Meet a Seller: Arman Baig built a multi-million dollar luxury watch business

Editor's Note: This story first appeared on our Seller Community page.

Every day on eBay, shoppers spend thousands of dollars on single luxury items, offered by sellers who cater to a high-end market. Arman Baig is one of these sellers, whose luxury watch shop showcases the latest timepiece trends from around the globe, serving an equally international clientele.

Arman grew up in his father's fine jewelry and watch shop, where he learned the art of selling and eventually expanded the family business to eBay. Now he helms the multi-million dollar venture, which he built by selling and sourcing worldwide, and providing an exceptional customer experience.

Get to know Arman in his own words, and visit his shop Swiss Ice:

A third generation luxury watch seller

My dad started this business in the early nineties with his father. I was brought up in the jewelry store, and I remember tagging watches and helping out after school from the age of seven. So luxury watches are a family passion that I was introduced to as a kid. My dad laid the groundwork for the business, and along the way I learned how to run, operate, and grow it.

By the age of thirteen, I was using my dad's eBay account often to look at shoes. As I got older and continued to use the platform for my personal use, I realized we had an opportunity to expand our family business online. eBay was the clear choice because it had a broad reach and it allowed us to contact customers directly.

Since then, we've tapped into a huge demand for luxury watches on eBay. Some people buy them because they like to collect them. For others, watches are an investment, or they appreciate the art of watchmaking as a true enthusiast. For myself, I love a luxury watch because it completes my look. I like nice cars and clothes, and a watch ties the aesthetic together.

Sourcing on-trend timepieces from around the globe

I source watches from all over the world. We have a large network of international watch dealers and enthusiast customers that we've built since the early nineties, and we're constantly in touch, trying to find the most unique items that other sellers don't have - at the right price.

We sell globally as well, to marketplaces such as Australia, Norway, Germany, and France. With so many watches listed on eBay, we're always trying to be relevant and bring in products that make us stand out as a seller. Knowing what watches are selling well around the world at any given moment is a big part of the equation.

For example, we just started carrying the brand Bulgari, because we saw a market for them online that other sellers weren't selling into. I was able to source the watches internationally for a decent cost and offer them at a competitive price.

From sourcing the watch, to refurbishing the watch and getting it onto the customer's wrist, it's a great feeling to be part of the whole process.

Always honest and high-touch customer service

In the luxury watch market, our number one value has to be honesty. Our word is the most important thing. If we aren't honest and true to our word, then we're not going to get very far because the business runs on trust, from start to finish.

Excellent feedback from buyers on eBay is our top priority. Without great feedback, we have no credibility. We're really proud that we've maintained 100% feedback on eBay in our 12 years, with 3,800 reviews and counting. Most of our positive feedback is credited to lightning-fast shipping - we can have a watch to a buyer overnight domestically or anywhere in the world within three days.

Our customers are spending a lot of money on something of high quality, so they want the service to be reflective of that. We respond to buyers in a timely fashion, address any concerns they have, and take care of them even if they want to return the item. And we stand behind all of our watches with a full money-back guarantee.

The eBay tools that keep his store competitive

Quite a few eBay tools have been essential to growing our business.

Our selling process has become more seamless with Authenticity Guarantee. It's reduced fraud because there's a third party inspecting the item to prove its authenticity. And in case of return, it's nice to know that everything we sent out originally will come back to us as stated.

Product Researchhas been helpful to see what's selling in the luxury watch market on eBay. I'm on the tool at least once or twice a week for a couple hours just doing my research on who's selling what, what's selling well on eBay, and to see what similar items are selling for so we can match or beat those prices.

We've also hosted four eBay Liveevents, which has been a learning process. In our most recent one, we actually sold two Rolex watches, which is amazing. It's given us a lot of credibility, and now our customers can put a face to the Swiss Ice name while a staff member or I show them the inventory live.

Time is on his side

In the next decade, I see Swiss Ice as one of the leading online retailers for luxury watches. We want to be the go-to destination for your luxury watch, from vintage to brand new to everything in between. Next month, we're opening a Southern California office location, and we're excited to have that in-person, private experience for people who want to see our inventory for themselves.

In my years of owning the business, there have been good days and there have been bad days. But the good ones have outweighed the bad ones, making the rewards well worth it. To see the work we've put in over days, months, and years come to fruition is super satisfying. And that's what I look forward to - continuing to build the business and looking back to see how far we've come.

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