Founded in 2021 by former Google product designer Quaid Walker, luxury watch marketplace Bezel has established itself as a leader in its category over the years. The site currently represents over 120 brands and boasts over $800 million in inventory. FashionNetwork interviewed Bezel's CEO to gain insights into this market so deeply relatable to Generation Z.

FashionNetwork: What got you into the luxury watch market?

Quaid Walker: While working at Google, I decided to splurge on my first bonus and buy a Rolex to commemorate the occasion. I thought the experience would be special—but it turned out to be anything but. I ended up on a waitlist and had to turn to the secondary market, where I researched dealers, read horror stories about authenticity, and prayed the watch I ordered would actually be available. I kept thinking there had to be a better way—like StockX, but for watches... a modern, tech-driven marketplace that authenticated every watch in-house before it reached the buyer. But the more I searched, the clearer it became: such a platform simply didn't exist. And so the idea for Bezel was born.

FNW: What did your experience at Google bring you?

QW: At Google, I had the opportunity to hone my design skills and learn how to deliver products to billions of users. I worked on several different products at Google, but most notably, I was the founding designer of Google TV, responsible for designing the entire operating system, from ideas on a whiteboard to the final product in millions of homes. This entrepreneurial mindset was undoubtedly crucial in Bezel's early days. All of my design and product experience was incorporated into Bezel... We sell extremely expensive items, so the user interface of our website and app needed to elegantly complement the watches. We focused on the design and craftsmanship of the app, ensuring that buyers felt safe and secure when building their collections with Bezel. FNW

: Your company has received support from several celebrities, such as musicians John Legend, J. Balvin, and actor Kevin Hart; how did you convince them to invest?

Q: All of our investors are passionate about watches and have experienced the frustration of searching for them on the secondary market while worrying about authenticity. We truly want to create the best watch buying experience possible—and as collectors and investors, we're happy to help us achieve that. FNW

: Just like with sneakers or luxury handbags, what authentication system do you use?

Q: Our approach stems from a time before Bezel existed: I thought about what I wanted as a buyer. I looked at platforms like StockX and GOAT in the sneaker space, where trust is built by the brands themselves, not by individual sellers. Today, our in-house team includes both expert watchmakers who physically inspect the mechanism of each watch, and authentication experts with thousands of hours of experience authenticating watches at major auction houses. They understand the feel of a bracelet, the aging of vintage paper, and even its smell. Our in-house team has all the cutting-edge tools to conduct the most comprehensive authentication checks in the industry. Every watch undergoes a two-step authentication process. We review all photos and details before listing, and if a watch isn't authentic, we won't list it—it's that simple. After a watch is sold, we ship it to the buyer overnight for a genuine, on-site authenticity inspection covering condition, authenticity, and performance. We also register each watch as lost to ensure it's never reported stolen. FNW

: How many watches do you reject annually?

QW: In 2024, we rejected 29% of the watches listed on our platform, with an average order value of $10,000. In other competitive markets, these problematic watches might go unaddressed and ultimately become a (costly) problem for the buyer.

FNW: How many brands do you currently represent? Which brands/trends are most appealing today?

QW: We have over 120 different brands available for sale on our platform. Our goal is to offer a wide selection of luxury watches for buyers of all tastes and price points. Rolex accounts for one-third of our sales, followed by Omega, Tudor, Cartier, and other top brands. FNW

: How do you explain Bezel's success? What sets you apart from other players in the luxury watch market today?

QW: I think it all comes down to trust and access. From the beginning, we've been committed to building the most trusted product in the industry. This is primarily reflected in internal verification of all products to ensure every buyer receives the product they expect, as well as in the relationships buyers develop with our in-house concierge and the experience they have interacting with our app. Our goal is to focus on perfecting every touchpoint, ultimately creating the experience we, as collectors, desired before we founded the company. Once we've earned our customers' trust, the next step is acquiring them. Currently, over $800 million in watches have been traded on our platform, and we have a dedicated team capable of tracking down any item on the market. If you want it, we can find it. FNW

: Unlike traditional websites, is it important to you to offer auctions without a buyer's premium?

QW: Auctions are an exciting tool for both our buyers and sellers. For our buyers, it's a fun way to discover watches among the daily listings and have the opportunity to secure attractive prices. For our sellers, it provides seven days of real market price liquidity, which is crucial for those who need to receive payment quickly. As for not charging a buyer's premium, we feel that's crazy by current standards. Paying fees exceeding 20% ​​at traditional auction houses would seem prohibitive to many potential buyers, so we've chosen not to charge a buyer's premium, making this piece accessible to a new generation of collectors. FNW

: What kind of consumers are buying these luxury watches today? What's the average purchase price for customers on your online store?

Q: Our platform serves a diverse customer base, primarily millennials and Gen Z, with Gen Z contributing to our highest average order value. Our initial goal was to create the best platform for buying your first watch, as we worried that the industry often overlooked first-time buyers, but we've now been able to serve all types of buyers. Our average order value is $10,000—the cheapest watch sold this year was $750, and the most expensive exceeded $1 million. FNW

: How is the global luxury watch market performing so far?

Q: The recent announcement of a 39% tariff on Swiss goods has made this a very interesting summer. We currently sell exclusively in the US, which is both a huge growth driver (since all our sellers' inventory is already in the US) and an area of ​​uncertainty, as prices in the secondary market are more volatile than usual. This has also attracted many new customers to the secondary market. We've seen many buyers who were previously waiting to purchase from primary brands now opting to buy immediately on Bezel due to rumors of continued price increases.

FNW: How would you like to expand your business?

Q: Regarding expansion, we've launched several new features to enhance our ability to provide value to collectors. Yes, we're also very interested in expanding internationally. We just want to be restrained in the scope and pace of expansion so that we can maintain our quality standards. FNW

: Are physical stores a future direction for your platform?

Q: From a brand-building perspective, we're certainly interested in the advantages of physical stores, but that's not our current focus. Our focus has always been on learning the best in-store experiences and translating them digitally. I think we have a lot of room to grow digitally. That being said, we also enjoy collaborating with other brands on physical store events, such as Equinox and Soho House. FNW

: What watch are you wearing today?

Q: I'm wearing a Rolex Submariner Hulk. In fact, it was this watch that truly inspired me to start Bezel. It's the only watch that will always have a place in my collection, and no matter how extensive it gets, it's always one of my favorites. FNW

: Last question: What does the word "Bezel" mean?

QW: The bezel is the ring around the watch crystal, often distinguished by practical numbers, a striking color, or a specific material. For example, the bezel of a dive watch rotates and is marked with hour markers, allowing it to be used as a timer. We named our company Bezel because, just as the bezel is a bridge between the watch and the world, we are a platform that connects consumers to the world of watches.