For entrepreneurs out there...

[ravenhome777]

For the entrepreneurs out there, have you ever thought about starting your own watch brand?

I have fantasized about this for a couple years. It would be a huge undertaking but probably very rewarding. Just curious if anyone else plays around with this idea.

[Blansky]

NO.

Start a restaurant instead. Much better odds.

[gnuyork]

Yes, several times... designing the dial and coming up with a marketable name seems difficult to me.

But when I see some of these micro brands sell out of their limited quantities in what seems like hours, I wonder if I can do it too.

[seanmulhern]

Originally Posted by Blansky

NO.

Start a restaurant instead. Much better odds.

Or an airline

[enjoythemusic]

With what time?

[capital]

Yes, but the thought never lasts longer than a minute

[330ci]

I almost started up a watch brand in college. I wanted to buy quantities of vintage American movements. Get them serviced and create cases and dials to create small series of 100% American Made watches without the added R&D of a movement and manufacturing costs. I still think about doing it from time to time. I have enough movements and parts to support plenty of vintage cals, would just need to team up with a watchmaker to do the servicing of movements.

From a cost perspective, it’s a lot of initial investment. My estimated cost of manufacture was ~$1,000 watch. Then adding some sort of warranty on top, marketing, etc. it becomes tough to compete.

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by 330ci

I almost started up a watch brand in college. I wanted to buy quantities of vintage American movements. Get them serviced and create cases and dials to create small series of 100% American Made watches without the added R&D of a movement and manufacturing costs. I still think about doing it from time to time. I have enough movements and parts to support plenty of vintage cals, would just need to team up with a watchmaker to do the servicing of movements.

From a cost perspective, it’s a lot of initial investment. My estimated cost of manufacture was ~$1,000 watch. Then adding some sort of warranty on top, marketing, etc. it becomes tough to compete.

There's a watch company out there (I forgot the name) that does beautiful one off custom watches that use vintage Omega movements. Each one is unique and priced accordingly - $$$$.

[BNA/LION]

No. It's a neat thing to think about but would not be a soild entrepreneurial investment, IMHO.

[GB-man]

No because I’m not a watchmaker. I wouldn’t start a restaurant either because I’m no chef lol

I know it’s not required but to me it feels important.

[Pw92676]

As an investor, I’d be interested. As an entrepreneur, nope. Risk/reward, time/enjoyment ratios aren’t in may favor.

[ravenhome777]

Ooof, restaurant work is not for me. That's a LOT of work. Plus I can't cook. :-)

Yeah, I'm not sure if it's a good money generating venture. I would like to do it just for the fun of it. I think it would be very rewarding. If I won the lottery I think I'd do it, even if I lost money. I have a bunch of ideas, but not enough capital.

I wonder if it's arrogant to just use your own name for the watch logo. Hans Wilsdorf thought so. Although, I think a couple escaped with his actual name on the dial. I think I might use my own name. But I'd only put my name on something if it was impeccable Rolex quality. I'd use a Swiss movement. I have a couple marketing ideas. I'd want them to blow people's socks off and sell them in limited quantities. Purple unicorns that fart gold dust.

[Burlington]

Really to be successful without a ton of R&D cash is to start a marketing company that sells watches.

[77T]

No

Start up a grey dealer instead...

Instant popularity at a profit.


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[Hard_Six]

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[CamSLC]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Really to be successful without a ton of R&D cash is to start a marketing company that sells watches.

THIS ^^ is what the MVMT company shown above did. They're a marketing/fashion company first who sourced cheap movements.

[gnuyork]

Same with Daniel Wellington.

realistically I'm more interested in something smaller scale like Halios or Evant (which sell out very quickly)... not that I wouldn't take the success of MVMT if I had the know how.

[enjoythemusic]

Hmmm, maybe you guys are right. I'm thinking of making a travel alarm clock with some old movement... for the low, low price of $6000.

Who wants to be my first investor?

[ravenhome777]

Ya, not into MVMT style of watches. To each their own! I'm more of a vintage enthusiast.

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by ravenhome777

Ya, not into MVMT style of watches. To each their own! I'm more of a vintage enthusiast.

Yeah I get it... But you don't have to be into them. Your customers do.

There's two ways to think about it... Make a watch you and a few watch enthusiasts really like, and possibly go broke doing it. What you essentially have is a pet project, nothing wrong with that.

or.. make a watch that appeals to many customers even if you would never wear one. And market the crap out of it.

Somebody once told me "Sell to the classes, live with the masses; sell to the masses, live with the classes."

[J!m]

I have seriously considered it, and have a few designs done as well as paperwork, warranty etc. to go along with the offerings.

Branding is super-important. Probably more so than the product itself.

But I have good connections and could offer things others cannot.

Another problem is the proper tool watches I would be offering would be far and away from what passes for a tool watch today. But pricing would be similar, so that is a tough sell. But I had hoped to offer products to the global militaries, which would include the superior accuracy of Quartz powered offerings, in addition to the automatics. Fixed bars on the mil spec ones too.

In my case, Swiss movements (eta modified to my spec) and cases made of materials not normally used for watch cases. (there was additional testing required for allergies that was yet to be done to avoid the 904 allergic reactions a few people have)

BAsic offerings at first:

Time only
Time/date
Time/GMT
Time/date/GMT

Later a chronograph, but the additional pushers and seals come with their own challenges...

High quality, American design and assembly with the best components available globally and attention to detail.

Probably be able to do a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser too, provided maintenance is kept up.

ETA-based movement means the movement can be serviced by anyone; although the unique components would have to come from me of course. In a pinch stock parts could be used to "keep it going".

So, yeah. Thought about it a bit.

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by J!m

I have seriously considered it, and have a few designs done as well as paperwork, warranty etc. to go along with the offerings.

Branding is super-important. Probably more so than the product itself.

But I have good connections and could offer things others cannot.

Another problem is the proper tool watches I would be offering would be far and away from what passes for a tool watch today. But pricing would be similar, so that is a tough sell. But I had hoped to offer products to the global militaries, which would include the superior accuracy of Quartz powered offerings, in addition to the automatics. Fixed bars on the mil spec ones too.

In my case, Swiss movements (eta modified to my spec) and cases made of materials not normally used for watch cases. (there was additional testing required for allergies that was yet to be done to avoid the 904 allergic reactions a few people have)

BAsic offerings at first:

Time only
Time/date
Time/GMT
Time/date/GMT

Later a chronograph, but the additional pushers and seals come with their own challenges...

High quality, American design and assembly with the best components available globally and attention to detail.

Probably be able to do a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser too, provided maintenance is kept up.

ETA-based movement means the movement can be serviced by anyone; although the unique components would have to come from me of course. In a pinch stock parts could be used to "keep it going".

So, yeah. Thought about it a bit.

Sounds great

[ravenhome777]

Originally Posted by gnuyork

Yeah I get it... But you don't have to be into them. Your customers do.

There's two ways to think about it... Make a watch you and a few watch enthusiasts really like, and possibly go broke doing it. What you essentially have is a pet project, nothing wrong with that.

or.. make a watch that appeals to many customers even if you would never wear one. And market the crap out of it.

Somebody once told me "Sell to the classes, live with the masses; sell to the masses, live with the classes."

Hmm. You may have a point here.

[ravenhome777]

Originally Posted by J!m

I have seriously considered it, and have a few designs done as well as paperwork, warranty etc. to go along with the offerings.

Branding is super-important. Probably more so than the product itself.

But I have good connections and could offer things others cannot.

Another problem is the proper tool watches I would be offering would be far and away from what passes for a tool watch today. But pricing would be similar, so that is a tough sell. But I had hoped to offer products to the global militaries, which would include the superior accuracy of Quartz powered offerings, in addition to the automatics. Fixed bars on the mil spec ones too.

In my case, Swiss movements (eta modified to my spec) and cases made of materials not normally used for watch cases. (there was additional testing required for allergies that was yet to be done to avoid the 904 allergic reactions a few people have)

BAsic offerings at first:

Time only
Time/date
Time/GMT
Time/date/GMT

Later a chronograph, but the additional pushers and seals come with their own challenges...

High quality, American design and assembly with the best components available globally and attention to detail.

Probably be able to do a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser too, provided maintenance is kept up.

ETA-based movement means the movement can be serviced by anyone; although the unique components would have to come from me of course. In a pinch stock parts could be used to "keep it going".

So, yeah. Thought about it a bit.

I'm sold. Where do I sign?