Posts Tagged ‘basel’
The Watch Lounge Speaks With Alon Ben-Joseph, CEO of ACE Jewelers
I was very fortunate this week to be able to chat with Alon Ben-Joseph, the CEO of Amsterdam based Ace Jewelers. Specializing in watches and jewelry from some of the best known brands in the world the company is owned and operated by the Ben-Joseph family and is comprised of three different jewelry stores and an online eBoutique. Alon himself first became active in the family company in 1998 after successfully obtaining his Bachelors degree in New York. He then completed his Masters degree in Business Economics at the University of Amsterdam.
Today he talks to The Watch Lounge about Ace’s sales philosophy, the challenges the company faces and what the future holds.
TWL: Ace Jewelers is well known for being innovative and modern. How do you ensure you keep ahead of the the constantly changing trends in wrist fashion?
ACE: As a self-confessed watch freak and ambassador of watch brands (through our three retail and online eBoutique) I am committed to being on the front line of watch fashion. In order to achieve this we attend all the major watch fairs, read all the leading trade & consumer magazines, read leading blogs such as yours and even visit the brands in Switzerland. Over time we have also forged strong relationships with some of the brands we stock, to the point where we can now even give some input regarding their brand strategy and direction.
As an entrepreneur and advisor to consumers, I want to add value and give our customers what they really want. That’s why ACE puts in so much effort to stay on top of the constantly changing trends in wrist fashion!
TWL: True to its spirit of innovation the company was the first Dutch luxury jeweler in The Netherlands to open an eBoutique and this was largely driven by your efforts. What was your motivation in setting up the online store and what challenges have you faced along the way?
ACE: To put it simply, we truly believe in eCommerce. We launched our first website in 1998, but until last year never offered online purchase possibilities. In 2008 we identified this gap in the market and founded our fourth store: Ace Online. Although we are located in Amsterdam, we service many returning international customers and they literally demanded an eBoutique from us!
It was not easy though at first as all the watch and jewelry brands were opposed to the idea. Despite this we persevered and in 2008 we commenced our etail adventures and we haven’t looked back since. I think we can say that today there is a new wind starting to blow through the land of watches. Slowly but surely one brand after the other is coming to realize that eCommerce is not just a passing trend but rather a very real part of the future of watch retailing.
TWL: Since launching the official eBoutique in 2008 have you experienced an increase in international sales? Do you feel that this has helped grow your presence both in Europe and also the international market?
ACE: We want to emphasize that we are jewelers and our business is all about emotions. It is a common joke within our company that looking should not only be done with your eyes, but also with your hands. You need to touch the piece, see how it looks on you, listen to how it speaks to you. You cannot do this through the internet but that is fine because it was never our intention for Ace Online to replace our stores and this is still the case today. We truly believe they complement and help each other (in our industry – I can image this is not the case for every industry).
In recognition of this, therefore, we have adopted a new strategy, a cross-channel strategy where we have three physical retail stores, website(s) and most importantly a solid back-office that answers phone calls and instant messenger chats immediately, replies to e-mails within 24 hours and supports the sales teams in the stores. All our back office team members are trained in-house and also work in our stores. We don’t outsource anything!
I am very proud to say that we have noticed that this new strategy works very well for us. Not only are able to service our current (international) customers better we also attract many new customers (both nationally and internationally). To show our customers how much we appreciate their custom we send every order free of charge and therefore do not alienate a potential customer simply because of where they live. And, for orders outside the EU, we even send them tax-free!
TWL: The Global Financial Crisis has had a significant negative impact on the luxury watch industry over the past 18 months. How was Ace affected by the global financial crisis and what strategies did you put in place to help the company ride out the economic uncertainty?
ACE: As was to be expected we experienced a downturn in sales, but funnily enough it did not stop the sale of the more unique products we offer. What we have noticed is that many people got a reality check. Stocks, Bonds and Banks are not everything and why store your money at a bank and risk losing it all when you can use it to purchase watches that keep their value (or even go up in value over the course of time) and enjoy them daily in the mean time?!As such, we did not experience the same level of decline we saw other major groups undergo. On top of that our eCommerce activities continually help us create new business opportunities.
Besides, everything that goes up, must come down… And, visa versa. We have been in business for many decades, so this is not the first time we’ve experienced such volatile times and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Everything we do, we do with a long-term view, so we are confident we will become stronger from all of this.
TWL: What are the biggest challenges facing the company going forward? Do you have any plans for further growth within or outside of the Netherlands?
ACE: The biggest challenges are: lack of trained and skilled employees (solution: we run our own state-of-the-art in-house training programs); escalating criminality and violence (solution: our stores are like Fort Knox), Internet (solution: instead of fighting it, we’ve joined it!) and the power of economies of scale (solution: be a business partner for the brands, so they can’t go around you).
TWL: And finally, what watch are you wearing at the moment and why?
ACE: Most important question when interviewing a self-confessed watch freak, I also always want to know when I read an interview about someone else!
Currently I am at work and therefore I am suited up. When I suit up I love to wear one of my all time favorite watches: the IWC Portuguese Rattrapante. I have been in love with this watch since I was a kid and still enjoy it every time I wear it!
To find out more about Ace Jewelers and to check out their online eBoutique log on to Ace Jewelers.
2 Great Comments. Leave one too. | Filed under Interviews
Introduction to MCT Watches – Geneva
Written by MCT Founder Denis Giguet for The Watch Lounge
MCT is leading the way for a new generation of young, dynamic Swiss watch brands. We believe in designing unique, distinctive watches which allow our customers to actually tell the time quickly and easily. Many expensive watches have appeared with weird and wonderful designs but they often have very little functionality. Our customers tell us that they now want to buy “real” watches, not pure objects of fantasy.
I am a passionate student of the last 200 years of Swiss high horology and I have great respect for the watches made by my peers. I aim to “change the
face of time” by using new and quite unique movements and visual displays, always featuring a large and distinctive Hour indicator.
The starting point for me in designing Sequential One was to develop and build
an exclusive in-house MCT movement which we have called the “Jumping Sequential Hour”. It is rare for Swiss watch brands to have their own movement but for me it is a pre-requisite for any authentic, high horology company.
Sequential One is a complex masterpiece where each function is based on a combination of elements rotating on three dimensional axes, at different speeds and moments. It is more complicated than a tourbillion and each timepiece takes many days to assemble in our Geneva Atelier.
The iconic watch front display comprises oversized Hour numerals on 20 visible prisms and a jumping, sapphire crystal dial, which combines with a single gold hand to indicate the Minutes. On the watch back, through the clear sapphire crystal, one can observe the beautiful movement and escapement, which features the enchanting Straumann double hairspring balance assembly. All bridges have been intricately finished in the centuries old «Côtes de Genève» style.
This unique timepiece is enhanced further by a delicate slice of clear sapphire crystal carefully sandwiched between the two elements of the watch case. This slice of crystal allows more light into the watch so that the movement may be seen more easily and it also breaks up the case, making it appear slimmer.
Our special system designed to accumulate and store power for the rotation of the Minutes disk is subject to an MCT patent. Energy is constantly being drawn from the movement by the display and it takes one hour of accumulated and stored energy to power a single 90° rotation of the Minutes disk. When fully hand wound, Sequential One has a power reserve of 40 Hours.
Sequential One also features the enchanting and extraordinary Straumann Double Hairspring Balance, which controls the rythym and equilibrium of the movement. This is an unique escapement which features two balance springs oscillating against each other. These springs are manufactured as a matched pair under optimal conditions which eliminates gravitational error.
I hope you enjoyed reading about MCT and Sequential One. Please send me any comments or questions : denis.giguet@mctwatches.com
For further information check out the MCT Watches website.
Editor’s Note: The Watch Lounge has been granted the amazing opportunity to interview Denis as well as the other masterminds behind the amazing Sequential One, Eric Giroud and Jerome Marcu. If you have any questions for these amazing minds please feel free to email them through to me or post them up in the comments section. Be quick though, as I will be finalizing my questions early next week!
Bell & Ross BR-S Phantom
The creative folk over at Bell & Ross are at it again. It seems there is no end to their ability to re-design and re-imagine their iconic Instrument BR collection and this suits me just fine. I love this watch in all its many variations! In one of the latest reincarnations we are presented with the BR-S Phantom which is based upon the ceramic-cased BR-S watches which debuted at Baselworld in 2008. Sleek and stealthy these pieces are sure to please even the harshest of critics.
The New BR-S Phantom
This new model is featured with either an all black or all white dial finished with a stunning monochrome luminous material giving the watch a smooth, shiny appearance. Although it means that the dial sorts of blends completely into itself thanks to the luminescent compounds legibility is never an issue. Additionally the flat, anti-reflective sapphire crystal guarantees exceptional legibility of the Phantom dial at virtually any angle.
The watches are housed in a 39mm x 39mm cases manufactured from black or white ceramic, the buzz material of the moment renowned as much for its extraordinary hardness and scratch resistance as it is for its hypoallergenic qualities. Further enhancing the innate comfort of this piece is the wide straps available in rubber, calf, hand-sewn alligator leather, or a ceramic material.
All variations of the Bell & Ross BR-S Phantom watches are powered by a battery driven highly precise Swiss ETA quartz movement.
The Final Word
The only downfall for me is that the watch is animated by a quartz movement. However this is indicative of the fact that the watch has been designed with the fashionable crowd in mind which is a good thing too as in my opinion they have succeeded in creating an exceptionally appealing piece for this market.
Having said that, diehard mechanical fans should not hold the aforementioned against this watch in any way as it is truly stunning, displaying Bell & Ross’ design flairs and trademark attention to detail.
Weird Watch Wednesday: Singularity LED Watch
Here at The Watch Lounge we are introducing a new weekly segment called “Weird Watch Wednesday”, a tongue in cheek look at some of the more ‘interesting’ watch creations out there at the moment. To kick off the inaugaural post for this segment I have selected a watch whose sole purpose seems to be to make it as confusing as possible to read the time. The Singularity LED Watch.
How It Works?
This is a very good question and one which needs many hours of patient instruction and practice to answer. Essentially the watch displays the time and date in vertical and horizontal columns. Sounds simple enough but in reality this is far from true. To bring the screen to life you need to press the display button on the right side of the timepiece. You are rewarded with a myriad, albeit confusing, litany of colors.
As you would expect from a geek inspired watch the time and date is show in binary code. There are two different modes to enable you to differentiate between the time and date. In Time mode, the vertical column represents hour information in binary code. The horizontal row represents minute information also in binary code. In Date mode, the vertical column represents the month, and the horizontal row represents the day of the month, in binary code. See below for a graphic representation of how this is supposed to work:
Its up to whether you want the watch to display the time randomly (every 10 minutes or so) or only show the time when you tap the button.
The Final Word
As strange and confusing as this watch is for the $25 odd dollars it sells for it could make a pretty cool novelty gift for someone you very much dislike. Once you get the hang of it reading the time and date becomes less challenging but still somewhat confusing and I can’t imagine the lifespan of this piece would be too long. Especially when you consider that all you need is for one LED to fail and then the watch is useless.
Make sure you tune in next week for our next instalment of ‘Weird Watch Wednesday’ and if you have suggestions for weird watches you would like me to write about on the site please feel free to contact me and let me know!
Fighting Fakes: Part Two
In part two of my two-part special on counterfeit watches it is my goal to equip you with some valuable hints and tips on how to steer clear of imitators. Unfortunately the rapid progression in the design and manufacturing capabilities of the black market has meant that identifying a counterfeit watch has become far more difficult. However, there are some steps you can take as a consumer to protect yourself. Read on to learn more.
If you missed Part One you can read it here.
There’s fake and then there’s fake!
I think it’s fair to say that most people who buy a counterfeit watch do so with the knowledge that they are not purchasing the genuine article. However, what many consumers fail to realise is that there are two levels of counterfeit watch. The first is an extremely cheap imitation. The watch carries a luxury name but there’s no effort made to copy details of the real watch. Sellers assume a customer who pays $30 on a street corner must know it’s a fake and therefore must know that they’re not getting a “real bargain” on a $2000 watch.
A higher-quality fake is one designed to closely resemble the real product. It may incorporate real gold, diamonds and leather. It may have a case that bears a legitimate model number, but have other parts that are poor-quality substitutes. Such a watch will sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and an uneducated buyer could take it to be genuine. However, it is of inferior quality, made with questionable parts and workmanship. Tips to avoid this situation:
- Only purchase your watch from an authorized dealer or from a trusted source (if you are purchasing second-hand.)
- Do your research. There is abundant information available on the internet on nearly every make and model of luxury watch. Make sure you know what the watch should be made of, the different dial variations, etc. Very often counterfeit watches of luxury brands will bear the same name and branding but the design will be unlike any the watchmaker has ever released.
- Make sure the watch comes with a valid warranty. Even if you are buying online many re-sellers will offer 1 – 2 year warranties.
- If it’s too good to be true it probably is. If there is a highly limited edition watch going for an unbelievable price chances are it’s probably fake. Again though, do your research. There are genuine bargains to be found online and you don’t want to miss out.
Genuine Fakes
Another emerging trend is the practice of misleadingly representing inexpensive watches as if they were fine luxury timepieces. They are sold under their own brand name, so they are not fakes of another company’s brand. But their products are of modest to staggeringly cheap manufacture and have none of the merits of the fine, expensive brands they allude to. The typical scam on these are a combination of:
- An impressive Swiss, German or European sounding name.
- An impressive “retail price” or “RRP” (recommended retail price).
- Fancy verbiage that sounds like what a luxury watch brand would say.
- Impressive comparisons of features to those of “other” luxury timepieces.
- A special price you can buy it for that is incredibly below the retail price.
The deception here is that claimed retail price is a complete lie. These watches sell regularly at prices that are a trivial fraction–often as much as 70-95% off–of their claimed retail value. How can they sell them so cheap? Simple, they are cheap watches. Ones made to be profitably sold in the lower price range of their actual asking price. Any perception that these luxury impostors are even remotely worth their advertised retail price is nothing more than pure marketing bravado and intentional deception. So be aware of big discounts on seemingly ‘high-end’ brands that you’ve never actually heard of before.
The Final Word
The above is only a microcosm of the information that is available on the internet to help you protect yourself from counterfeiters. However, the onus is on you to do your research and be aware of the potential pitfalls of not buying from an authorized dealer. Having said that, as I mentioned before there are plenty of good bargains out there so arm yourself with as much information as possible and make the judgement call.
Does anyone else have any additional hints and tips or experiences with counterfeit watches that they would like to share with other readers?
|
|
search the watch lounge
enter your email to get updates in your inbox
Latest Comments
- Nick Orloff: Beautiful piece, regrettably a little (?) out of my price range. I’d love to...
- Olivier Muller: Thanks, BMW
Stay tuned ! - Jack: Looks like a really nice watch for the price!