holders of the legendary AmEx “black card” to attend the event; there’s a waiting list to get into close range with the watches.

Here are some of the highlights that will appear at the event:

The Omega Speedmaster, a 2915-1 model from the 1950s, “is the watch that was the prototypical version of what later went to the Moon,” says Lamdin. “It just says ‘Omega Speedmaster,’ not ‘Professional’ or ‘Moonwatch,’ on the dial.” The provenance of the watch has been confirmed by an extract-an official document the brand provided to confirm authenticity-and the Speedmaster comes complete with its box, papers and period advertising. Lamdin, who procured the watch for the seller more than a decade ago, says one in this condition rarely comes on the market.

A hand-made AK-06 wristwatch from independent, Geneva-based brand Akrivia, which was founded in 2012 by watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi, is significant for two reasons. First, Lamdin notes, “The AK-06 with a dark dial has only been sold privately. There has never been one listed on a dealer’s website. A few other examples with different configurations have sold at auction, but this is a world first.”

Second, Rexhepi announced that he was retiring the Akrivia label after his 2023 wristwatch collaboration with Louis Vuitton. He will now brand watches under his own name. ‘If we know anything about how collectors think, examples with limited production that typify a moment in time are the ones that will become a big deal in the future,” Lamdin says. This hand-wound mechanical watch with an open-work dial and unique case shape was virtually unworn by its previous owner, which means its hand finishing remains pristine.

The IWC reference 325-delivered to its first owner in 1943, according to its extract-preceded IWC’s core Portugieser line and has been retroactively given the Portugieser name by the Swiss brand.

The two Nautilus models are desirable for being unusual variations on the core watch line, with limited production runs.

A Ref 3710, or “power reserve” version, “is a variant of the first Nautilus. It was made for a short period of time, with a roman dial and a stylised power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock,” explains Lamdin, suggesting the kind of insight he’ll provide to Centurion cardholders as part of the Watch Program.

“The other example looks like a 3700, or even a 5711 [the best-known Nautilus model], but it is a 3711-1G. It’s white gold [as opposed to yellow], and the dial isn’t blue but black.”

At the January 25 event, a specially installed booth will open to a handful of guests at a time. Individuals will be able to select a few pieces to try on-and buy, if they choose.

The Centurion Watch Program also includes a ten-day trial period, wherein vintage timepieces can be tested on the wrist before final purchase. BLOOMBERG