The global watch market, estimated at $85.33 billion in 2025, is drawing in a new generation of buyers who view timepieces less as accessories and more as collectible assets — and smaller online retailers are positioning themselves to capture a share of that demand.
Watch Aces, an online retailer operated by Lent Lily LLC, is among the independent sellers that have scaled during this period of sustained growth. The company launched in 2017 out of a family garage with five brands and now retails across 16, including Tissot, Citizen, Movado, Burberry, and Hugo Boss. Its trajectory mirrors a broader pattern in which niche e-commerce players have gained ground in a market long dominated by department stores and authorized brick-and-mortar dealers.
The market is projected to reach $191.24 billion by 2035, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.41 percent, according to Business Research Insights. In the United States alone, the watch segment accounts for roughly $28.1 billion in 2025, per the same source.
Millennial and Generation Z consumers are among the key demographics fueling that expansion, according to Mordor Intelligence, with younger buyers increasingly purchasing men's luxury watches and luxury watches for women as long-term collectibles rather than everyday accessories.
"We started with five brands out of our garage in 2017 and have since grown to 16," said Murat Balci, CEO of Watch Aces. "American consumers wanted a straightforward way to shop for designer watches designer watches from recognized brands like Michael Kors, Fossil, Emporio Armani, and Tissot online. We built around that demand, and the growth followed."
Industry analysts note that the online channel has lowered barriers for smaller players. According to McKinsey, e-commerce now accounts for a growing share of global luxury watch sales, a shift accelerated by the pandemic and sustained by consumer comfort with purchasing higher-priced goods online.
Still, challenges remain. Independent online watch retailers must compete on trust, as buyers weigh authenticity concerns that do not arise at authorized boutiques. Watch Aces says it addresses this through direct distribution agreements with its brand partners and ships products with manufacturer packaging and documentation, though the company declined to disclose revenue figures or sales volume.
Industry data from Business Research Insights indicates that quartz and mechanical watches together held approximately 68.46 percent of global watch market revenue in 2024, reflecting continued demand for traditional craftsmanship even as smartwatch adoption grows. Watch Aces carries both mechanical and smartwatch categories, a strategy shared by many multi-brand retailers seeking to serve the full spectrum of consumer preference.
The Virginia Beach-based company operates through an online-first model, centralizing fulfillment from its headquarters rather than maintaining physical retail locations. It offers free shipping on United States orders and a 60-day return policy.
Industry data from Business Research Insights indicates that quartz and mechanical watches together held approximately 68.46 percent of global watch market revenue in 2024, reflecting continued demand for traditional craftsmanship alongside growing smartwatch adoption. Watch Aces carries both mechanical and smartwatch categories to serve the full spectrum of this market.
The Virginia Beach-based company operates through an online-first model, centralizing fulfillment from its headquarters rather than maintaining physical retail locations. It offers free shipping on United States orders and a 60-day return policy.
Whether small retailers like Watch Aces can sustain growth alongside industry giants will depend in part on how brand partnerships evolve and whether online-first models can build the kind of long-term customer trust that established dealers have cultivated over decades.
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Watch Aces is a family-owned online watch retailer based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded in 2017 by a husband-and-wife team, the company sells timepieces across 16 internationally recognized brands through an online-first model, offering luxury watches for women and men nationwide.
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For more information about Lent Lily LLC, contact the company here:
Watch Aces
Watch Aces
(757) 383-5852
info@watchaces.com
780 Lynnhaven Pkwy Suite 400, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
