Swiss watchmaker opens online store on JD

Luxury Swiss watch manufacturer Carl F. Bucherer recently celebrated the official launch of its online sales portal on e-commerce site JD, following a promising trial phase which started in June.

According to Carl F. Bucherer CEO Sascha Moeri, the brand's JD store was visited by numerous consumers every day, and it was this overwhelming reception that convinced him to formally establish a shopfront on the site.

Apart from the usual product range, Carl F. Bucherer also introduced the Patravi Scubatec, a limited-edition women's watch, on JD. The watch is a product of a brand collaboration with Manta Trust, a London-based organization that is focused on the conservation of manta rays.

The Patravi Scubatec features JD's trademark red and white and has three small diamonds encrusted on the dial plate. Only 888 pieces are available on JD.

The Swiss brand is no stranger to the Chinese market, having established a presence in 2002 through a distributor before opening an office in 2011. Carl F. Bucherer has even appointed famous Chinese actress Li Bingbing as its global spokesperson.

"Before we met her, we had already known that she is a hardworking, trustworthy and intelligent actress who supports environment protection projects," said Moeri during an interview with China Daily in Beijing following the launch of the brand's JD platform. "These are all traits that reflect our brand values."

What sealed the deal, however, was noticing the Carl F. Bucherer watch that Li had on her wrist.

"I felt a personal connection when I saw her watch. I thought she was a perfect match for our brand," he said.

Moeri said that he is confident of the brand's future in the Chinese market despite stiff competition from other Swiss watchmakers.

"China is an interesting market. And of course if a market is interesting, you will be never alone and I think this is positive because then the customers have a variety of choices," he said.

"Chinese consumers are very well-informed and have a very good taste for design and materials. They take time to discover a brand's value and innovation, which in turn stimulates the whole watch industry to improve its technology. That's good for the whole industry."

He also pointed out that the opening of the new online retail portal on JD does not mean the brand will place less emphasis on its physical stores.

"E-commerce works but it is the combination of online and offline that will bring you success. Our offline retail shops provide great service and take every effort to make our customers feel welcomed and well taken care of," he said.