Kennedy is a name that’s synonymous with luxury in Australia. From its extensive network of boutiques around the country and partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, to serving as the official timekeeper of the AFL, Kennedy is one of the most well-known quantities in the Australian luxury game today.
Melbourne’s James Kennedy is the man behind this ever-expanding luxury empire, after taking over the family watches and jewellery business at the age of 28. What began as a humble storefront in Double Bay called LK Jewellery, today, Kennedy is the Managing Director & CEO of the Kennedy Group, overseeing ten luxury boutiques in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, as the authorised dealer of brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Graff, and more.
“Like most businesses in this industry, ours is a multigenerational one,” Kennedy told me. “My parents started the business in 1976, and I worked in the business in my teens on the shop floor. I was exposed to a lot of it from a young age.
“As far as my role as the custodian of Kennedy over the last 15 years, it was following my father passing away in 2008 that I stepped into it. I always knew I’d work in the industry growing up, but it was my father’s passing that accelerated it to happen sooner than it might have otherwise.”
At this point, James Kennedy had been enjoying time at Deutsche Bank. However, duty called and it was time to leave the world of investment banking to dive into the family business.
“Before I joined the business, I had a successful career in finance and was happy doing that. I always thought it was good to experience something outside the family business, and I think the experience of dealing with corporate cultures in banking and stockbroking put me in good stead for my current role.”
While Louis Kennedy’s passing thrust James into the world of luxury retail, his name and legacy live on through his son. In fact, despite owning scores of grail-worthy watches, it was a simple Rolex that James’s father gave him that he counts as the most sentimental timepiece he owns.
“I have one watch that my father gave me early on, which I still have today,” Kennedy explained, lifting the watch off his desk to show me. “This will be the watch that ends up going to my son. It’s a steel Datejust Oyster on an oyster bracelet with a black and silver dial, affectionately known as the Tuxedo dial.
“That watch is probably the most sentimental thing I own.”
Unsurprisingly, legacy is a topic that Melbourne-based Kennedy has spent more time considering than most — especially since welcoming his son Preston into the world. Kennedy’s Rolex Datejust represents his father’s legacy, but it inspires him to consider what might come next.
“That Rolex is very sentimental. It gives me moments to reflect and think about family. Sometimes, you can get caught up in whatever you do for a living, but you have to take a moment, stop, and smell the roses.
“It’s all about enjoying the successes when they come, managing the failures when they happen, and having other passions and priorities. For me, those are my family, my son, and my wife.”
While Kennedy’s son is only three years old, he’s already showing some enthusiasm for what his father does for a living. He might not be able to recite Patek Philippe reference numbers, but he loves exploring his father’s watch collection and occasionally helping him select a timepiece to wear.
“He hasn’t quite grasped the concept of what dad does just yet, but sometimes he’ll come into the office and spend the afternoon here. Sometimes, when I head to the bank to pull out one of my watches from my collection — he likes to go into the bank vault and help me pick a watch to wear. I think he’s more fascinated with the colours than the brands”
This encouraging hand represents Kennedy’s approach to fatherhood and how he considers his role as a father and the legacy he’s building.
“I certainly don’t want to be a father that says, “This is what you’ve gotta do, this is who you’ve gotta be, and this is our business.” Legacy, in my eyes, is more than just what you do for a living — I think it goes far beyond that.
“The legacy that I create can’t be about just selling watches or having a retail business. For Preston, what he wants to do, or who he wants to become, is for him to decide. My role is to support that.”
Fortunately for young Preston, he’s got plenty of special watches to choose from when he’s picking something out for his father. After a decade and a half at the helm of one of Australia’s most successful retailers, Kennedy’s collection is the stuff of dreams.
“I’ve built a great collection. Sometimes I’ve bought watches I’ve never worn; they just sit in their box in my safe, like an heirloom. One day, I can give this collection away.
“Early on, I just bought watches I liked to wear, but I’ve changed how I buy and collect watches now. I still see a cool watch and want to wear it and I will buy it, like the new Hublot Tourbillon Orange Carbon I bought — it’s a Spirit of Big Bang they released this year. But now, I also buy watches that I think are particularly interesting.
“I’ve bought some beautiful pieces like the Patek Philippe World Timers with enamel dials and a 40th-anniversary white gold Nautilus that I’ve never worn. I’ve also got some beautiful Rolex watches. I’ve got an unworn stainless steel Rolex Daytona that was the last one they made before they switched to the ceramic bezel.
“I’ve shifted my approach to collecting watches. Now it’s more about looking beyond the beauty — instead focusing on the movement, history, narrative, and legacy. These factors now play a significant role in my choices.
Specifically, Kennedy counts classic watches like the Rolex Day-Date in yellow gold, the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar, and a limited edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso among his favourite timepieces. He also owns a pair of gem-set “Rainbow” Rolex Daytonas, a white gold and sapphire gem-set Rolex Submariner he bought for his 40th birthday, and a Patek Philippe rose gold Nautilus Flyback Chrono as some of his favourite timepieces in his collection.
As one of Australia’s expert luxury watch retailers — and a man who’s thought deeply about the value of fatherhood — Kennedy is well-placed to offer a couple of suggestions about buying a watch for dad on Father’s Day.
“The facetious answer is to buy the watch that you want for yourself one day,” Kennedy laughed. “But the real answer is to think about your father’s character, and then try to find that in the watch that you want to buy for him. That’s the real answer.”
If you’re in the market for a timepiece for dad, Kennedy is working hard to offer the best range of watches Australia has ever seen, showcased in world-class retail environments.
“We’ve got some great projects we’re working on,” said Kennedy. “We’re opening a brand-new Rolex boutique at Chadstone, which has been a couple of years in the making. We’re excited to be working with Rolex on that project, which will be a brand-new boutique opening at the end of this year.
“We’ve also got our new Castlereagh Street development, which is the first evolution of what the Kennedy business will become. We’re pushing into a multi-category offering, which will include watches, jewellery, eyewear, fragrances, and writing instruments—all adjacent to our core business.
“Adding these multi-categories spaces will allow us to create an incredible experience for our clients around Australia.”
There has never been a better time to be a watch lover and Kennedy is making sure things are only getting better.
