Wempe
"We celebrate the growing appreciation for the art of watchmaking in an increasingly electronic environment."
– Ruediger Albers
With a starting capital of only 80 deutsche marks, 21-year old watchmaker Gerhard D. Wempe launched the Wempe Jewelers tradition of exclusivity, quality, and horology in Elsfleth, Germany. It was 1878, and at that point in time, no one could forsee that the company would grow into the international success for which it is celebrated today, boasting 25 stores worldwide, in the cities of New York, Paris, London, Madrid, Vienna, and more. Wempe Jewelers has graced the United States market since 1980, and for the last 16 years, has been under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Ruediger Albers. Albers essentially grew up in the watch industry, spending his younger years alongside his father’s workbench; and today, he directs one of the most well respected watch and jewelry institutions in the country, and among all Wempe locations, the most profitable.
In addition to financial success, Wempe Jewelers has been recognized nationwide for their heartfelt dedication to customer care. The jeweler was ranked number-one by New York magazine for customer service, also granted recognition for excellence by the Zagat guide. The 25 members of the Wempe team are passionate, knowledgeable, and always impart a personal touch when helping clients find the perfect timepiece to suit their lifestyles and wardrobes. Several associates have been with Wempe since its arrival in the New York market, and they eagerly share industry experience with those less seasoned. Through vendor trainings, factory visits, watch magazines, and the many Internet sites devoted to horology, Wempe’s team is always on top of the latest trends and innovations.
Albers attributes much of Wempe’s success to relationships; relationships with customers, industry personnel, and the watch houses themselves. Impressively, Wempe was made an authorized dealer for Patek Philippe timepieces in 1927. The relationship with the celebrated Geneva-based company spans generations, an asset when vying for hard-to-source timepieces.
Wempe’s 2,500 square foot Fifth Avenue salon is home to the most prestigious names from the watchmaking industry, including the abovementioned Patek Philippe; Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, Breguet, Panerai, and Wempe’s own signature watch collection. Among the twenty brands offered, Patek Philippe and Rolex stand as the most sought-after, recognized for their quality, longevity, and value retention. The jeweler also offers an extensive collection of watch winders by Buben & Zorweg, Scatola del Tempo, and Underwood, and an exclusive selection of hand-crafted clocks.
Sales associates impart extensive information on how to properly care for the fine timepieces purchased within the store; however, if any issue should present itself, Wempe’s after-sales experience is thorough and highly respected. Customers greatly enjoy the extended three-year warranty on all timepieces, and the lifetime free battery replacement for all quartz timepieces acquired from Wempe. With three on-site watchmakers, customers can trust that their watch needs are attended to with the greatest of care and expertise. In addition, as wristbands endure great stress and need replacement over a lifetime of wear, shopping for leather straps at Wempe is a delight, due to the store’s impressive selection and dedicated follow-up on all special orders.
Being in the heart of Manhattan, Wempe welcomes a bevy of New York’s finest each day: celebrities, business sensations, sophisticated shoppers, and more. Among Wempe’s celebrity clientele are Giselle, Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro, John Travolta, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Venus Williams, and Alec Baldwin. Many guests to Wempe wish to shop with an air of privacy, and individual tables and showing rooms impart just that, within the atmosphere of comfort and pressure-free shopping.
Beyond timepieces, watch winders, and clocks, Wempe Jewelers offers a great deal to the greater New York population in the form of philanthropic support. Through American Express, Wempe participates in a host of fundraisers for New York City schools, hoping to ensure a bright future for all children who pass through the school system. Wempe independently supports a variety of venues, including the Italian American Cancer Foundation, the Cles d’Or Foundation, and several groups dedicated to the arts. The celebrated New York jeweler also made possible a classic concert of the Hamburg Philharmonic inside the United Nations building in New York, for the 50th anniversary of the European Union.
Wempe Jewelers aptly demonstrates the success that accompanies pairing the finest timepieces with unsurpassed service. In short, Wempe provides the best of the very best to watch-seeking clientele in New York City and across the world.
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