You can tell a lot about a man from the watch that he wears. What kind of personality does he possess? Is he a driven man? It’s been generations since men from all walks of life assigned an unspoken pride of ownership and an intrinsic value to fine timepieces, one that oftentimes comes to define those very men in social and business settings as their counterparts make comments and inquiries with regards to the watches being sported on the wrists of other powerful men.
However, not many people truly understand that watchmaking is an art.
It is one of the highest forms of creative expression, coupled with a mechanical precision that provides an ideal scenario for successful – even legendary – watchmakers to conceptualize and bring their wearable creations to life.
For the visionaries behind Ralph Christian, one of today’s most sought-after brands, the will to break down barriers that had previously been deemed impossible to overcome by other incumbents in the accessible luxury space has proven to be one of their most valuable strategic brand assets.
As they began their journey in the heart of London in the United Kingdom, a city known around the world as the home of gentlemen and true personal style savants, one thing was clear: Ralph Christian would become a beacon of refined individuality. An iconic independent brand that would go on to take power away from faceless corporations and give it back to the people who truly love outstanding timepieces but simply refuse to pay outlandish prices to possess them.
This was accomplished in part, thanks to the sheer love of watches that the man behind this brand is known for, but also because Ralph Christian has remained truthful to its principles of small batch manufacturing, meticulous design and craftsmanship, and finally, by implementing an ambitious yet highly effective business strategy that has enabled the company to eliminate excessive overhead and reduce its costs – passing this benefit on to its customers – by turning its back on outdated practices that were deemed to be sources of waste instead of elements that provided significant added value.
The founder and CEO of Ralph Christian watches recently granted New York Weekly an interview in which he discussed his revolutionary approach to the business of watchmaking and what he believes the future holds for his burgeoning brand:
It seems like your small batch production philosophy and passion for quality timepiece manufacturing have broken down barriers. Was this your goal from the beginning?
Yes, it was. When we first started Ralph Christian, we knew we wanted to create a product that had the look and feel of a high-end watch… but didn’t have the associated price tag. To do this effectively and consistently, you really have to be able to see clearly what’s happening at each stage of the production journey. To do that properly, you can only make watches in small batches. In mass production, it’s challenging to rapidly iterate on new ideas and improvements, which means designs become static and simplified over time, which is definitely not what we’re aiming for.
How would you describe your buyers? What kind of people purchase Ralph Christian watches, and what are their lifestyles like?
I like to think of our customers as an extension of ourselves. Ultimately we started this company to design watches that we’d want to buy, and the way I’d describe us as a company is young, ambitious, and maybe not quite where we want to be just yet in terms of our end-goals but certainly heading in the right direction. Someone who buys a Ralph Christian doesn’t want the basic things in life; they want something that’s going to stand out and turn heads for the right reasons; they don’t shy away from attention. They know what they want, and they’re not going to give up until they succeed.
We know your brand has had tremendous success in multiple international markets. Would you say that the American market has been one of your biggest success stories to date? If so, why?
Definitely, the US is such a huge market that there’s a lot of opportunity. It’s a very entrepreneurial place, and there’s so much breadth and depth to the country that there’s always someone who will resonate with what you’re saying. The US is generally a lot more of an open market in terms of new entrants and so in the early days, we found people more willing to ‘give us a shot’ here than in other places.
Your watches are classy but also edgy and bold. Does this reflect your personal ethos and leadership style? What’s a day at the office like for you
That’s a great question. I try to lead by example, and I’m a big fan of letting people manage themselves rather than dictating from above. If we’re working together, it’s because I respect and value you, so why would I then try to micro-manage you?
A typical day for me starts at the office at around 8:45 AM, and then I like to catch up on what’s been happening with the business overnight (I get a daily report). We have two locations (the HQ in London and the operations team in Florida), so when we leave the office in the UK, there is still a lot left to do in the US. I’ll get an overview of any issues that have happened and also try to set aside time to go over any customer communications to see what we can be doing better and what we’re doing well on.
Before lunch, I sit down with the design team to discuss upcoming releases (it takes up to 9 months to release a new watch, so it’s a long but exciting process). We’ll also review older models to see if we can update them based on recent trends or customer feedback. After lunch, I catch up with the ops team in the US, as they’re usually in by now. We set the schedule for the weeks ahead and plan any changes that need to be made.
The rest of the day can vary depending on what season we’re in. If it’s Q3 and we’re prepping for the holiday season, then it will usually be all hands on deck, arranging the scheduling for ads, promos or any events we’re planning on doing. It might also be speaking to our developers for website updates, re-designs etc. That’s part of the fun of running a company… you never quite know what’s coming your way, and things can change at the last minute, so you have to be willing to adapt!
Where do you see the Ralph Christian brand in 5 years?
That’s the million-dollar question. We’ve got a lot of things planned for the next year, let alone five, and I try not too hard to predict the future as that makes it more difficult to adapt when things inevitably change. We’ve grown so much over the last five years; I’d like to see us continue that trajectory and keep living up to the high bar that we’ve set ourselves and that our customers expect.
