Welcome back to an aBlogtoWatch original series, where we discuss important stores that sell watches all over the world. Each store we profile has an interesting story to tell about where they operate and who they sell to. Whether you buy watches from brick and mortar retailers or prefer to buy watches online, these are the stores that help shape our watch culture around the globe. There is a long list of stores to cover, but if there is a retail location in your favorite city that we simply can’t miss, let us know in the comments below.

Where to buy watches in Sydney, Australia?

Do you live in or travel to the land down under? If so, check out The Hour Glass in Sydney, Australia. Located at 142 King Street in the CBD (Central  Business District) of  Sydney, a  block from the Sydney Tower Eye and Hyde Park, The Hour Glass has served Sydney since 1992. However, The Hour Glass Group started with a store in Singapore  in 1979 and expanded into Australia by opening a Gold Coast store in 1989. Today they have a wide presence in Asia with stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

aBlogtoWatch: What types of watches are popular in your market? What makes Sydney a unique place to buy watches?

The Hour Glass: Sport watches are particularly popular in Sydney. Customers enjoy purchasing watches in Sydney because Sydney is laid back, relaxed, generally friendly and easy to talk to, it puts people in a shopping mood.

ABTW: What would you tell watch lovers in other cities that watch lovers in Sydney are like?

The Hour Glass: Watch lovers in Sydney are passionate, they enjoy wearing watches and love discussion, taking about watches. Many visit us frequently for a chat – what they have seen or heard of, or to get information.

ABTW: Do you serve mostly locals or tourists, or is it a good mix? Also, what percentage of your customers would you call “knowledgeable watch collectors?”

The Hour Glass: We have a loyal local customer base. Australia (the market in general) has been trading on a high dollar for many years and we are very fortunate to have regular customers that support us. Most customers come in with some sort of idea (if not the specific timepiece) of what they want to buy. Collectors tend to have knowledge based on their preferences/tastes. Some specifically buy from one particular brand, some a particular complication, so the knowledge is mostly skewed to what they are interested in.

ABTW: What is Sydney best known for? What do visitors have to do, see, or eat while there?

The Hour Glass: We are very fortunate to have iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach. Sydney is all about the great outdoors. We usually have great weather, so any sporting activity, water sports – sailing is extremely popular. We also have such a diverse culture and great coffee, good food.

ABTW: As a business, do you sponsor or participate in any local events, watch-related or otherwise?

The Hour Glass: We participate in local events, and we also organize private events for our customers. Our customers prefer to be low key, and as such, all our events are extremely private and exclusive.

ABTW: What are some of the watch brands you are known for carrying? If you could pick a watch brand or model that epitomizes the culture or style of Sydney what would it be?

The Hour Glass: Though we represent around 20 brands at the Sydney boutique, we are largely known for Rolex and Patek Philippe. It is difficult to pin down one particular model to represent the city, I would say a professional sport timepiece would be the most appropriate type of watch to represent Sydney. thehourglass.com