First Watch Leasing Financing Luxury Timepieces



First Watch Leasing, a new financing company, is making it affordable and attainable for consumers to wear the timepieces they've only dreamt about.

With lease-to-own and lease-and-return EliteLease programs, First Watch Leasing allows customers to wear timepieces whose costs would otherwise be out of reach. It mirrors the financing astute shoppers have used for years to acquire a range of luxury goods.

"It works much like the purchase of a Mercedes lease," said Wendy Schatan, executive retail account manager for First Watch Leasing. "The majority of those people wouldn't be able to drive them if they had to pay cash for them or even finance them."

The company's leasing structure benefits the customer who desires to acquire a higher-status timepiece than would typically be in his budget. The lease can be tailored to suit the customer's needs, and does not require a downpayment. It serves as a better-value alternative to credit cards while keeping the customer's lines of credit open.

"The program is for people who appreciate the finer quality these watches offer but don't have means to enjoy them," said Joseph Lam, president of First Watch Leasing. "They may not have $15,000 cash up front, but they will have $300 a month."

Lam says the EliteLease particularly appeals to upwardly mobile men, who frequently wear watches as their signature accessories. Recognizing the need for a chic timepiece on the job, First Watch Leasing offers corporate programs, including reward plans.

At the end of the term of the lease, the customer can either turn in the watch or purchase it, making true ownership also attainable.

The program also benefits the retailer, which can broaden its pool of potential customers.

First Watch Leasing extends its program to only select retail partners. These stores must be manufacturer-authorized sellers of their brands, not free-market dealers. The company leases the timepieces by the following brands:

- Audemars Piguet

- Lange & Shne

- Blancpain

- Breguet

- Cartier

- F.P. Journe

- Glashtte Original

- Harry Winston

- IWC

- Jaeger-LeCoultre

- Officine Panerai

- Patek Philippe

- Richard Mille

- Rolex

- Vacheron Constantin

First Watch Leasing currently partners with 30 retailers located in California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New York and New Jersey.

About First Watch Leasing

First Watch Leasing is a provider of EliteLease, a lease-to-own and lease-to-return financing program for select retail partners that allows customers to attain fine timepieces at significantly lower outlying costs than cash purchases. It partners with more than 30 retailers of luxury brands in seven states. More information can be found at www.firstwatchleasing.com.





First Watch Leasing Financing Luxury Timepieces