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Taming Lab operates WHAT-TIME, a service that facilitates the entire transaction process for pre-owned luxury watches, from purchase to appraisal and repair. CEO Ho-yeon Yoo, a watch enthusiast, is a student in the Class of '22 in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Seoul National University. Fascinated by watches since middle school, he is a seasoned collector who has traded over 200 different types of timepieces. Immediately after entering university, Yoo dove into startup preparations. His sincerity toward watches is evident in the fact that he personally learned repair and appraisal from a master watchmaker in Jongno, Seoul. While luxury watches are unique in that their value often increases over time due to rarity, the market's growth has been hindered by a heavy reliance on subjective appraisals and lack of transparency in peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions.

According to the Investment Banking (IB) industry on the 22nd, Taming Lab, the operator of the pre-owned luxury watch re-commerce platform 'WhatTime', has secured Pre-Series A funding. New investors 500 Global and ZD Ventures joined the round alongside existing investor Mashup Ventures. The specific investment amount remains undisclosed. WhatTime is a B2B-based re-commerce model that connects domestic consumers with a network of professional overseas buyers. Through its real-time appraisal and pricing system, the platform acquires watches from consumers and immediately connects them to a network of over 20 professional resellers across more than four countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, the US, and China.

Despite the high liquidity and enduring popularity of watches in the resale market, specialized commerce services dedicated to them are rare. This is due to the difficulty of securing inventory and the high level of expertise required for appraisal, given that a single watch consists of nearly 1,000 components. Taming Lab is a startup taking on the challenge of the pre-owned watch market. They have developed 'WHAT-TIME', a service that facilitates the entire transaction process—from purchase to appraisal and repair of pre-owned luxury watches. By utilizing a direct purchase structure, they have secured a large volume of inventory and established a robust authentication and compensation system.

Large-scale platform companies are setting their sights on the pre-owned luxury watch market. Recognizing the high growth potential of this untapped market, they are increasing investments to secure a dominant position. According to industry sources on the 6th, Kakao Ventures, a subsidiary of Kakao, recently made a seed investment in Taming Lab, the operator of WHAT-TIME. With this funding, Taming Lab plans to enhance its pre-owned luxury watch sales and repair services while building a trust-based purchasing environment.

Taming Lab (CEO Ho-yeon Yoo), the operator of the pre-owned luxury watch commerce platform WHAT-TIME, has secured seed investment from Kakao Ventures, Mashup Ventures, and the SNU Startup Network Angel Club. WHAT-TIME is a service that facilitates the entire transaction process for pre-owned luxury watches, from purchase to appraisal and repair. By selling watches through a direct purchase model, the platform ensures a robust compensation system for any authenticity issues. It also provides transparent information on details that are often overlooked, such as dial restoration status and the number of links. After purchase, customers can access repair services at reasonable prices through master watchmakers partnered with WHAT-TIME.