Austin luxury watch company transforms former Wells Fargo bank into 8,000-plus-square-foot headquarters as it expands its team and capabilities
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Investment Watches, an Austin-based luxury watch company specializing in buying, selling, trading, servicing and authenticating collectible timepieces, today announced that it has ranked No. 9 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and No. 1 in the Austin metropolitan area.
The ranking places Investment Watches among the 10 fastest-growing private companies in the United States and makes it the highest-ranked Austin-area company on this year’s list.
It also represents an unusual addition to Austin’s growth story. In a city widely associated with technology, semiconductors and venture-backed companies, its fastest-growing private company comes from a very different industry: collectible luxury watches.
“Being ranked No. 9 in the country is an incredible recognition for our team, but it was never something we set out to chase,” said Jonas Berntsen, Founder and CEO of Investment Watches. “We focused on building the company we believed the watch industry needed — one centered around trust, expertise, transparency and a better experience for collectors. Things have simply accelerated much faster than we expected.”
A Former Bank Becomes a Luxury Watch Headquarters
Investment Watches’ growth is now translating into a larger physical presence in Austin.
The company has transformed a former Wells Fargo bank in Austin’s Westlake area into an 8,000-plus-square-foot headquarters, showroom, authentication and service center.
The building’s existing banking infrastructure, including extensive security features and vault facilities, made it particularly suited for a company handling high-value collectible assets.
The facility brings together Investment Watches’ showroom, private-client operations, authentication, watchmaking, service and administrative teams under one roof.
“We had the opportunity to take a building designed to protect valuable assets and give it an entirely new purpose,” Berntsen said. “It allows us to combine security, expertise and hospitality in a way that would be difficult to replicate in a traditional retail location.”
Building Beyond the Traditional Watch Dealership
Investment Watches has built its business beyond the traditional model of buying and selling pre-owned watches. The company now sells, services and authenticates more than 6,000 watches annually while providing in-house watchmaking, refinishing, appraisals and private transaction support.
The company continues to recruit experienced watch professionals to Austin, including specialists from outside Texas, as it builds deeper in-house expertise across sales, authentication and watchmaking.
Investment Watches also operates as a Grailzee Authentication Center, providing authentication services for watches transacted through the Grailzee marketplace.
The company serves collectors throughout the United States and internationally and works with timepieces from manufacturers including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and A. Lange & Söhne.
“Our goal is to build the most trusted and recognized independent luxury watch company in the United States,” Berntsen said. “We are proud of how far we have come, but we still feel like we are at the beginning.”
About Investment Watches
Investment Watches is an Austin, Texas-based luxury watch company specializing in buying, selling, trading, servicing and authenticating collectible timepieces.
The company serves collectors throughout the United States and internationally from its 8,000-plus-square-foot Austin headquarters, a former Wells Fargo bank that houses its showroom, private-client operations, authentication, service and watchmaking capabilities.
Investment Watches sells, services and authenticates more than 6,000 watches annually and works with timepieces from many of the world’s leading manufacturers.
In 2026, Investment Watches ranked No. 9 on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and No. 1 in the Austin metropolitan area.
For more information, visit www.investmentwatches.com.
For the full list, company profiles and a searchable database by industry and location, visit www.inc.com/inc5000.
Press Photos
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SOURCE Investment Watches
