Wempe Jewelers – Exquisite Timepieces & Jewelry — Local services in New York

The Gold Standard in NYC for a High-End Multi-Brand Luxury Watch Boutique.

If you are looking for the absolute top end in selection and customer service in a high-end multi-brand luxury watch boutique specializing in the more mainstream top luxury watch brands - Patek Philippe, Rolex, TUDOR, Cartier, JJLC, IWC, Baume & Mercier, Breguet, Breitling, Chopard, Zenith, Glashutte, Nomos, Girard Perregaux, Longines, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Ulysse Nardin, etc (not small independents), Wempe NYC is a must visit.

Wempe NYC has offered me and my friends who are watch collectors outstanding customer service and real knowledge of watches and the watch industry. And it is my impression they get very good and generous allocations from top watch brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex.

In terms of atmosphere, it reminds me of the Hermès Madison Avenue boutique where I have also been a client for many years. They respond well to serious watch collectors and lovers of watches. If you show a real knowledge of the brand you are interested in and a commitment to that brand, they respond well.

I have found their client service to be impeccable, very responsive and extremely helpful. They have been immensely, useful and proactive in helping my friends and I to get the watches we wanted.

Of course, if you go in asking for a Patek Philippe Nautilus or Aquanaut off the street with zero purchase history, you’re not going to get one. But you won’t get one from any other Patek AD either. The Patek system just doesn’t work that way - just as you can’t walk into the Hermès boutique with no purchase history and loyalty expecting a Kelly or Birkin off the street. You have to show a purchase history and loyalty to the brand and the boutique as there are innumerable customers who also want them. And they want to guard against flippers I’m sure.

Wempe has also been great helping me purchase other watch brands I have wanted such as IWC, Nomos and TUDOR. They work hard to get a customer the watches they want.

In terms of their tone, they are always extraordinarily polite and professional with no pressure to buy. This is a very high class operation.

Their President, Ruediger “Rudy” Albers has run the boutique for more than 35 years and is very, very well known in the NY watch community. He is a pleasure to converse with. And the gentlemen who heads their Patek Philippe boutique, Qasim Bilal, is an exceptionally nice and knowledgeable person who I deal with on a regular basis. He knows everything Patek.

I have also received excellent customer service from one of their sales associates, Whitney.

My take - if you are looking for a high class multi brand watch boutique in NYC give Wempe NYC a visit. Plenty of selection and a great staff and management.

But go with realistic expectations. If you want most watches, you can buy them on the spot.

But if you want the really scarce, hard to get references that sell on the grey market for multiples of retail price like a Nautilus, Aquanaut or a stainless steel or platinum Daytona, you’re going to have to build a long relationship with them and the brand - like you would at any other authorized dealers. But the difference between Wempe NYC and some of the other NYC ADs that I found is they are actually nice and open minded and will treat you like a valued client. And they will respond, especially if they recognize that you are a serious buyer and collector.

Simply put, I really like Wempe NYC and the people who manage it and work there.

I have attached videos from a recent preview Wempe NYC held of new L.U. Chopard and Chopard novelties released at 2025 Watches and Wonders Geneva that were flown in...

As someone who has lived in Germany, I am very familiar with the Wempe brand as they have their roots in my German home away from home, Hamburg. For many years I've admired from afar their timepieces until I finally found one that I absolutely had to have. I was delighted to find that Wempe has a presence in the States, but being in the Seattle area, it was a bit of a challenge since they are on 5th Ave in NYC and my travels have yet to take me to New York. Or so I thought...

My initial phone inquiry about my "must have" timepiece put me in touch with Quasim. He was extremely helpful and took the time to answer all of my questions. I was not in a position to purchase at that time but Quasim's professional, friendly, and courteous manner left me with a fantastic first impression.

Fast-forward to two days ago, I once again phoned Wempe...this time I was ready to buy. I was put in touch with Gennadi, who was absolutely fantastic. He happily informed me that my "must have" timepiece in stock and I was told that they would happily overnight it to me on the west coast at no additional charge. If I preferred the color that was not in stock, he told me that he was more than happy to have one sent over from Wempe in Germany. My wrists require a larger armband, and Gennadi saw to it that I would have one on my timepiece; he also included the original. That is amazing service!!

A note to buyers who want to order via phone and have a watch shipped: Wempe will only accept American Express for these kinds of orders and will require written (or e-mail) authorization for the purchase. Authorization in hand, Gennadi promptly called me back and finalized the order. I received notification from FedEx later in the day that my order was on it's way and at 9:30am yesterday, the FedEx man was at my front door.

My timepiece was expertly packaged. Upon opening the box, I saw that there was a beautifully-wrapped package inside of a sealed security bag. (to make sure no one has opened/tampered with my order). Out of the security bag, I pulled out a beautifully hand-wrapped box complete with a bow tied on it out of Wempe-branded ribbon. Upon removing the wrapping, there was my timepiece in a beautiful Wempe box. My proof-of-purchase was inside with a handwritten note from Gennadi thanking me from my purchase...such a classy gesture.

Today I had a follow-up conversation with Gennadi as he wanted to make sure everything was to my satisfaction. He followed that up with a personal e-mail thanking me yet again and making himself available should I need any additional assistance.

Having worked extensively in a customer-focused environment, I have to say that my experience with Wempe ranks right up there with other well-respected companies who value their clientele: places like Nordstrom, Alaska Airlines and so on. The fact that they went out of their way to get me the timepiece I wanted despite my being on the opposite coast has made me a loyal customer. A huge thank you to Quasim and Gennadi and to Wempe for knowing how to make their customers...

I would like to describe the unprofessional experience I had here at Wempe.

I was visiting from Chicago during the weekend of Feb 8th/9th. I had walked into the store with a sincere interest in purchasing a Longines. I had heard great things online so assumed the experience would be good and worthwhile.

I walk into the store, and make my way to the Longines section. I stand there looking at watches, and waiting for a decent amount of time. No one comes to inquire my interest in any watch. Eventually, I have to seek out a salesperson who is seated across with what I believe if my recollection serves properly was the Cartier section.

Anyways, I express interest in a Spirit 37mm. I am brought a couple pieces to try on. I was interested in the black dial model, and inquired if they had any new pieces rather than used display models. This store display model had an abundance of scratches on the brushed surfaces, thus I was hesitant at the prospect of purchasing it.

I inquired if due to the condition, I would be able to receive a discount on this demo piece. Longines industry standard AD discount is 10-20 percent per current norms. It is not a Rolex waitlist brand or a Patek Phillipe. The salesman essentially told me they could refinish/polish it, and offered me the sales tax off at most.

When I mentioned that 1) this is a demo and it needs to be worked on 2) this is far below the Longines AD norm - I was simply ignored and told this is the best he could do.

What made the experience especially sour was that I mentioned that I had an upcoming milestone and wanted to celebrate with a purchase. The salesman took absolutely no interest in why I wanted the watch, made no attempts to converse whatsoever. Cold, apathetic, and almost annoyed was the attitude presented.

Anyways, I walked out of the store disappointed. The fact of the matter is that the CS was subpar to put it bluntly, and I would have had a better CS experience ordering off a computer screen than going to Wempe.

I ended up purchasing later in February a Spirit 37 from a local Chicago AD and was immediately offered a substantial discount without haggling, as well as treated respectfully and with interest.

Perhaps my business wasn't welcomed. Disappointing to say the least.

Won't return here nor recommend to my...