Taming Lab, the operator of the pre-owned luxury watch re-commerce platform ‘Whatime,’ announced that it has successfully attracted Pre-Series A investment. The investment amount remains undisclosed. Participating investors in this round include 500 Global, Mashup Ventures, and ZD Ventures.

Whatime operates a B2B-based re-commerce model that connects domestic consumers with a network of overseas professional buyers. Through its real-time appraisal and pricing system, Whatime acquires watches from consumers and immediately connects them to a network of over 20 professional resellers in more than four countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, and China. This process is faster than traditional peer-to-peer transactions, and it maintains fair pricing compared to structures where dealers purchase at low prices.

Whatime has achieved growth by creating a mutually beneficial structure for both consumers and resellers. This success is attributed to its high turnover rate and low-margin structure, which allows for reasonable pricing of watches. Currently, peer-to-peer transactions within Whatime guarantee 90% to 105% of the market price, while maintaining a transaction success rate of over 70%. All transactions are completed within one hour. By minimizing price differences between the domestic and global markets, Whatime provides a satisfying experience for both consumers and resellers.

With this investment, Taming Lab plans to further advance Whatime’s B2B transaction capabilities and grow into a trusted global luxury watch distribution hub. The company also intends to continuously establish a verified transaction culture in collaboration with the Incheon Customs official appraisal office. As pre-owned luxury watches are gaining attention as a value storage asset with low depreciation in the luxury market, Taming Lab aims to foster healthy growth together.

Taming Lab, the operator of Whatime, is comprised of CEO Hoyeon Yu, a watch enthusiast with experience in directly owning and trading over 200 types of watches, and team members with a deep understanding of the luxury watch lifecycle. Yu has experience in ODM watch manufacturing and has built expertise in the luxury watch sector through an apprenticeship with Korea’s top watch master. The company’s goal is to improve the structure of the pre-owned luxury watch market, which was primarily focused on low-price acquisitions, and create a satisfactory transaction environment for all stakeholders in the ecosystem.

Eunhye Shin, a reviewer at 500 Global, stated, “Taming Lab recognized the potential of this vertical early in Korea and is connecting domestic and global markets, adjusting supply and demand.” She added, “Based on their rapid execution, customer obsession, and deep understanding of the business, they are a team that can grow quickly in the global market.”

Hoyeon Yu, CEO of Taming Lab, said, “Taming Lab aims to create a market environment where customers can sell their watches anytime, anywhere, at a higher price, and quickly.” He further stated, “We will make Korea the center of the luxury watch market by solidifying both export and import structures.”