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. Here is a map of stores we have covered so far.

Where to buy watches in Santa Clara, California?

Serving Silicon Valley from its Santa Clara location is CH Premier which opened and has been selling watches since 2002. Formally known as “Chong Hing Premier Corporation,” they operate as “CH Premier Jewelers” from their store in the Valley Fair Mall.

aBlogtoWatch (ABTW): What types of watches are popular in your market? What makes Santa Clara a unique place to buy watches?

CH Premier: Complication timepieces are popular with us. All the technology that surrounds the Silicon Valley makes Santa Clara a unique place for high-end horology and watch collectors. With so many technological trends, like smartwatches, for example, many of our customers often seek out mechanical timepieces with greater collectibility – a watch that often has a significant historical background, limited production, and mechanical complications.

ABTW: What would you tell watch lovers in other cities about the tastes of watch lovers in Santa Clara?

CH Premier: Most watch aficionados that we encounter collect watches not only for prestige or exclusivity, but for the craftsmanship, the innovations in technologies to produce the mechanisms, and the multifunction usage in a watch. Many of our customers are fairly young and have exceptional brand awareness and product knowledge in their purchases.

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?”

CH Premier: Positioned in Silicon Valley and being located in the Luxury Wing of Westfield Valley Fair, CH Premier serves many local clientele simply through foot traffic in the mall. Valley Fair is one of the most established malls in the Bay Area, which even draws in customers from the Peninsula, East Bay, and Central Valley. We also get a large number of tourists during the holiday seasons.

Approximately two-thirds of our clientele are considered to be “knowledgeable watch collectors.” This means that the clients, mainly the millennials, have done their research on their brand and product knowledge before walking in to make a purchase.

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

CH Premier: Santa Clara is best known for its shopping centers, Westfield Valley Fair and Santana Row. CH Premier is at the center of it all, conveniently located in Westfield Valley Fair’s Luxury Wing. Secondly, it is the new home of the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, where the Super Bowl 50 was hosted this past February. Finally, the city is situated near Cupertino, home of Apple’s HQ, and Mountain View, home of Google’s HQ. Many people visiting will go to the headquarters of various tech companies and tour their facilities.

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

CH Premier: Every year, we host our Annual Watch Fair, bringing in specialty pieces from our brands, during the holiday season. CH Premier emphasizes giving back to the community through its participation in various non-profit organizations: Red Cross, Susan B Croman, Diamond Empowerment Fund, and organizations through Westfield.

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 Santa Clara what would it be?

CH Premier: Some of the popular brands we carry, in no particular order are: Patek Philippe, Omega, Breguet, Blancpain, Panerai, Hublot, Zenith, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, and A. Lange & Söhne. Patek Phillipe’s attention to detail and innovation are representative of Santa Clara’s lifestyle culture, and their pieces are elegant, timeless, and at the height of luxury. chpremier.com