Watch Company Turns to Online Sales in Times of Economic Uncertainty

LOS ANGELES, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Orient Watch is going where few
traditional watch brands have gone before: online. Last week, Japan's largest
producer of mechanical watches began selling direct on its website,
http://www.orientwatchusa.com. In the first day, the site sold over 50
watches.

Direct e-tailing presents a new opportunity for watch companies faced with
shrinking sales and economic uncertainty. According to comScore,
brick-and-mortar sales of apparel and accessories declined by 10% in 2008,
while e-commerce sales for the same category increased by 4%.

In 2008, a Forrester research study on "Luxury Sector eBusiness Adoption"
identified that only one-third of all luxury brands sell online, leaving an
attractive opportunity for brands such as Orient who choose to enter the
marketplace. According to the study, "eight out of 10 global affluent and
high-net-worth consumers use the Internet daily and also actively research and
buy luxury goods and services online on a regular basis."

For Orient, the decision to sell direct is part of a larger web-based American
roll-out that incorporates viral video, blogs, website giveaways, and a recent
partnership with Amazon.com to create limited-edition models. The brand, which
entered the United States last year, does not currently stock watches in
brick-and-mortar stores.

"The Internet is an instant, cost-effective way to introduce a new brand to
consumers," said Mark Kim, Orient's Director of North American Sales. "I am in
constant communication with my customers, and we're learning a lot from each
other."

ABOUT ORIENT WATCH: Established in 1950, Orient is Japan's largest producer of
mechanical watches. The company builds over 2 million pieces annually. All
mechanical movements are produced and used in-house. For more information,
visit http://www.orientwatchusa.com.

SOURCE Orient Watch

Christina Koshzow for Orient Watch, Mobile: +1-412-519-0720,
christina@brandingbrand.com