Fratello Talks: Building A Watch Brand In 2023
Hello, and welcome to the 50th and penultimate episode of Fratello Talks this year. Today, we dive into the topic of building a watch brand in 2023. Joining your host Nacho are Morgan and Thomas, and the latter comes well equipped to share some insights into the experience. As some of you may know, Thomas, along with being a writer for Fratello, is also the brain behind the upcoming watch brand VPC. But what exactly goes into starting a watch brand today? What are the challenges one faces? And what are some of the most satisfying moments along the way? In this episode, we’ll get into this and much more. But first, we need to check what the guys have on their wrists today.
Wrist check
We start with Morgan, Fratello’s man behind the camera, and the person responsible for the vast majority of the brilliant photos you see on the site daily. He is wearing his Omega Speedmaster. The reference, which you’ll forgive him for not memorizing, is 311.30.42.30.01.005. This is the final Moonwatch reference produced before the latest version with the upgraded bracelet. He is wearing it on an Uncle Straps bracelet inspired by the 1479 Omega bracelet.
Today, Thomas is rocking his Panerai Radiomir PAM00210 on a custom-made leather strap. This 45mm stainless steel beast is surprisingly wearable. Due to its wire lugs and pebble-like profile, it sits nicely on the wrist. This classic model has everything you might want from a Panerai, including a minimalist sandwich dial, a lovely hand-wound movement, and heaps of charm.
Rather unsurprisingly, Nacho is still wearing his Omega Seamaster Professional 300M ref. 2254.50.00. At this point, we could skip his wrist check entirely. If anything, the question we should ask is: will he ever wear another watch? Well, maybe next week!
Building a watch brand in 2023
If you’ve been following along with Thomas’s Building A Watch Brand series, you’ll already have some knowledge about the long road full of switchbacks, bumps, and dead ends that such an endeavor entails. But as full of challenges as it may be, there are plenty of beautiful sights to take in along the way. And all the hard work that goes into it can ultimately lead to bringing a project to life. If enough people believe in your project and invest in your vision, it can even become commercially viable. Many try, but few truly succeed.
We might all have an idea of what goes into it, from initial design to prototyping, finding manufacturers, marketing, distribution, etc. But while the concept is one thing, actually taking on the project is something else entirely. In this episode, Thomas gives us an inside look into some of the less obvious parts of the process. Breaking into the industry is no easy feat, but so far, VPC has made a promising start. The next step for the brand will be the production of prototypes. But if you want to know more, the final installment of Building A Watch Brand will be released next Wednesday, with all the latest from Thomas himself.
In the meantime, check out this week’s episode, and tune in next week for the final episode of Fratello Talks in 2023.
