MASTER MECHANICS

ES: What is your relationship like with other
retailers?
HW: Well it’s a complex matter as all retailers
compete with each other for the brands but
we have respect for one another.
ES: What do you like about your job?
HW: I , m able to meet lots of great people and
I like to learn a lot from them. I hate being
stuck in long meetings and I like to make very
good use of my time.
ES: What is the biggest challenge facing your
store right now?
HW: Our biggest challenge is to perform and
to be able to show brands who trusted in us
that they made the right decision.
ES: What is the biggest challenge facing the
watch industry right now?
HW: There are too many brands and the final
consumer is, ultimately, the same. It’s a real
fight out there.
ES: Who is your customer?
HW: Panamanians, Colombians, Mexicans,
Venezuelans, and now we are receiving lots of
tourists and business people from the south.
Also, we have had sales from Europeans.
ES: How important is customer service?
HW: It’s vital to our success.
ES: Do you do repairs at your store?
HW: In almost all cases we send repairs back
to the factory. Our objective is to have an
after sales service centre with a watchmaker
within the next six months.
ES: How do you do training?
HW: We send our sales team and managers
to the factories and in some cases, the brands
come and train us in Panama.
ES: How important is security?
HW: Very. In our store we have 16 cameras
and security guards at the door. For us it is
europa star RETAILER PROFILE 77
FACTS AND FIGURES
Name: La Hora-Alta Relojeria
Location: Panama, Multiplaza Mall
How long: 10 months
Employees: Six
Size of store: 160 square metres
Average sale: US$10,000
Price range: US$5,000- US$100,000
Brands: Breguet, Blancpain, Tiffany & Co.,
Glashütte Original, Hublot, Richard Mille, Breitling,
Graham, Romain Jerome, Ulysse Nardin, Bvlgari,
Jaquet Droz, Bell & Ross, Corum.
important that the client feels secure. Our
store has been robbed and it was a very
upsetting day. Since that day we have more
cameras, more controls, more guards, more
procedures and more protocols.
ES: Are you optimistic about the future?
HW: Yes, absolutely, very optimistic. I think
2010 will finish very positively and 2011 will
be a strong year. Demand today is high and
supply low so both brands and retailers can
make more profit.
ES: What does time mean to you?
HW: For me, it is the way you organize your
life. It’s key that you give 200 per cent at work
but also give 300 per cent to your family.
Many thanks to the people at La Hora and
Grupo WISA for their time and candour. O