How Watch Angels works
--
Watch Angels is a collaborative platform that shortens the distance between independent brands and watch enthusiasts to the absolute industry minimum.
Creator. Enthusiast. Manufacturer. That’s all a watch needs
Watch Angels is powered by “Crowdmanufacturing”, a new production and sales system that changes the roles in Watchmaking. Crowdmanufacturing transforms a watch enthusiast into a “manufacturer” and a patron of independent creators. This factory-and-creator-direct system gives the buyer up to 3 times the value and 1/3rd of the price compared to traditional watchmaking. It also gives watch enthusiasts the full transparency and direct engagement opportunities which only a factory-and-creator-direct relationship can give.
The shortest way from a watch concept to the wrist
By digitalizing the watchmaking process and by being factory direct, Crowdmanufacturing eliminates all unnecessary activities, sources of waste and mark-ups multiplication by involving the only three parties that are really required to make a watch: a creator, a watch enthusiast and a manufacturer. Crowdmanufacturing transfers the entire value only to them.
“Digitalisation is changing the value perception of a watch and how the participants to the watchmaking process interact with each other, empowering watch enthusiasts and creators. Crowdmanufacturing is therefore the natural evolution from the B2B and B2C models to an M2C, manufacturer to consumer, model.” Guido Benedini, Watch Angel.
Why Watch Angels?
Support diversity
The watch industry needs more independent watchmakers to ensure a diversity in watch concepts, and to maintain and develop new watchmaking competences in Switzerland. It also needs to offer a more sustainable watchmaking model than the traditional globalised supply and retail system. Watch Angels supports independent creators by offering them a simple manufacturing, marketing, sales and operational platform.
Lower the barriers to entry
Creators face enormous risks when launching their watch in the traditional way is enormous. Normally, they are also not experts in finance, sales, administration, operations and marketing. Watch Angels takes away the barriers by providing a low risk, low investment and long-term sustainable business model which matches their watches to the right customers.
Empower watch enthusiasts
On Watch Angels, watch enthusiasts will discover watches which normally do not pass corporate dogmas. Instead, they will find creator visions and purpose instead of corporate marketing narratives. By directly engaging with the creator and the manufacturer they will be able to kick-start projects and support the creator in design. Last, but not least, factory direct prices and guarantees will allow watch lovers to indulge their passion more often.
Value not price
Crowdmanufacturing changes the traditional watchmaking roles: 1) The Creator substitutes the brand and gets rewarded with a fair profit for his intellectual work; 2) The Watch Enthusiasts substitutes the distribution and gets rewarded with the cost price or the wholesale price; 3) The Manufacturer substitutes the global supply chain and gets rewarded with a fair profit to keep the system and the community platform economically viable; and — finally — all three together substitute the brand marketing organisation.
By changing the roles, Crowdmanufacturing eliminates all unnecessary activities to beat the watchmaking cost/mark-up multiplier. It transfers the entire value to three entities only and thereby maximises the industrial value as a proportion of the purchase price of the watch. Like this, the buyer gets the highest value for every Swiss Franc spent compared to any other direct-to-consumer or crowdfunding model.
Who does what?
The creator, the enthusiast and the manufacturer share all risks and rewards together:
- Creator: provides the idea and the project
- Enthusiast: activates project and collaborates with the creator and the manufacturer
- Manufacturer: develops, manufactures, sells and ships the watches
How do you buy?
After having reviewed a project on the Watch Angels platform, the watch enthusiasts chooses his role: “Angel” or “Enthusiast”:
The “Angel” commits at the very beginning during the Angel Round, based on the creator’s concept and the watch renderings (based on its approved technical construction), pre-financing part of the production. For this the Angel gets rewarded with the cost price. “Angel” slots are limited.
The “Enthusiast” buys during the production process or when the watch is available from stock in the Watch Angels store and gets rewarded with less than the wholesale price (reservation during production) or the wholesale price (in store).
How does a watch enthusiast support the creator in design?
To support a creator in design you have to be an Angel. An Angel has supported at least one project during an Angel round over the last 12 months. Angels answer the creator’s design brief and give their inputs in Q&A’s and in questions posed by the Manufacturer. In this way, Crowdmanufacturing ensures that the watch corresponds to the tastes of the community.
Who are the 3 entities that make a watch?
The Enthusiast: Anybody with a passion for non-mainstream quality watches. Watch lovers who are interested in supporting independent and sustainable production.
The Creator: The typical profiles are established watch freelance designers, independent watch brands, entrepreneurs from within (or outside) the industry, automotive designers, artists and watch schools.
The Manufacturer: The operations are assured by Watch Angels, a fully integrated watch manufacture and logistics company.
Who is the manufacturer?
Watch Angels is a leading Swiss watch manufacturer based in Mendrisio, Switzerland. It has developed the Crowdmanufacturing system and operates the watchangels.ch community platform. It executes the Crowdmanufacturing projects on behalf of the creator and acts as the contractual party to the buyer. More than 40 years of experience in the industry, working for the most renown brand names, confirm its relevance within the Swiss watch industry. www.watchangels.ch
