Our Story · Jersey City
Two histories. One side of the counter.
Palazzo Watches & Gems is two family histories — one four generations deep in Jersey City, one a decade removed from Karachi — that end up on the same side of the counter. Led by Co-Founders Michael Martucci and Mak Khan, Palazzo buys, sells, trades and consigns luxury timepieces from a private showroom at 185 Hudson Street — run by people whose name is on every transaction.
Co-Founder
Michael Martucci
Four generations on the same square mile
In 1905, Michael Martucci’s maternal great-grandfather, Antonio D’Alessandro, arrived in the United States from Torre del Sannio. Two years later, in 1907, his paternal great-grandfather, Luigi Martucci, came through Ellis Island at seventeen from Ginestra degli Schiavoni, in Italy’s Campania region — first to Mott Street in Manhattan, then to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On June 28, 1917, both men registered for the World War I draft: Antonio in Trenton, New Jersey, Luigi in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Around 1918, both men settled in Jersey City. One side of the family put down roots in the Marion section; the other, Downtown. More than a century later, the family is still here — and so is the business that carries its name.
That continuity is the point. Palazzo isn’t a brand parachuted into a market. It’s a Jersey City family doing business in the city it has called home for over a hundred years, a few minutes from the Ellis Island piers where the story began.
Background
Michael Martucci was born in Jersey City. His family moved across the bay to Bayonne when he was three, where he attended Horace Mann Elementary School. At eighteen he came back to Jersey City and never left.
He graduated from St. Peter’s Prep in 2010, then from New Jersey City University in 2016, where he closed his college baseball career as the program’s all-time hits leader and went on to a stint with the Sussex County Miners.
In 2018 he took an oath that still defines how he works: he became a Jersey City police officer, a role he holds to this day. The work taught him scrutiny, accountability, and the discipline of getting facts right when the stakes are real — the same standard he brings to the bench as a Co-Founder of Palazzo Watches & Gems alongside Mak Khan. Every watch Palazzo sells is authenticated in-house — movement, dial, and case — before it ever reaches a client, and its box, papers, and history are documented in writing on the invoice.
His name is on every piece that leaves the room. So is his badge number.
Why a police officer sells watches
It’s a fair question, and the answer is the whole reason to buy from us.
A counterfeit market thrives on people who can’t tell real from fake and sellers who’d rather you didn’t ask. Michael spends his professional life on the other side of that — scrutiny, accountability, getting the facts right because the stakes are real. That standard is the bench standard at Palazzo. Every watch is authenticated in-house — movement, dial and case — before it ever reaches a client, and its box, papers and history are documented in writing, on the invoice.
Co-Founder
Mak Khan
From Karachi to Long Island
In 2009, Mak Khan’s family left Karachi, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, for the United States. Mak was seventeen. The family — of Pathan and Persian descent, raised for generations in Karachi — settled in Suffolk County, Long Island, where Mak would spend the next decade building a life from scratch in a new country.
Precision and service run in the family. His paternal grandfather, Aijaz Ali Khan, served as an accountant for the British Army. His maternal grandfather, Abdul Waheed Khan, was an engineer for the British Air Force. Two generations later, that same combination — the accountant’s discipline for detail and the engineer’s insistence on how something actually works — is what Mak brings to a display case of watches.
Background
Mak finished high school in 2010 and college in 2015, both on Long Island, working two jobs the entire time to help support his family — a routine that left little room for anything but school, work, and more work. He still made time for soccer, playing throughout high school.
Mak’s background is in IT and software development, not law enforcement — but the discipline is the same one Michael brings from the badge: verify everything, trust nothing you haven’t checked yourself, and don’t let a good story substitute for a hard fact. That’s the instinct he carries into a watch box — checking a movement, a dial, a case the way he’d check a system: piece by piece, assumption by assumption, until nothing is left unverified.
Mak met Michael the way a lot of serious collectors meet each other — trading watches, comparing notes, and building the kind of mutual trust that’s hard to fake in an industry full of people who’d rather you didn’t look too closely. That trading relationship became a partnership of equals: Palazzo Watches & Gems. Mak’s role in the business mirrors Michael’s: every piece that comes through Palazzo is authenticated in-house, movement, dial, and case, before it reaches a client — and Mak’s name is on that work, same as Michael’s.
Why a software engineer sells watches
It’s a fair question, and the answer is the same one Michael gives.
A counterfeit market thrives on people who can’t tell real from fake, and sellers who’d rather you didn’t ask. Mak spent his career in a field where the smallest overlooked detail breaks the whole system — where “close enough” isn’t a standard, it’s a liability. That’s the standard he holds a watch to before it ever reaches a client.
He also knows what it means to build something from nothing, because he’s done it twice — once as a seventeen-year-old rebuilding a life in a new country, and again as a co-founder building a business on a reputation that has to hold up piece by piece, client by client.
A short history
- 1905Antonio D’Alessandro arrives in the United States from Torre del Sannio.
- 1907At 17 years old, Luigi Martucci arrives through Ellis Island from Ginestra degli Schiavoni — first Mott Street, Manhattan, then Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- 1917June 28 — Antonio (Trenton, New Jersey) and Luigi (Allegheny, Pennsylvania) register for the World War I draft.
- c. 1918Antonio D’Alessandro and Luigi Martucci settle in Jersey City.
- 1992Michael Martucci and Mak Khan are born.
- 2009At 17 years old, Mak Khan leaves Karachi with his family for Suffolk County, Long Island.
- 2018Michael Martucci becomes a Jersey City police officer.
- 2024Palazzo opens its private showroom at 185 Hudson Street.
The standard
Verify everything
Trust nothing you haven’t checked yourself, and don’t let a good story substitute for a hard fact.
Authenticated in-house
Movement, dial and case — before a watch ever reaches a client. Box, papers and history documented in writing, on the invoice.
Names on every transaction
Both Co-Founders’ names are on every piece that leaves the room.
When the people who built the business put their names on it, the incentive to cut a corner disappears.
Fortitudo Honoris — strength of honor
The company’s legal name, Fortitudo Honoris LLC, is Latin for strength of honor. It isn’t decoration. It’s the operating principle: old-world values, discretion, and expertise on every transaction, whether you’re buying your first Rolex or consigning a collection.
That’s what a family name on the door is supposed to mean. At Palazzo, it still does.
The showroom
Palazzo Watches & Gems · Est. MMXXIV
185 Hudson St, Ste 2553, Jersey City, NJ 07311
(551) 345-4998 · sales@palazzowatches.com
Every day 11:00–20:00, by appointment
Browse the collection · Sell a watch · Start a consignment · Book a private viewing
Questions, answered
Who founded Palazzo Watches & Gems?
Palazzo Watches & Gems is led by its two Co-Founders, Michael Martucci and Mak Khan, as equal partners. The company is Fortitudo Honoris LLC, doing business as Palazzo Watches & Gems, based in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Where is the Palazzo showroom, and when is it open?
185 Hudson Street, Suite 2553, Jersey City, NJ 07311 — in Paulus Hook, four minutes from the Exchange Place PATH station. The private viewing room is open every day from 11:00 to 20:00, by appointment. Call (551) 345-4998 or book a viewing. Visit the showroom
How does Palazzo authenticate a watch?
Every watch is authenticated in-house before it is offered for sale: a physical inspection of the case, dial, hands, bracelet and movement; serial and reference verification against the manufacturer's production ranges; a cross-reference against industry databases and archives; an examination of hallmarks, engravings and finishing; function and performance testing; and a review of the box and papers. Every watch sold is guaranteed authentic for the life of your ownership. Authenticity & verification policy
What warranty comes with a Palazzo watch?
Every watch is covered by a two-year warranty on the movement. First-time clients also receive a lifetime movement warranty on their first Palazzo purchase, for the original purchaser. Warranty terms
How do shipping and returns work?
Orders within the U.S. ship free by FedEx Priority Overnight, fully insured, with an adult signature required. Every purchase includes a 3-calendar-day inspection window: if the watch does not match its listed condition or specifications, you receive a full refund. Shipping policy · Return policy
Can I sell, trade or consign my watch with Palazzo?
Yes. To sell or trade, you receive a cash offer within 24 hours, paid by wire within 24 hours of inspection or applied toward another watch. On consignment, you receive 80%, 87% or 92% of the final sale price depending on the price tier, with no listing fees. Sell or trade · Consignment
Verified reviews
What clients say
4.845 verified reviews
I can't tell you how happy I am with Michael and the team at Palazzo Watches. I've been looking for a specific, very rare AP for a long time. Michael found one and worked with me every step of the way to get it into my hands. He was incredibly professional and accommodated every request and need I had. 10/10, will definitely be back for more.
Fantastic experience from start to finish! Offer honest opinions and recommendations because they truly want you to find the right watch, not just make a sale. The office has an amazing view! Highly recommend for anyone looking for a watch and a first-class experience.
I found my go to place to purchase luxury watches!! Mak and Michael were very professional, transparent, helpful, genuine and kind to me. They made the process of buying my first Rolex very easy. All their watches are authenticated with paperwork and box provided. Mak and Michael were very knowledgeable about each watch and answered all my questions to the fullest extent. I would 100% recommend anybody who is looking for their first or next piece in their collection to come here and purchase a watch.