The local watch market just got more exciting with the recent launch of Daniel Wellington, the Cullinan Group of Companies’ latest addition to its growing list of jewelry brands and timepieces such as TechnoMarine, Your Own Time, Diamantaire, MyDiamond and MyTempo.
The name sounds English, but Daniel Wellington was founded by young Swedish entrepreneur Filip Tysander in 2011. His inspiration for the watch was a stylish but unpretentious British chap by the name of Daniel Wellington, whom he met during one of his earlier travels.
Wellington’s fondness for wearing vintage watches with old, weathered nylon NATO straps became Tysander’s template as he embarked on designing the first line of Daniel Wellington watches.
Less than a year after the brand’s launching, Tysander travelled to the US “and went from state to state to promote his brand,” said Robert Kejzman, Daniel Wellington’s consultant for international markets.
Before the trip was over, he was able to sell or get orders for 2,000 watches. That marked the start of Daniel Wellington’s success story, said Kejzman, who joined the brand in 2013.
The British-inspired brand, a product of Swedish minimalism and Japanese technology, had its breakout moment in 2014 with the launch of its Grace collection at Baselworld. In one year, the brand was reportedly able to sell a million watches, including ladies’ watches and more formal variants in leather straps.
Without a doubt, the brand appeals to young, stylish people. Dana Albay, Daniel Wellington’s brand manager in the Philippines, first learned of the brand earlier this year while going through her Instagram feed.
1.3 million followers
A watch worn by a New York fashion blogger caught Albay’s eye. She didn’t know the brand, but in less than a month she saw more fashionistas posting similar watches on Instagram. That was when she learned of its name.
“When I looked at Daniel Wellington’s
Instagram account, it had 1.3 million followers already,” she said. “It was clearly a rising star among watches. I learned later that most of its followers are young people. Its chic, minimalist designs resonate with them.”
Daniel Wellington now has four
collections: Classic; the special, vintage-looking Grace; Dapper, the brand’s first line with a dater and leather strap; and the Swarovski-encrusted Classy. The watches are water-
resistant and sell between P8,000 and P12,000.
From being a one-man team, Tysander now works with a group of young designers in Sweden to turn out new styles. They’re
allowed to tweak Daniel Wellington’s look without venturing far from the brand’s DNA of producing watches with minimalist round dials in white.
Sizes range from 26 mm to 40 mm. The most salable size measures 36 mm and combines the elegance of leather with the youthful playfulness of a colored NATO strap.
Raffy Florencio, Techno Time Retailers Corp. president, met with Kejzman at Baselworld in Switzerland early this year. They were able to seal a deal in less than three months.
“I’m quite confident that like our other brands, Daniel Wellington would do well with Filipinos,” said Florencio. “Our market mirrors that of Daniel Wellington, a young, vibrant one with an eye for fashion.”