Luxury watch resellers say they’re seeing an uptick in interest in their products with the US poised to impose a 31% levy on Swiss exports to the US.
Collectability
John Reardon, the founder and CEO of Collectability, an online platform for pre-owned and vintage watches made by Switzerland’s Patek Philippe, said he’s hearing from clients looking to make immediate purchases.
“Their logic is that a Patek Philippe is better than gold, better than bitcoin and certainly better than money in the bank,” Reardon said. The brand’s timepieces, which generally cost tens of thousands of dollars, are among the most sought-after in the world.
A spokeswoman for Patek Philippe declined to comment.
Reardon predicted “a sudden upward bump in demand for vintage and pre-owned watches” in the US. Some customers might even go directly to Geneva to purchase timepieces if watches in the US become more expensive, he added.
Sales of luxury goods may suffer if the US economy slows in the wake of the global trade war, as some economists forecast. But the preowned market could benefit from an increase in supply, said Eric Wind, founder and owner of Wind Vintage, which buys and sells vintage watches. Tougher economic times can encourage luxury watch owners to sell their timepieces to generate extra cash, he said.
Wind said clients have been peppering him with more purchase requests. He also sells directly to other dealers, who have been in a frenzy.
“Your average consumer hasn’t necessarily thought through how this will affect them,” Wind said of the tariffs. Dealers, preparing for a surge in interest once more consumers realize the potential impact of the new duties, are responding by “literally buying hundreds to secure inventory,” he said on Friday. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The US imposed high tariffs on Swiss watch imports in the 1950s, which initially helped to buoy the fortunes of American-made watches, according to Wind. But those watch companies weren’t innovative enough to compete with Swiss watchmakers when the tariffs were eventually lifted, he added.
German luxury e-commerce platform Mytheresa is set to finalize its acquisition of YooxNet-a-Porter (YNAP) from Swiss group Richemont on April 23, 2025. The deal marks a key milestone in the development of LuxExperience B.V.—a global luxury e-commerce group that was announced earlier this year to unite Mytheresa, Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter, Yoox, and The Outnet under a single operational structure.
Mytheresa will finalize the YNAP acquisition on April 23. – Mytheresa
Originally unveiled in October 2024, the transaction initiates the next phase of LuxExperience’s rollout, focused on integration and execution. The deal follows the European Commission’s unconditional merger control clearance, granted on April 11, 2025, which enabled Mytheresa to proceed with the transaction. The group’s strategic plan includes platform migration, backend harmonization, and a comprehensive restructuring of its off-price divisions.
The group will implement a shared backend across its in-season luxury platforms—Mytheresa, Net-a-Porter, and Mr Porter—to enhance logistics, inventory management, and the overall customer experience. At the same time, each brand will maintain an independent front-end identity to preserve brand equity and consumer loyalty.
Yoox and The Outnet will be separated from the core in-season platforms. This deliberate move is designed to streamline operations and improve profitability as LuxExperience navigates a competitive and evolving digital marketplace.
Initial projections show the consolidated group targeting €4 billion in annual gross merchandise value (GMV), with an adjusted EBITDA margin above 8% over the medium term. Richemont will retain a 33% equity stake in the newly combined entity and has committed €555 million in cash, along with a €100 million revolving credit facility, to support the transition.
The full integration process is expected to span 24 to 36 months. During this period, the group will concentrate on backend alignment, commercial restructuring, and redefined strategies tailored to each brand’s positioning.
As the acquisition’s finalization approaches, industry analysts are closely monitoring how LuxExperience will balance in-season and off-price strategies across its multi-brand portfolio, while maintaining operational efficiency and a seamless customer experience in the global luxury e-commerce space.
After a successful collaboration in 2023, Italian fashion label Calzedonia has once again partnered with Laetitia Casta to front its 2025 swimwear campaign. The 46-year-old French actress and model reprises her role as the face of the brand’s latest summer line, reinforcing Calzedonia’s focus on timeless elegance and Mediterranean style.
Laetitia Casta slips back into swimwear for Italian label Calzedonia. – Calzedonia
Known internationally for its hosiery, socks, leggings, and swimwear, Calzedonia designed a dedicated capsule collection for this year’s relaunch. To mark the renewed collaboration—coinciding with Casta’s appearance in Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2025 campaign—the brand unveiled a mini-line of one-piece swimsuits tailored to the French market.
The collection highlights refined details such as ruching and jewelry-inspired embellishments. It is available in a palette that includes blue, burgundy, glitter, and more. Released in mid-April, the capsule is available online and in Calzedonia’s nearly 230 retail locations throughout France.
Calzedonia is part of Oniverse, an Italian fashion group that also owns the brands Intimissimi, Tezenis, and Falconeri. In 2024, Oniverse reported a 13.5% rise in global sales compared to the previous year, surpassing €3.5 billion in revenue.
Chanel has tapped Grammy-winning rapper and entrepreneur Kendrick Lamar as the face of its upcoming eyewear campaign, set to launch on April 22, 2025. The appointment marks a bold move by the French luxury house to deepen its cultural footprint through collaborations that blend fashion, music and storytelling.
Kendrick Lamar fronts Chanel’s latest eyewear campaign as the brand’s new ambassador. – Photo: Karim Sadli
The Spring 2025 campaign highlights Chanel’s latest eyewear collection and features Lamar alongside actors Margaret Qualley, Lily-Rose Depp and Nana Komatsu. With this move, Chanel aims to engage younger, culturally connected consumers in key global markets.
Chanel first began building ties with Lamar in 2023, when he wore a custom look by the house to the Met Gala. In early 2024, his creative company pgLang collaborated with Chanel on “The Button,” a fashion short film that premiered during the brand’s haute couture presentation in Paris.
“Chanel has a timeless legacy, and that is always something I can get behind,” said Lamar. “Since they don’t make clothes for men, I knew it would have to be glasses.”
Kendrick Lamar attends the 2023 Met Gala celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” – Photo: Getty Images / Arturo Holmes
Eyewear remains one of Chanel’s most dynamic commercial categories, serving as an entry point for new customers. The brand has continued to grow its presence in this segment with expanded retail efforts and seasonal storytelling. According to Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel’s fashion division, eyewear is more than a functional accessory—it plays a strategic role in the house’s business model and overall brand strategy.
With this appointment, Lamar joins a select group of male ambassadors at Chanel, including G-Dragon and Timothée Chalamet. The partnership is expected to evolve beyond the eyewear campaign, with additional creative projects led by pgLang. The collaboration bridges Chanel’s heritage fashion codes with contemporary cultural storytelling.
As the campaign rolls out this week, Chanel’s move reflects a growing shift in luxury marketing, where cultural credibility and cross-industry partnerships are essential to maintaining global relevance in a competitive landscape.