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Few luxury watch executives would deny that collectors are the lifeblood of the industry. With their passionate commitment to watchmaking, not to mention their frequent purchases, they are the animating force behind many of the most important trends shaping the watch world. And yet, their feedback—on things like new collections, events, and the state of the business—has often been confined to private gatherings, where collectors share their opinions amongst each other and, occasionally, with their brand hosts, but always informally. As a result, their valuable insights have rarely amounted to more than provocative cocktail chatter.

Alexander Friedman, the , a global

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