Story Highlight
– Christopher Ward opens fourth U.S. showroom in Chicago.
– U.S. market now 50% of total business revenue.
– UK market share expected to decline to 25%.
– Pricing model emphasizes direct sales and transparency.
– Chicago showroom aligns with local community and culture.
Full Story
British watchmaker Christopher Ward is set to launch its fourth showroom in the United States next week, located in Chicago. This marks the seventh showroom globally for the company.
The US has rapidly emerged as Christopher Ward’s largest market, generating significantly higher turnover than the company’s operations in the UK, with sales in America now representing more than half of the firm’s overall business. Managing Director Mike France noted, “The US market is now nudging beyond 50% of our total business and we expect this mix to continue towards 60%, especially with the current showrooms in New York, Dallas, Virginia and [now] Chicago.”
While the UK still accounts for around 25% of sales, its growth is outpaced by the surges seen in the US and various regions across the Far and Middle East. France anticipates that the UK’s contribution to overall sales will continue to diminish: “The UK remains our second largest market at around 25% but with much faster growth occurring in the USA, Far and Middle East markets than in the UK, we expect the UK share to decline.”
Founded over two decades ago, Christopher Ward has established itself as a trailblazer in direct-to-consumer sales. Initially, its watches were available exclusively online at christopherward.com, allowing the company to avoid the high costs of physical retail and the margins typically associated with the wholesale model. This strategy has enabled the brand to offer timepieces with comparable quality to those produced by traditional Swiss manufacturers, often at prices 50-70% lower.
“Our pricing is simple. Whatever a watch costs us to make, we multiply by three. That’s it. No inflated margins, no middlemen, no celebrity endorsements built into the price. Just exceptional watchmaking at a price that’s honest,” the brand emphasizes.
Despite branching out into physical retail and limited wholesale partnerships, including collaborations with Time+Tide in London and New York, Christopher Ward maintains its commitment to transparent pricing. Its showrooms are strategically situated away from high-traffic retail areas; the first was a part of its headquarters in Maidenhead, UK, and a subsequent opening was within Everton Football Club’s new stadium—an establishment with which France has longstanding ties as a supporter.
Looking ahead, further expansions are on the horizon, with France stating, “More stores will be added in the coming years.”
The Chicago showroom, located in the Fulton Market area—a historically industrial neighbourhood now bustling with tech and creative enterprises—aims to capture the city’s vibrant essence. Mike Pearson, Senior Vice President for North America and Global Retail, remarked, “We’ve loved spending time there attending events like Windup Watch Fair and Minutes & Hours, hosting activations across the city and meeting collectors from not only Chicago itself, but the entire Midwest region. Every visit reinforced the same feeling: this was a city where Christopher Ward belonged.”
With plans for the showroom to resemble the New York location in design, it is set to function as an appointment-based sales floor, community hub, and event space for watch enthusiasts. Local Chicagoans Greg Trotter and Jane Agler will manage the new facility, with Pearson noting their deep understanding of the community’s culture and dynamics.
Fulton Market has been attracting a blend of new and established businesses, with contemporary firms emerging alongside traditional family-run establishments. As Pearson highlighted, the area embodies a unique blend of history and innovation that resonates well with Christopher Ward’s identity.
