Meet The Team
Nico Leonard
Director
nico@prideandpinion.com
@nicoleonardvanderhorst
Nico developed his passion for watches at a young age, admiring how a watch can tell so much more than just the time he quickly found himself obsessed with horology and the watch world. His first watch was a Seiko at the age of 16 and he began to increase his collection over time before founding Watches NI in 2017.
Watches NI quickly began to grow as Nico's passion for making watches accessible to all resonated with many who may have been previously intimidated by the exclusivity of the watch world. Whilst Nico's personal favourites are the rare and vintage pieces hes a firm believer in seeing that everyone enjoys the watch they want to and that every watch is special to its owner. Unless it's a Hublot. In 2019 Nico rebranded to Pride & Pinion and with his teams dedication to excellent customer service it has grown to become one of the largest preowned watch dealerships in the world.
Stephen
Managing Director
stephen@prideandpinion.com
Stephen has been in the watch industry since 2015 and has managerial experience across a wide range of leading stores across the UK. Bringing a diverse range of knowledge in brand development, business management and revenue growth, Stephen has been instrumental to the growth of Pride & Pinion. Scouted by Nico in 2020 through mutual connections in the watch industry they set out to change the watch world forever, breaking down the barriers behind some of the world's most luxurious brands, and creating a global community of likeminded watch enthusiasts, Pride & Pinion has become an internationally recognised name in the watch industry. Stephen handles most of our behind-the-scenes business operations and has been responsible for creating our important relationships with brands such as Casio, Ulysse Nardin and Audemars Piguet. In the future Stephen hopes to continue collaborations with other big brands in the watch industry and continue to grow Pride & Pinion's sister company GodTier Club. His grail watch is a Richard Mille Rafael Nadal RM 35-03.
Gavin
Client Manager
gavin@prideandpinion.com
@gavinatpp
Gavin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. Having worked at jewellers prior and being accredited level 5 for both Rolex and Patek Philippe, as well as being a Grand Ambassador for Omega. Gavin's knowledge for watches is unparalleled. Responsible for the majority of Pride and Pinion's purchasing, there is not a watch Gavin cannot source within 48 hours.
Gavin prides himself on his professional and exceptional service, with the majority of his clients coming back. It is his extensive knowledge of all things watches and his passion for sourcing the most luxurious watches on the market that sets Gavin apart from the rest of the competition.
Gavin hopes to continue growing alongside Pride and Pinion whilst expanding his knowledge and client base through his dedication and excellent service. His grail watch is a Grand Complications Patek Phillipe 5270P.
Mark
Luxury Watch Consultant
mark@prideandpinion.com
@mark.atpp
No stranger to excellent customer service and luxury sales, with Mark, integrity comes above all else and you'll always receive a top class service. Mark will go above for his clients, quite literally traveling the extra mile(s) to hand deliver.
Mark has helped customers across the globe buy and sell some of the markets most coveted watches and hopes to continue doing so long into the future, keeping it professional but also fun is paramount for Mark who is always ready to help.
Mark's grails watches are a; Patek Philippe 5270P Salmon Dial, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak John Mayer, Le Mans Rolex Daytona, Patek Philippe 5172G, or 5930P.
Ciaran
Luxury Watch Consultant
ciaran@prideandpinion.com
@ciaranatpp
Ciaran is another of our watch consultants dedicated to providing excellent customer service to our growing clientele. He is deeply passionate about watches, specifically the history and heritage behind them, and appreciates how a watch can be subtle to others, but greatly important to its owner. Ciaran strives to always connect his clients with the watch for them, and is interested in how specific brands and models can find themselves embedded in various cultures around the world.
Ciaran finds success by putting integrity above all else. He is regularly engaging with his clients and understands the importance of building a genuine relationship with those he works with. Ciarans work ethic and attention to detail with his clients have opened up many doors for buying and selling some extraordinary watches and he possesses a locker of knowledge that keeps clients returning to him with confidence.
For the future, Ciaran wants to continue succeeding alongside Pride and Pinion and carry on expanding his client list through his dedication to his work. His grail watch is either a; Richard Mille 88, Richard Mille 2704, or Rolex GMT Master Full Gold.
Chris
Luxury Watch Consultant
chris@prideandpinion.com
@chrisatpp
Chris has always had a keen interest in watches. He's passionate about the industry and all that comes along with it, so whether you're looking to talk the latest timepieces, or cars that go fast, Chris is your man.
He joined Pride and Pinion after looking for a company that had similar ambitious goals as him. Chris believes the key to a good client experience is building the relationship and he finds this quite easy to do as he gets to share his passion of watches with his customers. Chris understands the importance of balancing the professional with the personable and you'll always get your watch in time and in the exact condition you expect it.
Chris is looking to continue expanding his knowledge and connect more clients with their dreams watches which he believes Pride and Pinion provide the best service for. Genuine passion for the product and a level of customer care up there with the best are what Chris strives for. His grail watch is either a; Rolex Daytona Pikachu, or an Olive Dial DateJust Anniversary
Luke
Luxury Watch Consultant
luke@prideandpinion.com
@luke.atpp
Luke's a watch lover, fascinated with all things horology. Luke is passionate about a community where theres a watch for everyone, expensive or cheap, complicated or minimal he's is determined to get you the right watch at the right price and ensure you love every second with your new timepiece.
Luke has always been interested in the vast amount of variance in the watch industry, different models, complications, movements and dials. Luke understands how every watch can be special to the right person and hopes to provide clients with an excellent experience purchasing their new piece.
A background in motocross racing you'll have plenty to talk about with Luke other than just watches. It's no surprise his grail watches are; A Rolex Platinum Daytona 116506, Patek Philippe Rose Gold Aquanaut 5167R-001, and any Two-Tone Rolex Datejust 126233.
James
Photographer
james@prideandpinion.com
@jamesatpp
James is the man behind the lens, with a background in documentary production for television and cinema. Also specialising in watch photography, he focuses on capturing the intricate details of each timepiece, striving for accuracy in every shot. With a Master's degree (*Distinction) in Film and Visual Arts from Queen's University Belfast, James brings both technical skill, expertise and artistic vision to his work, always pursuing perfection.
He has a particular fondness for Omega watches, not just for their aesthetic qualities but also their connection to the James Bond films, reflecting his love for cinema. Looking ahead, James hopes to create more documentary-style content, delving into the history and craftsmanship behind some of the most iconic brands and models, revealing what makes a watch more than just a tool to tell time.
Ashleigh
Office Manager
ashleigh@prideandpinion.com
Ashleigh is the backbone of our office, running things behind the scenes she is as passionate about good customer service as she is about coke zero's. Seriously, don't mention the coke zero's. Ashleigh knows the important of meeting clients expectations with realistic solutions and believes that Pride and Pinion's personable and individually tailored experience for each client is the secret to success.
Reading what people want and understanding each individual clients needs is crucial to providing them with an excellent service they will remember. The relationships we have with our customers and always having someone on hand to help is what has driven Pride and Pinion's success over the last few years and Ashleigh is looking forward to seeing that continue as herself and the rest of the team progress with the business.
Outside of work, Ashleigh loves hiking and is always defending her title of funniest person in the office. You can often catch her joking around or dancing, we'll let you figure out which one we laugh at more.
Conor
Website Manager
conor@prideandpinion.com
Conor is responsible for everything you're seeing now. Having previously worked at one of the largest menswear companies in London, Conor has a wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience in e-commerce. Whether you're just browsing our collection, or have personally listed your own watches with us, Conor will always ensure the timepiece is listed perfectly and with all the important details no matter how small to ensure each watch finds the right buyer.
Ensuring buyers can find the watch they're after through Pride and Pinion, and giving sellers the confidence to list exclusively with us is priority number one for Conor, and his commitment to perfection and professionalism is what has allowed Pride and Pinion to become the internationally recognised brand we are.
In the future Conor hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved from Belfast and grow Pride and Pinions international reach to become one of the biggest watch-dealers in todays market. His grail watches are a; Louis Erard X Konstantin Chaykin The Time Eater II, Arnold and Son LUNA MAGNA GOLD, or a Rose Gold, Diamond Cartier Crash.
Jonny
Youtube Lead
jonny@prideandpinion.com
Jonny's our longest standing member of the YouTube team and has been alongside Nico and the channel since the start. Previously doing freelance videography since graduating Queens University with a degree in film studies, Jonny has fond memories of the beginning of the channel.
3 new offices, 4 times as many staff and over 1.7 million subscribers, Jonny has seen a ton of growth both in the Pride and Pinion office and on the youtube channel. He puts the success down to cutting through it all and showing that you can be passionate about luxury watches while being personable and having a laugh. His fondest memory was the review of Luke Combs collection and he has strong aspirations for the future to get the new car channel to one million subscribers as well as continuing to create more content on the main channel, maybe then Nico will find his gold plaque thats been missing up until now.
Gareth
YouTube Production Manager
Right in the middle is Gareth. Having quite the resume, Gareth previously worked for Whitenoise studios and NASA. Some of his earliest videography work involved working alongside several charities to film around the world in countries such as Iraq, Nepal and India.
Gareth rounds off our well-educated trio with a film studies degree from Ulster University. Similar to Jonny, Gareth believes their success has a lot to do with their humanisation of Nico and notes the benefits of showing a bit more character behind the watches. As a huge fan his favourite memory of his time here was their video with Andrew Schulz, and looking towards the future he hopes to create more collaborations with other notable figures and build a larger network of other content creators to work with. He does still sometimes miss filming in Nico's living room though.