When I first heard about a certain Timepiece Gentleman, I was curious. That title seems bold and very authoritative. It seemed like a name befitting only for someone who not only has a deep understanding of the wristwatch industry, but also a huge influence on what goes on. My search would lead me to a fine, inspiring and charismatic young man, whose smile is both reassuring and warm and his knowledge very captivating. Within a few minutes of an in-depth tete-a-tete, I was convinced of not just his brilliance, but his unbeatable influence in the world of watches.
Many years from now, when the names of those who shaped the evolution of the watch value chain are mentioned, we would hear Anthony William Farrer, the Timepiece Gentleman who revolutionized the pre-use dealership subsector.
The man behind the name…
Anthony Farrer was born in Sherman, Texas. Growing up with his twin brother and their foster parents, it was the life of a regular suburban family living each day as it came. Although the countryside was welcoming, Anthony always wanted more. He didn’t feel like he fit into that lifestyle. All he wanted was to move to the big city with the lights, skyscrapers, fast cars, and all the nuances of urban life. He soon graduated from high school and left for Dallas, with nothing but a dream.
With that dream to succeed, Anthony Farrer has surmounted several challenges in life and is today the proud founder of Gentleman Timepieces, creator of the Timepiece Gentleman brand, luxury watch collector and dealer, entrepreneur, marketing expert, and social media influencer, as well as co-creator of Luxury Watch Artwork. As an avid collector, Anthony is well versed in luxury brands and passes on this knowledge onto his trade. This stems from a passion spanning over 15 years.
“I had a passion for nice watches since getting my first one in high school,” he said. Although he collected wristwatches in the years that followed, it wasn’t until 2017 that he formally launched his brand. With less than four years in his belt, he and his partner, Marco Nicolini have made sales in excess of $10 Million as of 2020. This was the result of sheer innovative marketing strategy and prowess using social media. “I never used any paid advertising. I became a known figure in this industry because of the online social media presence I’ve built via Instagram and Facebook”, he observed.
But it is on YouTube that Anthony wields the most interest, especially since his previous Instagram handle with 140,000 followers was deleted. His channel, The Timepiece Gentleman has about 30,000 subscribers and records about 100,000 views on average in the first two weeks for every video uploaded. His posts range from tutorials on how to detect fake watches and how to pick a wristwatch to gift a spouse on specific occasions to his everyday transactions and routine. There are also posts featuring updates on new releases by brands like Rolex, Patek, Piguet, and several others.
We can all agree that Anthony Farrer is certainly on the path to bigger things. He attributes his current success to a number of routines including; journaling his everyday life, daily workout sessions, reading a new book every week, eating healthy diets, delegating smaller tasks, and breaking his yearly plans into specific weekly goals. Anthony also believes their success has a lot to do with trust. “We’re the only active watch dealer that put our day-to-day business on social media. We invite people in to see what really goes on and what it takes to run our business”, he adds.
The goal for him is to build their business into a $100 Million brand in the next three years which would involve growing into a global brand, building a sustainable watch community, and developing a healthy employee culture.