WOODSHORES studio

Planning on launching your watch brand? What should you know?

My name is Francis Jacquerye and I work with the business side of design. Over the last 16 years I have been involved in the development of more than 18 commercial watch brands, of which Longines Watch Co., Kronaby (Festina Group), Sector and Philip Watch (Morellato Group), Patria Watch Co., Gorilla, more than 9 fashion brand and more than 3 lifestyle brands.
I also frequently write about the watch industry to more than 50,000 monthly reader on Quora.com, where I have been nominated a Top Writer 2018.
This website contains my best advise based on first hand experience with design, cost and production of timepieces.

Watches belong to the hard goods category of luxury, and according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, “...managing luxury is not only more difficult than ever, it is actually one of the most difficult managerial tasks. This is deeply embedded in the nature of luxury…“

When it comes to entrepreneurship, it is generally considered that the 3 pillars of a successful business will be Finance, Sales & Marketing and Operations. However according to watch distribution expert Thomas Baillod, Operations is the most critical task:

If you master your costs, you master your sales and marketing strategy. Production is the key to everything. First (you need) to get the right product, but you need to master your cost and make sure (that) you have the right quality. Don’t leave this to improvisation, and remember: the right people bring you to the right people.

…and I would add that if your Product is not optimized, it could easily lack value proposition or cost more to manufacture than you can afford.

So I have put together some best practice recommendations based on my first hand experience in the watch industry. Here, I will discuss which of the 8 P’s of luxuy brand marketing you should pay close attention to, how to position your brand stylewise and pricewise against the competition with the help of a database about 400+ watch brands.
How to pick a designer for your product and what to expect in terms of development process.
How to determine your target price and sales channels, and which materials and manufacturing processes you should take into consideration.

Don’t hesitate to contact me personally if your project needs help with design, cost management or production.