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The 1916 Company
About
The 1916 Company is an American luxury watch and jewelry retailer launched in November 2023 through the merger of WatchBox, Govberg Jewelers, Radcliffe Jewelers, and Hyde Park Jewelers. The name honors the founding of Govberg Jewelers in Philadelphia in 1916, and the combined company is headquartered in the Philadelphia area.
The company unites primary and secondary watch markets under one brand: it is an authorized dealer for a range of luxury watch and jewelry brands through its retail heritage businesses, while its WatchBox lineage makes it one of the largest players in pre-owned and collectible timepieces, with an inventory reported at over 200 million dollars at launch. The 1916 Company is part of the official network authorized to sell Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watches.
Its footprint spans more than 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges across the United States and international watch hubs including Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East. The company places particular emphasis on ultra-rare and collectible pieces and on artisanal independent watchmaking, alongside mainstream luxury brands.
The 1916 Company sells through its e-commerce platform and physical locations, offering trading, consignment, and outright purchase of client watches as well as editorial content and collector education produced by its in-house team.
The company unites primary and secondary watch markets under one brand: it is an authorized dealer for a range of luxury watch and jewelry brands through its retail heritage businesses, while its WatchBox lineage makes it one of the largest players in pre-owned and collectible timepieces, with an inventory reported at over 200 million dollars at launch. The 1916 Company is part of the official network authorized to sell Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watches.
Its footprint spans more than 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges across the United States and international watch hubs including Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East. The company places particular emphasis on ultra-rare and collectible pieces and on artisanal independent watchmaking, alongside mainstream luxury brands.
The 1916 Company sells through its e-commerce platform and physical locations, offering trading, consignment, and outright purchase of client watches as well as editorial content and collector education produced by its in-house team.
Buy Luxury Watches
The 1916 Company combines the authorized-dealer heritage of Govberg, Radcliffe, and Hyde Park Jewelers with WatchBox's global pre-owned platform, operating over 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges worldwide. It is authorized to sell Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watches and specializes in collectible and independent watchmaking alongside major luxury brands.
Pre-Owned Luxury
Through its WatchBox lineage, The 1916 Company is one of the largest dealers in pre-owned luxury watches, with an inventory valued at over 200 million dollars at its 2023 launch. It buys, sells, trades, and consigns collectible timepieces, with a focus on ultra-rare references and artisanal independents, backed by in-house authentication and servicing.
Brand Details
Brand Tier
High Luxury
Price Range
$5,000 - $1,000,000+
Founded
2023
Headquarters
Philadelphia, United States
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Claude Sonnet 5
AI Review
4.3/5
The 1916 Company's 2023 merger of WatchBox with three established jewelers is a bet that the primary and secondary watch markets are converging, and so far the logic holds up: pairing authorized-dealer relationships with one of the largest pre-owned and collectible watch operations gives the combined company reach that neither half had alone. Reported inventory north of 200 million dollars at launch signals real scale in a category where trust and stock depth matter as much as brand names. Its emphasis on ultra-rare pieces and independent watchmaking alongside mainstream luxury brands is a smart way to differentiate from more conventional multi-brand retailers, appealing directly to serious collectors rather than casual buyers. Being new, formed from a merger rather than organic growth, means the brand's own identity is still being established, and buyers accustomed to the individual legacy names (Govberg, Hyde Park) may need time to transfer that trust to the combined entity. As a trading, consignment, and collector-education platform, though, the underlying business model is well-constructed.
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Jul 10, 2026
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