Anyone here who's started a watch brand?

Risto · Dec 8, 2020

I have been thinking about creating my own watch brand.

Sounds crazy and difficult and the market is full of microbrands and established ones.
Can I create something different? Would anyone buy my watches?
How much will it cost... etc etc.
I do have a million questions.

There are some helpful resources on how to start:
https://rossdavis.com/designing-a-watch-building-prototype/

Is there anyone here who has made it?

Scooterino36 · Dec 8, 2020

Risto
I have been thinking about creating my own watch brand.

Why?

That’s my logical starting point for this discussion.

apsm100 · Dec 8, 2020

I'd probably only do it if I had the ability to hand craft the entire thing myself.

Nobel Prize · Dec 8, 2020

Quite the proposition!

I am closely affiliated with a US based watch brand. Although I am not part of the watch making process or business side of the brand I am close enough to see the entire process from designing to manufacturing to selling. I have actually given them design concept ideas that have been used commercially....quite fun.

I can’t possibly spend the time and resources to research or answer all the questions you may have, but I will tell you that you need a solid business plan behind this business and a hefty investment, and even then you have little chance to break even or be able to distribute commercially and compete in this market.

is it possible? Yeah! But you need to decide. Do you have the horological know how and pedigree to run a small batch at high price? If not, do you have the design and marketing prowess to create something that will be desirable at low cost and fast production so you can meet the demand without having to spend millions first just to launch?

if not, do you have millions, tens of millions, to setup your production, or resource it in China and Switzerland, transported, package it, brand it and launch it commercially. Advertise it, sell it, package it and ship it.... guarantee it!

Or, if you’re a watch maker and a hobbyist, just make watches and sell them or give them to your friends and have fun with it.

In short: what type of watch are you making, for what demographic, at what cost, for what desired return.... and what will drive a costumer to buy from you? Technical achievement, design, marketing... Hoodinkee?

eugeneandresson · Dec 8, 2020

Freese101 comes to mind...William is behind that.

queriver · Dec 8, 2020

Is your emphasis more on starting a "brand" or creating your own watches more or less from the ground up? They are 2 quite different things. You can start your own brand and outsource much of the work including design, (crowd)funding, manufacturing, marketing, logistics, customer service, etc. If you actually want to create and sell your own watch, that'd be a far more hands-on, lengthy and costly venture. Look at what Nicholas Hacko Watches do for an example of the latter. https://www.nicholashacko.com.au/about

vintage hab · Dec 8, 2020

Risto
I have been thinking about creating my own watch brand.

Sounds crazy and difficult and the market is full of microbrands and established ones.
Can I create something different? Would anyone buy my watches?
How much will it cost... etc etc.
I do have a million questions.

There are some helpful resources on how to start:
https://rossdavis.com/designing-a-watch-building-prototype/

Is there anyone here who has made it?

No clue how to start a brand, and Nobel Prize gives some good advice.

But before starting a brand, how about just build a unique watch? Read up on how a watch works. You can design a case to accept a standard movement, and have it machined. Hand paint a dial or have someone artistic do it for you. Have a watchmaker assemble it all, or do it yourself. Make mistakes, and correct them. I realize I'm being simplistic, but that would be cool and a great legacy to your loved ones. If successful, you can then consider building more and selling... but to me that is secondary. Life is short, go for it!

STANDY · Dec 8, 2020

Two questions before I answer

1. Are you a watchmaker
2. Do you have a good one with spare time to help you on staff yet

Dimitris · Dec 8, 2020

Many tried a few succeeded you have to come up with a unique design that is catchy and not another sub homage . But I think it needs a lot of know-how to proceed do a lot of research before you spend your hard earned money on the new business you are planning to make .

amfalconer · Dec 8, 2020

I guess it depends on where you are going to aim in the market, are you really keen on creating an innovative brand which will likely take a lot of expertise, technical know-how, or the employment of a person or persons who can provide this, or are you looking for a mass market approach, like a Daniel Wellington, MVMT, etc, where you buy watches from a Chinese catalogue and have them branded, in which case, you need to have a good eye for design, and be good at marketing.

In terms of costs, if you can make it look an attractive enough proposition, then there will likely be any number of people willing to crowdfund you, just don't do a Filipo Loretti!

Sorry, I missed queriver's post, which mine pretty much echoes - Nick Hacko's watches seem alright, just don't come on here lording it over everyone like he did!

Wlcutter · Dec 8, 2020

Risto
I have been thinking about creating my own watch brand.

Sounds crazy and difficult and the market is full of microbrands and established ones.
Can I create something different? Would anyone buy my watches?
How much will it cost... etc etc.
I do have a million questions.

There are some helpful resources on how to start:
https://rossdavis.com/designing-a-watch-building-prototype/

Is there anyone here who has made it?

Some of these questions are ones you can only answer yourself, and some qs are related ("different" as a value in watchmaking is interesting to wrap one's head around, and the degree of difference has something to do with sales, obv).

How much it will cost is: automatically more than you think. I don't see how you could spend less than five figures (usd) if using decent Swiss movements and buying anything other than off-the-shelf Asian for your components.

I'd echo Nobel Prize+everyone else: all this is doable. Lots of people have made it work. You just have to care an *incredible* amount, and you have to be willing to spend a lot (as with most undertakings, the estimates almost always will under-guess).

janice&fred · Dec 8, 2020

I've been there-done that.

Best wishes,
Fred Patek

pongster · Dec 8, 2020

Ive always dreamed of starting my own brand. But seems the watch world is a tough nut to crack.

neilfrancis · Dec 8, 2020

Here's a watch brand that I think is doing something different, using quartz, plastic, some wire, paint, a piece of leather, a great eye, a sense of horological fun and some great marketing. Every single one of those is cheap or free.
There is more than one person working there, mind you. As discussed it depends what you want to do. But this is all done and out of the door at a very collectable price.

Laz'engennlemen.... The Electricianz CableZ out of Bien/Biel/Omegatownville. I do not wear this watch to airports.

Vercingetorix · Dec 8, 2020

If you really want to start a watch brand, forget about being a watchmaker. What you need as a marketing degree, Just look at the schlock they’re selling nowadays. Hodinkee, MVMT, Shinola, Daniel whoever. Who cares?

Foo2rama · Dec 8, 2020

The math is interesting... the trick is a compelling design that will sell out your production. This is where Kickstarter works.. but you have to meet prototype restrictions.

the first step is really the design. If you can do that and sell 50 or so on a watch forum you can make a little money.

Risto · Dec 8, 2020

Thanks for the replies, guys!

I am going to explain myself a bit.

Scooterino36
Why?

Why? Well, a couple of reasons.
I work as a graphic and web designer, user-experience specialist, and front-end developer. An IT geek. I've been in this business for the last 15 years. I am now 40 and although I feel that I do a great job, I want to do something else. Midlife crisis? Maybe, and perhaps it's normal.
Watches are my passion, just like building cars and racing them, and photography.
I like forms, proportions, technicalities, mechanical movements, and the entire genius of a watch.
And last, but not least, a man wants to make a living. Why not profit from what I actually love.

apsm100
I'd probably only do it if I had the ability to hand craft the entire thing myself.

Well, I only wish I could do everything.
I can design a case, a dial, a crown, pushers, hands.
I can't make them. I have to outsource every part. If you have good suppliers, perhaps it's doable.
I don't like to take catalogue off-the-shelf cases and other parts.
I don't mind buying a movement, I have to.
Creating everything in-house is very very expensive as also mentioned here.

Nobel Prize
I can’t possibly spend the time and resources to research or answer all the questions you may have, but I will tell you that you need a solid business plan behind this business and a hefty investment, and even then you have little chance to break even or be able to distribute commercially and compete in this market...

Yes, I know that I need a good business plan, just like with any starting business.
As is making and selling any other luxury products.
I can invest some from my own pocket, get some from the government (it's only for marketing and design, measly 15k €), and need a loan or investors. It all depends on the details.

I am thinking that I could make some quartz models because I know that some people just don't care for mechanical watches. They just buy the design.
But, with the mechanical movement, I'd aim higher than usual suspects. Nice mvts cost 2++ k EUR.
I think most people who buy mechanical new watches want the display back. Using a dull movement is no go for me.

Still not sure what the market is. I can't compete with Dan Henry or similar cheap producers, and perhaps I shouldn't. 5+ k market is already filled with many established brands.
I know a local Estonian guy who has created his own brand. He's selling his watches for around 1-1,5k range. He has created 100 pc runs and has sold them all. Many to the local market. I will discuss all of this with him at one point, but I am not ready yet.
Need to research first.
I do feel I can design better watches than him 😀

queriver
Look at what Nicholas Hacko Watches do for an example of the latter. https://www.nicholashacko.com.au/about

Thanks for the link!
Creating your own movement or even modified someone's, is definitely not step 1 for me!

vintage hab
But before starting a brand, how about just build a unique watch? ...

Yes, I think that's how I should start. But, I still not sure about those ready-made cases and other parts.
I mean there are services like this: https://eoniq.co/

I am going to make some paper-pencil sketches and drawings this Christmas holiday. And will see if the ideas in my head can be transformed onto paper. Have many ideas.

I don't want to create homages.
Still, very cool watches are created daily. Even minimalistic design can be different.
https://www.instagram.com/moserwatches/

Risto · Dec 8, 2020

Oh, btw I know a local guy who can do guilloche dials!

Foo2rama · Dec 8, 2020

Risto
Thanks for the replies, guys!

I am going to explain myself a bit.

Why? Well, a couple of reasons.
I work as a graphic and web designer, user-experience specialist, and front-end developer. An IT geek. I've been in this business for the last 15 years. I am now 40 and although I feel that I do a great job, I want to do something else. Midlife crisis? Maybe, and perhaps it's normal.
Watches are my passion, just like building cars and racing them, and photography.
I like forms, proportions, technicalities, mechanical movements, and the entire genius of a watch.
And last, but not least, a man wants to make a living. Why not profit from what I actually love.

Well, I only wish I could do everything.
I can design a case, a dial, a crown, pushers, hands.
I can't make them. I have to outsource every part. If you have good suppliers, perhaps it's doable.
I don't like to take catalogue off-the-shelf cases and other parts.
I don't mind buying a movement, I have to.
Creating everything in-house is very very expensive as also mentioned here.

Yes, I know that I need a good business plan, just like with any starting business.
As is making and selling any other luxury products.
I can invest some from my own pocket, get some from the government (it's only for marketing and design, measly 15k €), and need a loan or investors. It all depends on the details.

I am thinking that I could make some quartz models because I know that some people just don't care for mechanical watches. They just buy the design.
But, with the mechanical movement, I'd aim higher than usual suspects. Nice mvts cost 2++ k EUR.
I think most people who buy mechanical new watches want the display back. Using a dull movement is no go for me.

Still not sure what the market is. I can't compete with Dan Henry or similar cheap producers, and perhaps I shouldn't. 5+ k market is already filled with many established brands.
I know a local Estonian guy who has created his own brand. He's selling his watches for around 1-1,5k range. He has created 100 pc runs and has sold them all. Many to the local market. I will discuss all of this with him at one point, but I am not ready yet.
Need to research first.
I do feel I can design better watches than him 😀

Thanks for the link!
Creating your own movement or even modified someone's, is definitely not step 1 for me!

Yes, I think that's how I should start. But, I still not sure about those ready-made cases and other parts.
I mean there are services like this: https://eoniq.co/

I am going to make some paper-pencil sketches and drawings this Christmas holiday. And will see if the ideas in my head can be transformed onto paper. Have many ideas.

I don't want to create homages.
Still, very cool watches are created daily. Even minimalistic design can be different.
https://www.instagram.com/moserwatches/

I disagree on nice movements needing to be 2000. That is flatly wrong. I also disagree with needing a display back. Even high grade eta's that look good with a display back are not 2k, even with mild customizing.

The trick is really building a design that is not an homage but really ties into vintage looks, which is very very hard. Its fairly easy in divers which is why you see so many divers from micro brands.

Dan S · Dec 8, 2020

I think it will be basically 100% marketing. Watch aficionados are total sheep these days. Find the right IG influencer and you will go viral. Otherwise, you'll sink like a stone. All that other "design" stuff barely matters. Given that dynamic, it's completely uninteresting to me.

Anyone here who's started a watch brand?

Risto

Scooterino36

apsm100

Nobel Prize

eugeneandresson

queriver

vintage hab

STANDY

Dimitris

amfalconer

Wlcutter

janice&fred

pongster

neilfrancis

Vercingetorix

Foo2rama

Risto

Risto

Foo2rama

Dan S

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