Draft:Eugene Tutunikov

Eugene Tutunikov (born in Ukraine) is an American businessperson and chief executive officer of SwissWatchExpo, an Atlanta-based pre-owned luxury watch retailer.

Early life and education
Eugene Tutunikov spent his early years in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. In 1989, his family moved to the Philadelphia area as refugees. His parents, who originally worked as math teachers, transitioned to computer programming in the United States. In addition, his mother, Victoria Taukatch, ran a wallpaper and university preparation tutoring business.

Tutunikov has commented in interviews that his upbringing in an immigrant community, and his mother's entrepreneurial mindset, were his motivations. He majored in finance and economics at New York University with a minor in math, graduating magna cum laude.

SwissWatchExpo
In 2008, Victoria relocated to Atlanta and partnered with Jake Rokhlin, an expert watchmaker who had trained at Rolex. Together, they started a business selling previously owned luxury watches. In 2009, they established their inaugural physical store named SwissWatchExpo in Buckhead, Atlanta, which dealt with the procurement, repair, and sale of pre-owned luxury watches made in Switzerland.

Tutunikov joined SwissWatchExpo in 2016, after spending 10 years as a derivatives trader on Wall Street. He was appointed chief executive officer of SwissWatchExpo. Tutunikov studied SEO and digital advertising so that he could launch a new website and shift the company towards e-commerce and online marketing, leading to over 90% of its business being conducted online. Subsequently, sales experienced a 900% growth, propelling SwissWatchExpo to become the second largest online retailer of pre-owned luxury watches in the United States and among the top four globally.

The company is known for selling luxury watch brands, such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Breitling. The retailer consistently maintains an estimated inventory of 3,000 watches, making it one of the largest collections of pre-owned luxury watches in the United States. In 2020, the company relocated to a new standalone 7,000 sq. ft. premises in order to accommodate the growth of their business.

Tutunikov has been recognized as one of the Hot 100 American Trailblazers by WatchPro. He has been cited as an expert on the luxury watch industry in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Hypebeast, Robb Report, Maxim and Men’s Journal.

Personal life
Tutunikov resides in Atlanta, Georgia. In his spare time, he collects watches, travels, and enjoys the Atlanta restaurant scene.