The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
Movado raises prices, readies for wearables launch
Movado Group soon will be entering the world of wearables and, like a number of other watch companies, has been raising prices recently.
Paramus, N.J.--Movado Group soon will be entering the world of wearables and, like a number of other watch companies, has been raising prices recently, the company said Wednesday.
In commenting on a the company’s first quarter performance, Chairman and CEO Efraim Grinberg said that he was “pleased with (the company’s) start to the year,” and believed that Movado was “well-positioned for success as we continue to innovate our product assortments, invest in our global infrastructure, prepare for our wearable technology launch and drive gross margin improvement through selective price increases.”
It’s been no secret that Movado, a Paramus, N.J.-based watch company whose lines include Movado, Concord and Ebel as well as fashion brands like Hugo Boss, Coach and Tommy Hilfiger, has been exploring the introduction of a “smart” device. At the end of 2014, the company hired Apple vet Jo An Lawson as its general manager of wearable devices, a new position.
If and when Movado puts a smart device on the market they’ll join the likes of TAG Heuer, which is partnering with Intel and Google on a smartwatch to be released later this year, and IWC in trying to compete with Apple Watch in the smart space.
Also like other watch companies, Movado Group has been raising prices and streamlining its operations to improve its gross margins amid slow growth in the watch sector and currency fluctuations.
Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Rick Coté said Wednesday that the company did well in the first quarter despite a “weaker retail environment” and the impact of dramatic foreign exchange rate changes in both the euro and the Swiss franc.
Net sales in the first quarter essentially were flat at $120.5 million compared with $120.9 million in the first quarter of last year. However, on a constant dollar basis (excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates), net sales increased 5 percent year-over-year.
The company reported a 5 percent increase in its wholesale business in the United States while international wholesale sales were up 6 percent.
Gross margins dropped from 53.9 percent to 51.8 percent. Net income fell by half, from $7.4 million to $3.6 million.
Movado said it is maintaining its guidance for both sales and net income for the fiscal year, as it doesn’t anticipate any more significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
The Latest

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association


The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.

Honest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.

QVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.

The brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.

Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.

Sponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers

Cloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.

Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.




















