ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Following its acquisition of vintage seller AnalogShift, the Watches of Switzerland Group continues to make strides to connect with the New York watch community with the addition of one of the industry's most lauded gatekeepers, Kelly Yoch, in a newly created role of Director of Client Relations. Previously, Yoch served as Tiffany & Co.'s Senior Patek Philippe Consultant for North America at the Patek Philippe Salon at the Tiffany flagship store in New York City, where she worked with some of the world's top clients. Prior to that, she held management positions at Saks Fifth Avenue and Tourneau.
Kelly Yoch
Yoch has made a name for herself over the last few years as a trusted advisor to many in the watch world, and has helped bring the Patek Philippe brand, in particular those pieces co-signed by Tiffany, to a new level of appreciation and desirability. And Tiffany-signed Patek Philippe watches are certainly desirable. Last year, The New York Times ran a piece claiming that the wait for a standard Patek Philippe Ref. 5711 was around 8 years. In August, GQ ran a piece implying that unless you're in the good graces of Ms. Yoch, the wait for a Tiffany-stamped Patek Philippe is indefinite. GQ called Yoch "the most important person in the watch world" and "the high priestess of horology."
Yoch is a leader and a tastemaker in the Patek world. Now, she'll be focusing on developing important client relationships across all brands in all of the group's U.S. retail stores. The UK-based Watches of Switzerland Group has 24 retail locations throughout the United States under the WoS and Mayors brands.
Watches of Switzerland is an authorized dealer of Patek Philippe, so it will be interesting to see if her clients follow her. Of course, there's only one way to acquire a Tiffany-signed Patek, and that's within the halls of Tiffany itself, so those watches are no longer on the docket. But based on Yoch's track record and her loyal, close-knit group of friends in the collecting community, her success seems assured.
Top image via Phillips.
Top Discussions
Introducing TAG Heuer Refreshes The Aquaracer Professional 300
Auctions Sylvester Stallone's Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Leads New York Auction Week
Introducing Oris Turns The Divers Sixty-Five All-Black For Its 2024 Hölstein Edition