TIME VISIONS
“What would you like for your birthday?” In the winter of
2012, Long Islander Ken Scheben asked his son Chris that very com-
mon question. The answer, it turned out, would lead the pair to launch
a successful online retail watch business a few months later.
Chris, at the time a newly minted college grad who needed to
upgrade his wardrobe, said he could use a good watch. Ken, a former
executive of a Fortune 500 company, suggested they shop online. The
search proved to be an exercise in frustration. The number of brands
and styles — and sellers — they quickly found out was staggering.
Father and son scrolled through grainy amateurish photos and
“thumbnail” stock images, zoomed in to check the details, and discov-
ered the resolution was too low to show them much of anything. They
compared prices and return policies, then read the product and seller
reviews, hoping the information was accurate. A quality timepiece is
an investment. Purchasing one online was convenient, but doing so
required a tremendous leap of faith.
THAT’S WHEN IT CLICKED.
In addition to his 27 years of sales and marketing experience, Ken has
a background in professional nature photography. He saw an opportu-
nity to leverage his expertise and his arsenal of high-end photographic
gear to launch a business that would take the guesswork out of buying
a timepiece online. He would provide high-definition, detailed, color-
corrected photos of his inventory that would highlight every feature and
function of each watch. He would ensure that the descriptions were
complete and the spec sheets were accurate. In short, his online shop
would have as close as you can get, without being there, to the feel of
a brick-and-mortar store.
Ken boned up on fashion jewelry photographic techniques,
updated his eBay account, and placed an opening order for stock. He
started with the Invicta brand, as there was a plethora of models to
work with and the company was known for its visually complex execu-
tions, a perfect match for the detailed photographic presentation he
would soon engage in.
It wasn’t long before people were coming to Ken with questions
96 | AboutTime Magazine