9 stappen om uw horlogebedrijf te starten

Starting a watch business can be a thrilling and rewarding venture, but it requires careful planning and strategic investment. Whether aiming to create luxury timepieces or fashionable accessories, understanding the essential steps and costs involved is crucial.

To start your own brand watch business, follow these 9 steps:

Let’s check the steps

Step 1. Research and Choose the Right Market

Identify your target customers and their preferences

Aim for women or men-size watches? Sports or daily life wear, Diving watch or chronograph? Finding who to sell and their preferences is vital. It decides your watch’s cost, size, design, or specifications.

Analyze competitors and market trends

Before launching your traditional watch business in a new market, conducting a thorough analysis of your competitors is crucial. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to consider:

1. Analyze Competitor Pricing:
   • Research the selling prices of competitors’ watches.
   • Compare the price ranges across different brands and models.
   • Identify any premium pricing strategies and what justifies higher prices (e.g., brand prestige, unique features).
2. Examine Competitor Packages and Specifications:
   • Look at the packaging quality and presentation.
   • Note the specifications of their watches, such as materials used, movement types, and additional features.
   • Assess the overall value proposition offered by competitors.

1. Investigate Competitors’ New Products:
   • Track the latest releases and innovations from competitors.
   • Identify trends in design, functionality, and materials.
   • Understand how new products are being marketed and received by customers.

1. Check Main Platforms in the Target Market:
   • Identify the main platforms where watches are sold (e.g., local e-commerce sites, specialized watch retailers, Amazon).
   • Analyze customer reviews on these platforms to gauge satisfaction and common issues.

1. Analyze Amazon Reviews:
   • Look at reviews for similar watch models on Amazon.
   • Identify common complaints or issues raised by customers.
   • Determine if your watches can address these problems, offering better quality, reliability, or features.

1. Identify Trending Products:
   • Research the current trends in the watch market.
   • Note which types of watches (e.g., vintage, minimalist, luxury) are gaining popularity.
   • Adapt your product offerings to align with these trends while maintaining your unique selling points.

By thoroughly analyzing competitors and market trends, you can strategically position your watch business to offer superior products that address existing market gaps and customer pain points.

Define your unique selling proposition

If you want to cover them, Get what they have not and what they have

To stand out in the traditional watch market, you need to offer unique features and services that differentiate your products from those of your competitors. Here’s a breakdown of what competitors have and how you can offer something they don’t:

What They Have:

1. Quality Materials and Craftsmanship:
   • Roestvrij staal
   • Titanium
   • Keramiek
   • Precious Metals (Gold, Silver, etc.)
2. Customization Options:
   • Personalized engravings or elements
   • Variety of watch faces
   • Multiple strap options (leather, metal, silicone, etc.)
3. Branding and Packaging:
   • Attractive packaging
   • The brand logo on the watch

What They Haven’t (Potential Differentiators):

1. Unique Materials:
   • Sustainable or recycled materials
   • Hybrid materials (combining metal with wood or other unique elements)
   • Rare materials (meteorite dials, exotic woods)
2. Exclusive Design Options:
   • Bespoke watch design services where customers can co-create their watch
   • Limited edition collections with unique themes
   • Collaborations with renowned artists or designers for special editions
3. Advanced Craftsmanship:
   • Hand-engraved or hand-painted dials
   • Intricate mechanical movements with visible gears
   • Master watchmaker certifications or signatures on each piece
4. Enhanced Customer Experience:
   • Lifetime warranty or extended warranty options
   • Personalized customer service with direct access to watchmakers
   • Exclusive membership programs offering early access to new releases
5. Heritage and Storytelling:
   • Watches inspired by historical events or cultural heritage
   • Story cards or booklets detailing the inspiration and craftsmanship behind each watch
6. Community and Engagement:
   • Hosting events or workshops for watch enthusiasts
   • Offering a platform for customers to share their own stories and experiences with their watches
   • Engaging social media presence with behind-the-scenes looks at the watchmaking process

By combining high-quality materials and craftsmanship with innovative, exclusive features and exceptional customer service, you can create a traditional watch brand that stands out in the competitive market.

Step 2. Find the Right Logo and Name for your Watch Brands

Creat a logo and name to put on your watch, make your watch identified

Create a memorable brand name
A easy remembered brand name is easy remembered by your customer

Design a logo that represents your brand

When creating a logo for your watch brand, aim for simplicity, boldness, and versatility. Here are the key points to consider, when you put the logo on a dial or on the watch back, too complicated logo design may add the engrave cost or the watch factory :

Key Considerations:

1. Simplicity:
   • Keep the design clean and minimalistic.
   • Avoid intricate details that won’t show well on a small watch face.
2. Color Usage:
   • Use one or two colors.
   • Ensure the logo looks good in monochrome for engraving.
3. Boldness:
   • Use bold lines and shapes.
   • Avoid thin lines that may disappear at smaller sizes.

Steps to Design the Logo:

1. Define Brand Identity:
   • Reflect on your brand values (e.g., luxury, craftsmanship).
2. Sketch Ideas:
   • Experiment with shapes, icons, and typography.
3. Choose a Symbol:
   • Select a simple and timeless symbol (e.g., a watch gear, initials).
4. Typography:
   • Use a clear and bold font.
5. Combine Elements:
   • Integrate the symbol and text for a cohesive design.
6. Color Palette:
   • Use one or two primary colors.
   • Ensure the logo looks good in black and white.
7. Test and Refine:
   • Test the logo at different sizes and on various materials.
   • Refine based on feedback.

Example:

A stylized gear icon with your brand initials in a clean, elegant font.

This approach ensures your logo is simple, recognizable, and effective for watch faces and other branding materials.

Step 3. Choose the Right Watch Design as an Example

You can design the watch by Collaborating with designers and manufacturers, But They need your example or your ideas to start with;

• Choose the movement (e.g., quartz, automatic, Japan, or Swiss Made), Remember, Movement decides the display on the dial Mechanische beweging
• Consider customization options like engraving
• Select case, bezel, dial, hands, and strap options
• Select crystal type (mineral or sapphire)

Determine specifications

• Decide on materials (e.g., stainless steel, leather)
• Choose features (e.g., water resistance)

Incorporate branding elements

• Add your logo to the watch dial, case back, or strap
• Use brand colors in the design
• Select fonts that align with your brand identity

Step 4. Find a Right Supplier + Discuss Your Watches

• Research and partner with reputable watch manufacturers: A good watch manufacturer can grows with your business
• Consider minimum order quantities and production timelines: Begin with a small batch to evaluate the quality and reliability. Our MOQ is mostly 300-500pcs, you can conduct with several colors, so to save your cost but present many styles effect

Discuss with your supplier to check and Determine specifications based on your budget,

1. Decide on materials (e.g., stainless steel, leather)
2. Choose features (e.g., water resistance, complications)
3. Select crystal type (mineral or sapphire)

If you still don’t know how to choose, You can talk with the factories, and see what they recommend.

Step 5. Develop packaging

Design packaging that aligns with your brand identity

Watches packages mostly are: Watch gift box, Sticker, warranty card, Wipe cloth

Step 6. Working on the Sample+Slight Change

Develop and test prototypes to ensure quality and design

If you are not satisfied with the quality or style, talk to your supplier,

Step 7. Establish pricing

Set a price point that reflects your brand positioning and target market

Now you’ve made a sample, You can know what‘s the cost of each product, try to set a price for your mass order and to your market

Setting a Price for Your Watch, Steps to Determine Pricing:

1. Calculate Cost Per Unit:
   • Manufacturing Cost: Determine the cost of materials, labor, and overhead per watch.
   • Packaging Cost: Include the cost of packaging materials and branding.
   • Shipping Cost: Factor in the cost of shipping from the manufacturer to your warehouse.
   • Other Costs: Consider costs for quality control, customs duties, and insurance.
2. Determine Desired Profit Margin:
   • Industry Standard: Research the typical profit margin in the watch industry (usually between 50-100%).
   • Target Margin: Decide on your desired profit margin based on your business goals and market positioning.
3. Set Wholesale Price:
   • Cost Calculation:
     • Total Cost per Unit = Manufacturing Cost + Packaging Cost + Shipping Cost + Other Costs
     • Wholesale Price = Total Cost per Unit + Desired Profit Margin
4. Set Retail Price:
   • Market Research: Research competitor prices for similar products.
   • Positioning: Determine where you want to position your brand (luxury, mid-range, or budget).
   • Retail Price:
     • Typically, the retail price is 2-3 times the wholesale price.
     • Retail Price = Wholesale Price × 2 (or 3)

Example Calculation:

1. Calculate Cost Per Unit:
   • Manufacturing Cost: $50
   • Packaging Cost: $5
   • Shipping Cost: $5
   • Other Costs: $5
   • Total Cost per Unit: $65
2. Determine Desired Profit Margin:
   • Desired Profit Margin: 100%
   • Wholesale Price: $65 + ($65 × 100%) = $130
3. Set Retail Price:
   • Retail Price: $130 × 2 = $260 (or $130 × 3 = $390)

Based on this calculation, your retail price should be set between $260 and $390, depending on your brand positioning and market strategy.

Step 8. Build a website and online presence

• Create an e-commerce website to sell your watches
• Establish social media profiles to promote your brand

Create an online website for display your watches or sell them on social platforms is the normal way for most business

Step 9. Launch and market your brand

• Develop a marketing strategy, including social media and influencer partnerships
• Consider participating in trade shows and events

Before Starting Your Watch Business

Before investing in any business, You must have a general idea of how much you can invest, and how much you need to invest. Who to sell, how to sell, A few important points to consider are:

• Budget + Profit (The most important is Budget + Profits)
• Who to sell (Target market)
• What to sell (Watch designs)
• How to Sell

Usually, it includes the below costs to start your watch brand.

• Watch prototypes cost
• Mass product cost
• Packaging cost for mass order
• Shipping cost for Mass order
• Import tax for mass order
• Building a website cost
• Marketing campaign cost ( google Ads cost)

Final Thought: Make your Watch with Story

Remember to focus on creating a unique brand story and value proposition that sets your watch brand apart from competitors. Starting a watch business is an easy thing, but the end is fast, So think before you start.

You may also want to consider working with experienced professionals who can guide you through the process of watch design, manufacturing, and brand development