WatchBox Hires 3 Executives to Lead New Swiss Division

Philadelphia--WatchBox has established a Swiss division, naming three executives to lead it.

Danny Govberg, CEO of Govberg Jewelers, launched the platform with Liam Wee Tay and Justin Reis in 2017. It is an e-commerce platform for the buying, selling, and trading of pre-owned luxury timepieces, and provides watch education, collection exploration and more.

Now, the company is expanding into Switzerland to complement the buying, selling and trading operations in the United States and Hong Kong and bringing in three watch industry veterans to help do it.

Patrik Hoffmann has been named executive vice president of the company’s Swiss division, Herbert Gautschi is vice president of business operations and Susanne Hurni is the division’s vice president of marketing.

Hoffman joins the company with more than three decades in the watch industry and experience in the Americas, Asia and other major markets for the luxury watch industry.

He most recently served as CEO of Ulysse Nardin, which included him overseeing the acquisition by the Kering Group in 2014 and the transition, and also held roles at Oris SA and watch distribution company Swiss Prestige Ltd.

“Patrik brings considerable strength, knowledge and perspective of the watch industry to WatchBox,” Govberg said. “He worked alongside, collaborated with and learned from one of the more creative watch entrepreneurs of our time, Rolf Schnyder, and he experienced the transition from a family business to a true global powerhouse. This experience is unmatched in our industry, enriching WatchBox’s mission to drive change in the pre-owned category.”

Hurni joins WatchBox Switzerland after having served as the head of marketing and communications for Ulysse Nardin for nearly 34 years, starting at the brand in 1984 and remaining there until the end of 2017.

Gautschi also has more than three decades experience in the watch industry.

He was instrumental in developing the Gucci Timepiece division in its formative years, served as CEO of a multi-client private watch manufacturer, founded NHC with master watchmaker Vincent Calabrese and initiated the acquisition of Vincent Bérard SA by the Timex Group.

Gautschi also supported the re-launch of niche brand Julien Coudray 1518 in 2011 before he founded his own company to design luxury consumer goods experiences worldwide.