Photo courtesy of Eleven James
A man pulls out his cell phone to check the time. A gentleman, however, glances at his watch. A symbol of style and class, a beautiful timepiece does more than just tell time – it also makes a statement. Unfortunately, a watch that’s going to turn heads can be a bit expensive. So what’s a high-rolling gentleman who wants to make statement to do when he can’t afford to drop $50,000 on a Patek Phillipe? He rents one.
Rent the Runway for the Modern Gentleman
Following in the footsteps of Rent the Runway and other rental sites offering designer goods, start-up Eleven James gives men the opportunity to rent luxury watches for a monthly fee. The company, founded by Randy Brandoff, former CMO of Netjets and Marquis Jet, is “aiming at folks who may not want to dump a few months’ salary on a watch and instead want something fancy to wear to work and about town,” according to recent article in Tech Crunch. The concierge service ranges from $249 per month for three “cheaper” watches to $1,599 a month for six “crazy expensive pieces” at the highest tier of membership.
Membership Has Its Benefits
The company’s collection includes items from IWC, Patek Phillipe, and Panerai worth $10,000 or more and members are provided with a personal concierge to help walk them through the various selections and styles. The start-up has just completed a beta group of testers, according to Tech Crunch and has signed up 100 plus members. In addition to a personal concierge, members also receive invites to parties and other events for watch aficionados in their home cities.
Do you wear a watch everyday, only for special occasions, or not at all? How much would you spend on a watch?
