July 28, 2026
017: One-Woman Brand with Susan Galvin
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What does it take to leave the security of global luxury giants like Omega and TAG Heuer to build an independent watch empire from your own kitchen table? In this episode, David sits down with Susan Galvin, the founder of the Galvin Watch Company and a rare female voice in the world of high end watchmaking. Susan shares her journey from the prestigious Finnish School of Watchmaking to the shores of Australia, where she launched a micro-brand that reached its funding goal on Kickstarter in just six minutes. From the challenges of assembling every single timepiece by hand to her mission of bringing more vibrant colors and "Northern Lights" inspiration to the wrist, Susan proves that the most successful watches are often the ones with the most personal stories behind them.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:46 – From Finland to the Bench
-
Susan discusses her training at the renowned Finnish School of Watchmaking, which produced legends like Kare Voutilainen.
-
The transition from her home country to working for LVMH in the United Kingdom repairing TAG Heuer watches.
05:17 – The Pandemic Pivot
-
How a maternity leave during the global pandemic and a workshop relocation sparked the idea for her own company.
-
The role of her husband in encouraging her to move from repairing luxury pieces to designing her own unique collection.
07:05 – The Power of Crowdfunding
-
Susan explains the strategy behind her Kickstarter campaign that achieved full funding in only six minutes.
-
How a viral press release highlighting her status as a female watchmaker helped gain international brand awareness.
12:15 – The Purest Form of Micro-Brand
-
A behind the scenes look at Susan's in-house assembly process where she handles every dial, hand, and case personally.
-
The rigorous quality control protocols she brought with her from her years at Swatch Group and Omega to ensure excellence.
18:38 – Inspiration from the Arctic Circle
-
How Susan's Finnish heritage and memories of the Northern Lights influence her bold dial colors and "loimo" patterns.
-
A shared campaign with David to bring more purple watches into the world of horology to break the mold of traditional colors.
20:15 – Breaking the Gender Barrier
-
Susan's philosophy on why watches and watchmaking should not be gender specific but open to everyone.
-
How she uses her husband as a test subject to ensure her designs work for both men and women.
Your watch is more than just gears and dials; it is a piece of art assembled with a master watchmaker's personal touch.
==========
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WEBVTT
NOTE
This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.680
I actually went to the Kickstarter
page, and on the Kickstarter page,
00:00:04.730 --> 00:00:10.879
it has a big stamp on it, says,
"Funded in six minutes." Six minutes.
00:00:10.879 --> 00:00:11.689
Is that true?
00:00:12.129 --> 00:00:12.540
Yes.
00:00:12.610 --> 00:00:13.799
That is very much true, yeah.
00:00:13.950 --> 00:00:19.330
Welcome to Watch Smarts, where smart
people get smarter about watches.
00:00:19.590 --> 00:00:20.950
I'm your host, David Newman.
00:00:21.180 --> 00:00:22.389
Let's jump right in
00:00:33.876 --> 00:00:37.025
What does it take to make a watch?
00:00:37.025 --> 00:00:39.626
What does it take to make a watch brand?
00:00:40.105 --> 00:00:46.196
What does it take to make a watch brand
and have Kickstarter and Indiegogo and be
00:00:46.226 --> 00:00:50.055
a one-woman watchmaking marketing machine?
00:00:50.056 --> 00:00:55.406
Well, we are about to find out because
my guest is the awesome and amazing Susan
00:00:55.415 --> 00:00:57.795
Galvin from the Galvin Watch Company.
00:00:58.045 --> 00:00:59.765
Susan, welcome to the show.
00:01:00.556 --> 00:01:01.065
Thank you very much
00:01:02.446 --> 00:01:06.226
So you have a really
fascinating background.
00:01:06.706 --> 00:01:10.366
Could you share with us just a little
bit about your professional journey
00:01:10.366 --> 00:01:13.806
that brought you to the work that
you're doing today, and what were
00:01:13.806 --> 00:01:16.176
some interesting stops along the way?
00:01:17.056 --> 00:01:17.356
Yeah.
00:01:17.356 --> 00:01:19.646
So, um, I'm from Finland originally.
00:01:19.646 --> 00:01:23.776
I live in Sydney, Australia,
and I'm a watchmaker by trade.
00:01:24.196 --> 00:01:27.346
Uh, I went to a Finnish school
of watchmaking, so that's how
00:01:27.405 --> 00:01:28.715
everything started really.
00:01:29.165 --> 00:01:31.795
There is a fantastic
school in south of Finland.
00:01:32.015 --> 00:01:36.565
Um, it's called Finnish School of
Watchmaking, and there's quite a few very
00:01:36.565 --> 00:01:41.505
famous watchmakers coming from there, such
as Kari Voutilainen or Stefan Sarpaneva.
00:01:42.146 --> 00:01:48.955
So I went to that school, three years
course, and after that I was offered a
00:01:48.955 --> 00:01:51.965
opportunity in working overseas in the UK.
00:01:52.455 --> 00:01:58.325
So yeah, I went to work for LVMH for a
few years and from there got a transfer
00:01:58.595 --> 00:02:04.616
to Australia and went to work for
Omega before I started my own business.
00:02:04.616 --> 00:02:07.226
But anyway, that's, uh, that's
how everything started really.
00:02:07.545 --> 00:02:08.095
Right.
00:02:08.135 --> 00:02:12.645
And for people that don't know,
with LVMH, it was TAG Heuer
00:02:12.675 --> 00:02:13.985
that you were connected to.
00:02:13.986 --> 00:02:15.015
Is that correct?
00:02:15.645 --> 00:02:16.385
Yes, yes.
00:02:16.385 --> 00:02:19.135
Mainly, uh, working with
TAG Heuer in that time.
00:02:19.155 --> 00:02:23.135
I did do some, um, other brands,
but mainly it was TAG Heuer
00:02:23.166 --> 00:02:24.325
watches that I was repairing.
00:02:25.005 --> 00:02:30.815
So tell me about being a woman in
this field, because I'm guessing it
00:02:30.815 --> 00:02:36.245
was mostly men in your class, and
there obviously it's, it seems to be
00:02:36.416 --> 00:02:44.616
there's very few women watchmakers and
very few women who run microbrands.
00:02:44.935 --> 00:02:47.375
And I'm wondering why
in the world that is?
00:02:47.376 --> 00:02:50.475
Because there's plenty of women
engineers, there's plenty of
00:02:50.475 --> 00:02:53.685
women architects, there's plenty
of women doctors and lawyers.
00:02:54.105 --> 00:02:57.715
Why is- Mm … watchmaking a little
bit behind the times, do you think?
00:02:58.575 --> 00:03:01.755
Yeah, I think there's a little
bit more interest in that field.
00:03:01.766 --> 00:03:03.925
When I went to watchmaking
school, we did have…
00:03:04.236 --> 00:03:09.445
So the school is quite tiny, so we
only had 12 people in each class.
00:03:10.245 --> 00:03:10.575
You know?
00:03:10.585 --> 00:03:10.615
Yes.
00:03:10.625 --> 00:03:12.136
It was a three years course.
00:03:12.136 --> 00:03:15.405
But then there was also micromechanics
there, so it wasn't just
00:03:15.416 --> 00:03:17.245
watchmakers, micromechanics as well.
00:03:17.835 --> 00:03:23.936
So I think we had few female watchmakers,
female students in the course.
00:03:24.386 --> 00:03:28.595
It wasn't 50/50, but, um, it wasn't,
yeah, there was quite, quite a few.
00:03:28.595 --> 00:03:34.026
And then when I went to work in
the LVMH in, in the UK, uh, my,
00:03:34.065 --> 00:03:39.575
another classmate who graduated at
the same time, she came as well.
00:03:39.595 --> 00:03:43.525
So there was four of us going
together simultaneously, two female
00:03:43.535 --> 00:03:49.908
watchmakers and two male Uh, in terms
of why has it been traditionally more
00:03:49.908 --> 00:03:54.827
male-orientated industry, I actually
don't understand because it doesn't
00:03:54.967 --> 00:03:58.607
require any, you know, strength or…
00:03:58.787 --> 00:04:01.787
It's fantastic profession
for everyone, really.
00:04:02.148 --> 00:04:05.227
Yeah, so I, it, it shouldn't
be, I don't… You know, watches
00:04:05.227 --> 00:04:08.097
are not gender specific, and
neither should be watchmaking.
00:04:08.817 --> 00:04:09.438
Totally.
00:04:09.438 --> 00:04:09.907
Totally.
00:04:10.207 --> 00:04:13.977
Am I right that y- was your father
in the business in some way?
00:04:13.977 --> 00:04:17.567
Or tell me how you originally got
interested in watches and watchmaking.
00:04:19.297 --> 00:04:19.667
Oh, no.
00:04:19.678 --> 00:04:23.608
My, I think my dad just saw an article
in a Finnish newspaper about watchmaking
00:04:23.608 --> 00:04:29.058
school, and I've kind of, I've expre-
expressed an interest that I would like
00:04:29.058 --> 00:04:33.707
to work overseas in some point, but I was
also very keen to do stuff with my hands.
00:04:33.728 --> 00:04:37.878
So I went to, I went to one
year art school, and I was doing
00:04:37.908 --> 00:04:40.277
jewelries, jewelry designs.
00:04:40.367 --> 00:04:40.707
Sure.
00:04:40.748 --> 00:04:44.657
And then from there, so just went to,
"Hmm, okay, watchmaking sounds good,
00:04:44.658 --> 00:04:47.988
and it's quite technical," and I, I,
you know, that was my strength as well.
00:04:48.017 --> 00:04:49.147
So, yeah.
00:04:49.318 --> 00:04:52.728
It was, dad saw an article in the
newspaper, and he kind of pushed
00:04:52.728 --> 00:04:54.208
me into the right direction.
00:04:54.808 --> 00:04:55.818
Isn't that funny?
00:04:55.818 --> 00:04:59.527
It's like these chance encounters,
like just that day he was looking
00:04:59.527 --> 00:05:01.267
at that part of the newspaper.
00:05:01.647 --> 00:05:05.498
His- I know … that headline caught
his eye, and here we are today.
00:05:05.948 --> 00:05:06.488
Yes.
00:05:06.547 --> 00:05:07.067
Yes.
00:05:07.158 --> 00:05:08.578
That's how life works sometimes.
00:05:08.717 --> 00:05:09.817
It sure does.
00:05:10.117 --> 00:05:13.598
Tell me about the founding of your
company because that's, that's a
00:05:13.607 --> 00:05:18.357
big step to say, "Okay, I'm working
for these big, giant, global brands.
00:05:18.647 --> 00:05:22.667
I think I have something new to
contribute. Let me start my own show."
00:05:22.667 --> 00:05:25.027
Tell me how that came to be.
00:05:25.027 --> 00:05:26.627
What was that transition like?
00:05:27.726 --> 00:05:32.276
It was beginning of pandemic,
so I was actually, uh, on my
00:05:32.276 --> 00:05:33.946
maternity leave with my son.
00:05:34.646 --> 00:05:36.546
He was only four months old in that time.
00:05:36.936 --> 00:05:41.066
And where I was working, they moved the
operations from Sydney to Melbourne,
00:05:41.066 --> 00:05:43.046
so basically the workshop was gone.
00:05:43.376 --> 00:05:48.466
So it was really, you know, there was
only a technician there, so they just, um,
00:05:48.835 --> 00:05:51.446
decided to relocate the service center.
00:05:51.925 --> 00:05:55.245
So that means that I didn't have a
workshop to go back to, and I really-
00:05:55.245 --> 00:05:56.396
Yeah … really liked working there.
00:05:56.396 --> 00:05:58.726
That was, like, really nice workplace.
00:05:58.726 --> 00:06:04.536
I was doing a lot of, um, chronographs,
coaxials, so service center.
00:06:04.625 --> 00:06:06.376
I was servicing them,
and I really enjoyed it.
00:06:06.956 --> 00:06:12.005
From there, I… My husband actually… So
I was thinking of what am I gonna do next?
00:06:12.016 --> 00:06:14.175
Obviously, that wasn't the point
that I would start working straight
00:06:14.176 --> 00:06:17.975
away, but my plan was to go back
to work by the end of that year.
00:06:18.755 --> 00:06:22.125
And then my husband came up this
idea that, "Oh, why don't you start
00:06:22.125 --> 00:06:25.496
designing your own watches?" And
I thought, "Well, I can't do that.
00:06:25.496 --> 00:06:28.885
I can't take a big brand
clone and, you know…"
00:06:28.935 --> 00:06:31.469
Because I, I knew working in
the industry that it doesn't
00:06:31.469 --> 00:06:32.015
work like you order 10 or, it,
00:06:34.115 --> 00:06:37.415
or if you want to start making
something, you need machinery,
00:06:37.415 --> 00:06:38.865
and they are very expensive.
00:06:39.285 --> 00:06:43.805
So when I had this idea that maybe I
could start, you know, designing watches
00:06:43.925 --> 00:06:45.545
but get that manufactured overseas.
00:06:45.546 --> 00:06:47.635
I'm putting everything together by myself.
00:06:48.205 --> 00:06:50.485
Then the problem was the
minimum of quantities, MOQs
00:06:51.495 --> 00:06:52.805
as we call it in the industry.
00:06:53.325 --> 00:06:58.455
But yeah, so then his, actually, his
friend did a Kickstarter campaign
00:06:59.035 --> 00:07:02.785
before, and he was like, "Well, why
don't you try crowdfunding?" And
00:07:02.785 --> 00:07:05.965
I was like, "Well, that's actually
a really good idea." You know?
00:07:06.025 --> 00:07:13.035
You make the design, you have the
sample, and you sell the idea before
00:07:13.075 --> 00:07:17.145
actually taking it into the production,
so you collect the funds beforehand.
00:07:17.255 --> 00:07:17.705
And I thought-
00:07:17.745 --> 00:07:17.995
Yeah
00:07:18.325 --> 00:07:20.536
… yeah, that's great, so I did that.
00:07:20.836 --> 00:07:22.356
That was the whole idea.
00:07:22.446 --> 00:07:26.545
The whole process started
2020 April, and I took it to
00:07:26.555 --> 00:07:28.495
Kickstarter in August the same
00:07:28.495 --> 00:07:28.895
year.
00:07:29.870 --> 00:07:33.219
Now with Kickstarter, 'cause that's
a whole separate world, right?
00:07:33.219 --> 00:07:37.180
I mean, that's not something that just
an average person says, "Oh, I'm gonna
00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:41.099
put up a Kickstarter, and magically
people will find it, and magically
00:07:41.099 --> 00:07:42.979
people will start to do pledges.
00:07:43.280 --> 00:07:50.840
And I'm gonna get 50, 100, $125,000 and
I don't need to lift a finger." So what
00:07:50.849 --> 00:07:57.549
did you do to activate that campaign or
to make people aware of it so that they,
00:07:57.569 --> 00:08:02.900
so that you could earn the attention
and then the pledges started coming in?
00:08:02.900 --> 00:08:04.850
But how, how did you prime the pump?
00:08:05.609 --> 00:08:10.859
Well, uh, my friend was actually, she
was working in a PR at the time, a
00:08:10.890 --> 00:08:12.689
Finnish friend who lives in, in Sydney.
00:08:12.690 --> 00:08:15.779
And, um, I had a chat with her, and she
was like, "Well, there's actually quite
00:08:15.780 --> 00:08:20.200
a good press value in this, you know,
given that you are female working in
00:08:20.299 --> 00:08:25.009
male-o- oriented industry, and also,
you know, the story behind. People like
00:08:25.009 --> 00:08:29.330
stories." So she, uh, helped me to do
a press release, and I just started
00:08:29.330 --> 00:08:31.419
sending it into the different places.
00:08:31.909 --> 00:08:37.960
And one of the Australia's biggest news
outlet was interested about the story.
00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:39.949
And yeah, from there it got quite wild.
00:08:40.099 --> 00:08:41.699
Um, and
00:08:41.699 --> 00:08:41.996
then- How
00:08:41.996 --> 00:08:42.250
about that?
00:08:42.250 --> 00:08:42.979
I know.
00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:46.259
So then in a Finnish newspaper,
it's called Helsingin Sanomat,
00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:50.329
which is the biggest newspaper in
Finland, or one of the biggest ones.
00:08:50.439 --> 00:08:53.609
Uh, they, um, made a
story out of it as well.
00:08:53.640 --> 00:08:57.099
So that obviously helped increase the
brand awareness in Finland as well.
00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:01.010
But yeah, so I think the press
release was definitely something.
00:09:01.010 --> 00:09:03.599
And then I, I did some research myself.
00:09:03.599 --> 00:09:06.849
So I went to Facebook, started
to look at the forums, found
00:09:06.860 --> 00:09:08.870
the micro brand watch forums.
00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:11.189
And I was like, "Wow, this is
completely new world to me."
00:09:11.469 --> 00:09:11.779
Yes.
00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:15.440
You know, I was working in a luxury
watch industry before, but this
00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:20.639
whole micro brand in, you know, the
world really, it was totally new.
00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:23.849
And, um, yeah, I started posting
there, introducing myself,
00:09:23.849 --> 00:09:26.820
introducing my designs, and
people were very, very welcoming.
00:09:27.479 --> 00:09:31.189
Yeah, so kind of little by little,
but I think the press release helped
00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:33.149
a lot as well.
00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:33.289
Amazing.
00:09:33.289 --> 00:09:39.560
Did you end up doing a lot of, uh, press
interviews, radio, TV, journalists, or
00:09:39.560 --> 00:09:44.269
was it just really that big, the big
major media outlet kicked everything off?
00:09:45.206 --> 00:09:46.086
I did some.
00:09:46.176 --> 00:09:50.666
Yeah, I did some interviews and obvious-
to send in a watch sample for reviews.
00:09:50.706 --> 00:09:51.906
That's important as well.
00:09:52.306 --> 00:09:53.166
So usually-
00:09:53.166 --> 00:09:55.176
And that was during the
Kickstarter campaign, you
00:09:55.176 --> 00:09:56.756
were able to send watches out?
00:09:56.765 --> 00:09:56.795
Let
00:09:57.446 --> 00:09:57.876
me think.
00:09:57.885 --> 00:10:03.895
I think it was… Yes, I did, I did send
to, um, yeah, a couple of reviewers.
00:10:03.916 --> 00:10:08.185
But I was quite new in that space,
so, you know, finding the right
00:10:08.205 --> 00:10:10.006
reviewers as well, it can be quite-
00:10:10.096 --> 00:10:10.506
Right
00:10:10.676 --> 00:10:11.276
… challenging.
00:10:11.426 --> 00:10:11.706
Yeah.
00:10:13.096 --> 00:10:16.845
Quick commercial break here to ask
you, have you seen all of the cool
00:10:16.896 --> 00:10:21.165
resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:10:21.346 --> 00:10:22.245
Go check it out.
00:10:22.315 --> 00:10:23.195
You'll love it.
00:10:25.206 --> 00:10:28.896
Now, the very first model,
the very first model that was
00:10:28.936 --> 00:10:30.926
on Kickstarter was which one?
00:10:31.565 --> 00:10:33.726
It was called the Alku collection.
00:10:33.756 --> 00:10:38.476
So Alku is a Finnish word, and it
is, uh, it stands for beginning.
00:10:38.826 --> 00:10:40.066
Alku means beginning.
00:10:40.545 --> 00:10:42.345
So that was my first.
00:10:42.846 --> 00:10:48.365
The whole design process was based on,
I went to one of my training trips.
00:10:48.416 --> 00:10:53.636
So when I was working for Swatch
Group OMEGA, I was sent to Switzerland
00:10:53.636 --> 00:10:59.135
for training, and I bought one of my
training trips a OMEGA pumper, which
00:10:59.136 --> 00:11:06.155
is about 1940s, 1950s, very classic
domed dial and very classic design.
00:11:06.505 --> 00:11:08.976
And I, I thought, I want
to do something like that.
00:11:08.986 --> 00:11:11.645
So make a classic
design, but with a twist.
00:11:12.066 --> 00:11:13.875
Classic, but modern in type of thing.
00:11:13.875 --> 00:11:17.855
So then I came across with the, with
the design of the Alku collection.
00:11:17.855 --> 00:11:21.505
So Alku is my first one, and first
I introduced, I started the whole
00:11:21.526 --> 00:11:22.775
journey with two different colors.
00:11:22.816 --> 00:11:23.795
It was black and white.
00:11:24.575 --> 00:11:29.375
So yeah, kind of, you know, I
started steadily, should I say?
00:11:30.355 --> 00:11:34.625
And there was only one color variation
on Kickstarter, is that right?
00:11:35.386 --> 00:11:36.045
There was two.
00:11:36.055 --> 00:11:37.245
There was white and black.
00:11:37.535 --> 00:11:40.346
Alku white and Alku black.
00:11:40.346 --> 00:11:40.686
I see.
00:11:40.686 --> 00:11:43.405
Because I first created those
two colors, and then I started
00:11:43.405 --> 00:11:44.645
my e-commerce store from there.
00:11:45.416 --> 00:11:47.485
But I wanted to introduce more colors.
00:11:47.865 --> 00:11:55.281
So it kind of came as a brand
Identity almost, the colors.
00:11:55.531 --> 00:11:55.551
Yeah.
00:11:55.901 --> 00:11:59.561
So first it started, everything started
with the black and white, but then from
00:11:59.561 --> 00:12:01.321
there I started introducing more colors.
00:12:01.722 --> 00:12:02.051
Yes.
00:12:02.291 --> 00:12:06.431
Well, and now- Yeah … if you
look, if you look on your website,
00:12:06.872 --> 00:12:09.102
beautiful, beautiful watches by the way.
00:12:09.111 --> 00:12:09.171
Thank you.
00:12:09.381 --> 00:12:12.102
The thing that is totally
striking, that jumps out at
00:12:12.102 --> 00:12:14.351
most people first is the colors.
00:12:14.811 --> 00:12:15.181
Yes.
00:12:15.221 --> 00:12:19.332
The colors are so unusual, so striking.
00:12:19.711 --> 00:12:25.821
Not just unusual colors, but also
fantastic patterns, patterns on the dials.
00:12:26.131 --> 00:12:28.841
One of the things, and it's funny
because I'm talking to a couple
00:12:28.841 --> 00:12:32.671
of people, a couple of, you know,
YouTube people, a couple of micro
00:12:32.671 --> 00:12:39.431
brand people, and my big campaign,
Susan, is I need more purple watches.
00:12:39.721 --> 00:12:40.261
Purple.
00:12:40.271 --> 00:12:40.571
Yes.
00:12:40.591 --> 00:12:41.971
Purple is the key.
00:12:41.971 --> 00:12:42.181
Perfect.
00:12:42.641 --> 00:12:45.771
And you have some amazingly
beautiful purple watches.
00:12:46.131 --> 00:12:46.602
Um- Thank you
00:12:46.602 --> 00:12:48.281
but I don't think there's enough purple.
00:12:48.321 --> 00:12:50.001
There's not enough purple in the world.
00:12:50.361 --> 00:12:50.391
Yes.
00:12:50.492 --> 00:12:53.341
Beautiful blues, yes, a
lot of people have those.
00:12:53.361 --> 00:12:55.251
Beautiful greens, absolutely.
00:12:55.371 --> 00:12:57.571
Beautiful cream, sure, of course.
00:12:57.982 --> 00:13:00.391
Even some, you know, teal kind of colors.
00:13:00.401 --> 00:13:07.292
But purple is really hard to find,
and, uh, this is my personal campaign.
00:13:07.491 --> 00:13:11.912
If I have anything to say about the
watch world, more purple, please.
00:13:13.491 --> 00:13:14.391
I am with you
00:13:15.278 --> 00:13:17.318
It's such a great color,
such a great color
00:13:17.318 --> 00:13:18.168
It is, yeah
00:13:18.378 --> 00:13:21.578
What were some of the … So
the Kickstarter went off.
00:13:22.168 --> 00:13:25.428
I think you've done three
Kickstarters total, correct?
00:13:26.098 --> 00:13:26.918
Yes, I did.
00:13:26.918 --> 00:13:27.647
Yeah, yeah.
00:13:27.948 --> 00:13:31.538
And so the first Kickstarter
sort of launched things.
00:13:32.057 --> 00:13:36.677
I actually went to the Kickstarter
page, and on the Kickstarter page
00:13:36.717 --> 00:13:42.057
it has a big stamp on it, says,
"Funded in six minutes." Mm-hmm.
00:13:42.067 --> 00:13:42.867
Six minutes.
00:13:42.868 --> 00:13:43.658
Is that true?
00:13:44.118 --> 00:13:45.808
Yes, that is very much true, yeah.
00:13:47.798 --> 00:13:51.928
Well, so tell me about … So
obviously you, you post it, right?
00:13:51.928 --> 00:13:54.097
You or someone on your team posts it.
00:13:54.097 --> 00:13:54.598
Mm-hmm.
00:13:54.598 --> 00:13:57.458
You have, you know, the different
levels and some beautiful
00:13:57.458 --> 00:13:59.127
photography and everything.
00:13:59.817 --> 00:14:02.867
Were you hitting refresh
to see the pledges come in?
00:14:02.868 --> 00:14:09.697
Or, or what was it like to watch this
thing six minutes after you hit post be
00:14:09.697 --> 00:14:12.308
fully funded and now you're in business?
00:14:12.857 --> 00:14:13.997
Oh, it was incredible.
00:14:14.077 --> 00:14:17.077
I think we had merde in a
fridge waiting for us, you know.
00:14:17.647 --> 00:14:20.717
You know, I just said, "We, it, no
matter what happen, we're gonna open
00:14:20.717 --> 00:14:22.267
the fridge, uh, the merde tonight."
00:14:22.778 --> 00:14:28.127
But no, um, I was home with my husband
and we just started the campaign.
00:14:28.127 --> 00:14:30.617
I think it was 10:00 PM in s- Australia.
00:14:31.447 --> 00:14:35.307
And yeah, just started the campaign and
just lo- both of us looking at the screen
00:14:35.428 --> 00:14:41.128
like, "What on earth?" So yeah, it, it was
pretty incredible having all the support.
00:14:41.208 --> 00:14:41.228
How
00:14:41.228 --> 00:14:41.528
about that?
00:14:42.158 --> 00:14:43.268
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:43.278 --> 00:14:43.318
That's
00:14:43.807 --> 00:14:43.827
it.
00:14:43.837 --> 00:14:49.548
So now that you're … I mean, so
when you have this quantity, at least
00:14:49.548 --> 00:14:56.228
181 people said they want a watch,
you're a very small company, right?
00:14:56.228 --> 00:14:57.347
A company of one.
00:14:57.877 --> 00:15:00.057
Uh, you said you have a
manufacturing partner.
00:15:00.397 --> 00:15:06.028
Was getting those 180 plus watches out the
door a problem, or was it pretty simple?
00:15:06.717 --> 00:15:10.937
For, actually for the first campaign,
I did have a help with the assembly
00:15:11.208 --> 00:15:15.427
because that was such a vast amount, but
I did all the regulation by myself and
00:15:15.427 --> 00:15:17.007
checked all the watches, quality control.
00:15:17.487 --> 00:15:22.057
But with the, after that, I've done
every single assembly by myself.
00:15:22.057 --> 00:15:26.727
So what I do is I get the dial separately,
hands separately, cases, and I put it
00:15:26.727 --> 00:15:28.588
back- Yes … put it together by myself.
00:15:28.847 --> 00:15:32.637
So with the first company, I did have
some help with assembly, but after that,
00:15:33.078 --> 00:15:34.777
everything is totally assembled in-house.
00:15:34.807 --> 00:15:41.698
So this is like the, uh, the 1800s,
I'm guessing, where there's the
00:15:41.708 --> 00:15:50.767
watchmaker in the watch studio literally
assembling every single watch herself?
00:15:51.592 --> 00:15:52.171
Yes
00:15:52.252 --> 00:15:55.742
It's like the purest form of micro
brand, like really micro brand.
00:15:55.962 --> 00:15:56.061
Yeah.
00:15:56.502 --> 00:16:01.072
It's not like you design it and there's
some factory in China that makes them.
00:16:01.551 --> 00:16:03.862
No, I put it together by myself.
00:16:04.471 --> 00:16:04.611
I-
00:16:04.721 --> 00:16:05.712
So impressive
00:16:06.091 --> 00:16:08.752
… I had the, you know, obviously
working in the industry for such
00:16:08.752 --> 00:16:12.132
a long time, I was working in the
industry over 10 years before I- Yeah
00:16:12.352 --> 00:16:12.632
started.
00:16:13.411 --> 00:16:17.451
And I've learned the protocols, you know,
when it comes to quality control, when
00:16:17.451 --> 00:16:21.102
it comes to testing, and I just follow
the same protocols with my own products.
00:16:21.461 --> 00:16:21.611
Yeah.
00:16:21.791 --> 00:16:25.251
So I suppose I'm a little bit,
like, I want to, you know, make sure
00:16:25.252 --> 00:16:27.821
that everything meet my criteria.
00:16:28.281 --> 00:16:28.381
Yes.
00:16:28.391 --> 00:16:31.441
And so it's just easier to
put it together by yourself.
00:16:31.842 --> 00:16:35.091
And actually, the assembly process
is not that time-consuming.
00:16:35.241 --> 00:16:40.692
I just had other… Well, it was, I
think it was m- March, I had a big order
00:16:40.711 --> 00:16:43.471
from the USA, and it was 48 watches.
00:16:44.401 --> 00:16:45.611
But it took me about a month.
00:16:45.982 --> 00:16:49.991
But so my speed is 10 wat- if
I just do assembly, I can do
00:16:50.072 --> 00:16:51.701
approximately 10 watches per day.
00:16:52.271 --> 00:16:54.581
But then obviously you have
everything else to do as well.
00:16:54.781 --> 00:16:56.551
It's not just the watch assembly.
00:16:56.561 --> 00:16:59.991
It's shipping and talking- Of course
… with customers and, you know, running
00:16:59.991 --> 00:17:01.091
the website and stuff like that.
00:17:01.101 --> 00:17:01.121
Yeah.
00:17:01.141 --> 00:17:05.281
But, um, yeah, so the assembly process
is not actually that time-consuming.
00:17:05.491 --> 00:17:06.561
Surprisingly fast.
00:17:06.701 --> 00:17:07.981
But yeah, I like doing it.
00:17:07.981 --> 00:17:14.318
I think it's very important, you know-
To, I suppose like, you know, when
00:17:14.318 --> 00:17:19.578
I put the watch together it's just I
want to make sure everything meets my
00:17:19.887 --> 00:17:21.537
personal criteria and quality control.
00:17:21.538 --> 00:17:21.848
Yes.
00:17:22.907 --> 00:17:25.108
Hey, David Newman here with
a quick commercial break.
00:17:25.108 --> 00:17:28.498
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:17:28.507 --> 00:17:30.107
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Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram, and YouTube.
00:17:34.447 --> 00:17:36.427
Now, back to the episode.
00:17:37.887 --> 00:17:41.068
Let's go back to talking
about design and colors.
00:17:41.077 --> 00:17:44.437
Where do you get your design aesthetic?
00:17:44.447 --> 00:17:46.897
Where do you get your eye for design?
00:17:47.237 --> 00:17:52.318
Where do you, you know, what, to what
do you look for inspiration, or where
00:17:52.348 --> 00:17:58.037
are the, the new Galvin watches that we
have not even seen yet, where are they
00:17:58.037 --> 00:18:00.608
likely to come from in your imagination?
00:18:01.337 --> 00:18:06.207
I think the biggest source of
inspiration for me is my heritage.
00:18:06.827 --> 00:18:08.538
So I'm from Finland originally.
00:18:08.577 --> 00:18:13.857
I lived my childhood in north of Finland
in this little village called Ranua.
00:18:14.917 --> 00:18:17.397
Uh, there's about 5,000
people living in that village.
00:18:17.397 --> 00:18:19.017
It's near to the Arctic Circle.
00:18:19.757 --> 00:18:20.887
Well, not too far away from there.
00:18:21.347 --> 00:18:26.258
So anyway, m- living my childhood
there and then, you know, how
00:18:26.258 --> 00:18:29.707
life takes, we ended up coming to
and, you know, living in Sydney.
00:18:30.247 --> 00:18:32.167
I, I do miss Finnish nature.
00:18:32.198 --> 00:18:34.317
I miss all the elements of the nature.
00:18:34.667 --> 00:18:34.797
Yeah.
00:18:34.798 --> 00:18:40.807
So I think that's kind of,
from that I wanted to bring it
00:18:40.807 --> 00:18:42.087
together with my own design.
00:18:42.107 --> 00:18:43.827
So for example, Loimu collection.
00:18:43.827 --> 00:18:49.917
Loimu is a Finnish word for a blaze,
so blazing of the northern lights, and
00:18:49.927 --> 00:18:55.077
that's how the guilloche style batting
came across, and all the vivid colors
00:18:55.077 --> 00:18:58.278
because that is a memory of mine-
00:18:58.658 --> 00:18:58.928
Yeah
00:18:58.928 --> 00:18:59.877
of the northern lights.
00:19:00.177 --> 00:19:01.168
Or Suvi collection.
00:19:01.168 --> 00:19:03.717
Suvi is a Finnish word for summer.
00:19:04.622 --> 00:19:07.722
And Suvi collection has all
the colors which they remind
00:19:07.722 --> 00:19:08.732
me of the Finnish summer.
00:19:09.142 --> 00:19:12.922
So yeah, that's been the source
of inspiration for me, my
00:19:12.922 --> 00:19:13.922
home Including purple.
00:19:13.992 --> 00:19:15.162
Including purple.
00:19:15.532 --> 00:19:19.471
Yes, you can see purple color
in the northern lights as well.
00:19:20.921 --> 00:19:21.502
So good.
00:19:21.511 --> 00:19:22.031
So good.
00:19:22.341 --> 00:19:27.232
I'm curious because these watches,
I think most of these designs, maybe
00:19:27.232 --> 00:19:33.341
all of these designs, can be worn,
uh, just as easily by women as by men.
00:19:33.931 --> 00:19:39.761
Size-wise, shape-wise, is there a
significant difference or are they really
00:19:39.761 --> 00:19:41.821
designed for both men and women to wear?
00:19:42.462 --> 00:19:42.902
Yes.
00:19:43.431 --> 00:19:46.781
As I said, you know, I don't
think watches are gender specific.
00:19:46.831 --> 00:19:51.351
They're for everyone, so, you
know, I think everybody can
00:19:51.352 --> 00:19:52.841
wear whatever they want to wear.
00:19:52.872 --> 00:19:55.391
So that's how I want to make my watches.
00:19:55.392 --> 00:19:58.941
I usually, when I start making
the design, I'm using my husband
00:19:58.962 --> 00:20:02.622
as my, you know, example, that-
Yeah … would you like this?
00:20:02.622 --> 00:20:06.141
And so if it kind of works for both
of us, I'm like, "Okay, this is good."
00:20:06.861 --> 00:20:08.231
Yes, for sure.
00:20:08.831 --> 00:20:13.232
Tell me a little bit, Susan, about,
um, because obviously you take orders
00:20:13.272 --> 00:20:17.962
on your website, you sell direct, but
you're also now starting to sell through
00:20:17.962 --> 00:20:20.941
some partners, some retail partners.
00:20:20.952 --> 00:20:21.312
Correct.
00:20:21.381 --> 00:20:25.422
Around the world, a couple in the
US, but around the world as well.
00:20:25.971 --> 00:20:30.371
What's it like working with and
finding good retail partners?
00:20:31.150 --> 00:20:32.940
Well, I've been quite
lucky, I think, you know.
00:20:33.050 --> 00:20:34.580
I've been really lucky with my retailers.
00:20:34.580 --> 00:20:36.460
Everything's been going
really, really smoothly.
00:20:36.840 --> 00:20:40.449
Yeah, I think it's just a matter of,
you know, finding the people who have
00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:44.170
the same kind of, I don't know, we're
thinking the same when it comes to
00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:49.749
the design perspective and, um, for
example, the quality of the product.
00:20:49.750 --> 00:20:50.020
Yeah.
00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:53.899
So, you know, I think
that's very important.
00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:56.820
But I don- I wouldn't say
is it really difficult.
00:20:56.830 --> 00:21:00.960
I mean, of course it can be challenging
to, 'cause there's a lot of micro brands
00:21:00.970 --> 00:21:04.750
around, so it's a quite competitive space.
00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:08.790
But yeah, I think I've been very
pleased with the distributors
00:21:08.790 --> 00:21:13.250
or stockists that I have at the
moment, so yeah, no, no problem.
00:21:13.310 --> 00:21:19.019
And of course, I would welcome more to
the board, uh, just because, I mean,
00:21:19.199 --> 00:21:23.439
for the small business like mine,
brand awareness is everything, so-
00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:24.040
Yes
00:21:24.650 --> 00:21:29.139
… I don't necessarily have a big
marketing budget such as bigger, you
00:21:29.139 --> 00:21:31.209
know, Swiss manufacturers would have.
00:21:31.209 --> 00:21:31.239
Sure.
00:21:31.810 --> 00:21:34.989
Uh, so my marketing
budget is quite limited.
00:21:34.999 --> 00:21:35.019
Yeah.
00:21:36.349 --> 00:21:38.739
So having these retailers, it does
increase the brand awareness, and
00:21:38.949 --> 00:21:43.030
also having the customer, so that
the customer have the opportunity
00:21:43.030 --> 00:21:46.380
of trying the watches if they would
have a physical store as well, so.
00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:46.850
Yeah.
00:21:46.850 --> 00:21:47.129
Yes.
00:21:47.139 --> 00:21:48.580
Um, yeah, I've been very pleased.
00:21:48.580 --> 00:21:48.830
Yeah.
00:21:49.179 --> 00:21:49.909
That's great.
00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:54.910
I'm curious, between all of your work
in the watch industry and now of course
00:21:54.999 --> 00:22:01.009
having your own company, did, did you
collect watches, like while you were
00:22:01.449 --> 00:22:07.109
with Omega or Tag Heuer, or it was just
really the work that was fascinating more
00:22:07.109 --> 00:22:09.909
so than you being a watch nut yourself?
00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:12.519
I did have a bit of a collection, yes.
00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:12.929
Um-
00:22:12.929 --> 00:22:13.419
Really?
00:22:13.419 --> 00:22:14.329
Tell me about your collection … yeah.
00:22:15.459 --> 00:22:19.709
So, well, when I was working
as a watch repairer, I, we
00:22:19.739 --> 00:22:21.819
get to have a, wear watches.
00:22:22.409 --> 00:22:23.759
You know, the watches they even wear.
00:22:23.760 --> 00:22:34.429
So I had a Carrera, and then I also had
a, when I was working for Omega, the
00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:38.109
Speedy, so with the sapphire sandwich.
00:22:38.409 --> 00:22:38.999
Hang on,
00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:43.239
1863, I think it was the caliber number.
00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:44.950
That's great.
00:22:46.310 --> 00:22:50.209
Only someone who works in the business
would know the actual numbers.
00:22:50.769 --> 00:22:53.240
Yeah, 'cause I was like- Great … 1863
was the, with the sapphire case back.
00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:53.270
There you go.
00:22:53.270 --> 00:22:57.289
And 1861 was with the closed case.
00:22:57.670 --> 00:22:58.160
Nice.
00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:02.659
So yeah, I had those two, and
then I, vintage watches, so for
00:23:02.659 --> 00:23:04.049
example, the Omega Panthere.
00:23:04.969 --> 00:23:06.450
And I have one Finnish one.
00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:11.749
So we have this Finnish watch brand, it's
called Leijona, which stands for a lion.
00:23:12.299 --> 00:23:15.189
And back in the days they were, I think
that back in the days they used Swiss
00:23:15.189 --> 00:23:21.730
calibers, but then they meant to a
little bit, you know, more a commercial
00:23:21.730 --> 00:23:27.786
line, so I think they changed to there
was more battery operated and all that.
00:23:27.796 --> 00:23:29.966
Nothing wrong with that, but
it's just different kind of-
00:23:30.006 --> 00:23:30.326
Sure
00:23:30.356 --> 00:23:31.856
… they were marketing differently.
00:23:31.906 --> 00:23:35.286
And then I think Boldline and
did a collaboration with them.
00:23:35.906 --> 00:23:39.055
So anyway, so that kind of got my
interest and I was, oh, I wanna
00:23:39.056 --> 00:23:41.026
get old vintage Leoner watch.
00:23:41.845 --> 00:23:42.476
That's great.
00:23:42.515 --> 00:23:45.975
Tell me what's next for you.
00:23:45.986 --> 00:23:48.336
What is, what are you looking forward to?
00:23:48.345 --> 00:23:52.176
What's coming up as far as
new designs, new releases?
00:23:52.675 --> 00:23:56.785
Any big watch shows that you're
attending in the next little bit of time?
00:23:56.785 --> 00:23:57.795
Tell us all of that
00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:03.550
I've been looking at potentially
attending to … So I was living in, in
00:24:03.550 --> 00:24:08.490
the UK in Manchester when I was working
for LVMH, and there is a Manchester
00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:10.400
watch show coming up in November.
00:24:10.830 --> 00:24:12.760
So I've been talking with the organizers.
00:24:13.170 --> 00:24:13.430
Yes.
00:24:13.430 --> 00:24:16.199
That, uh, I, I would like
to, uh, potentially attend.
00:24:16.350 --> 00:24:19.450
It's not confirmed yet, but I think
that would be a great opportunity.
00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:22.280
Obviously, it's quite far away
from where we are, but then we-
00:24:22.289 --> 00:24:24.340
Yes … visit, visit home as well.
00:24:24.750 --> 00:24:28.649
Also in Australia, we have Watch
Fest, which has been really nice.
00:24:28.840 --> 00:24:31.670
You know, good friends with the
people who organize the event.
00:24:31.870 --> 00:24:34.949
And, um, yeah, those are the
two ones I'm thinking about.
00:24:34.949 --> 00:24:37.290
There is one show in Singapore.
00:24:37.629 --> 00:24:40.219
It's called SSS, Spring Spring sprung.
00:24:40.350 --> 00:24:42.010
I did attend to it last year.
00:24:42.299 --> 00:24:42.539
Yeah.
00:24:42.679 --> 00:24:47.449
Uh, I might have some visibility there
this year as well, also to be confirmed.
00:24:47.780 --> 00:24:52.369
When it comes to the watch releases,
yes, there is something exciting
00:24:52.379 --> 00:24:56.510
happening, but, um, I will keep
my mouth very shut about it.
00:24:58.129 --> 00:25:01.299
It is so exciting, you can't
even talk about it yet.
00:25:01.749 --> 00:25:04.140
It is very much a secret at the moment.
00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.260
Um-
00:25:04.280 --> 00:25:05.759
Well, as it should be.
00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:06.570
As it should be.
00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:06.609
Yes.
00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:10.679
All, all good things need to be a
wonderful surprise wrapped up in a big
00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:12.729
beautiful box with a big bow on top.
00:25:12.729 --> 00:25:15.680
And then when the right time comes-
Think so … we open the box,
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:17.230
and then everyone can buy one.
00:25:17.609 --> 00:25:18.399
Absolutely.
00:25:18.469 --> 00:25:19.020
I agree.
00:25:19.600 --> 00:25:23.159
So Susan, tell us, how do we get
connected and stay connected to
00:25:23.159 --> 00:25:28.309
you and the watches, and, uh, what
links should go into our show notes?
00:25:28.969 --> 00:25:29.219
Yeah.
00:25:29.219 --> 00:25:36.540
So you can find my website from
www.gallminwatchcompany.com.au.
00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:38.719
That's my website.
00:25:39.350 --> 00:25:40.609
Uh, I have Instagram.
00:25:40.949 --> 00:25:43.990
I'm quite active in Instagram,
trying to be more active nowadays
00:25:43.990 --> 00:25:47.489
in TikTok with the help of Luigi,
who's my social media person.
00:25:47.729 --> 00:25:48.109
Right.
00:25:48.179 --> 00:25:50.379
And YouTube as well.
00:25:50.409 --> 00:25:53.109
So all the traditional
channels, I suppose.
00:25:54.089 --> 00:25:54.839
Tremendous.
00:25:54.909 --> 00:25:57.869
And then people can see you at work,
they can see you in the workshop.
00:25:57.879 --> 00:25:59.400
They can see a little bit of assembly.
00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:03.210
They can get to know you personally,
get a little profile behind the scenes,
00:26:03.210 --> 00:26:06.079
videos that are in all those spots.
00:26:06.350 --> 00:26:09.939
So I gotta hand it to you, both
you and Luigi are doing a great
00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:12.319
job, I think, on your social media.
00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:12.669
Thank
00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:13.139
you.
00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:13.279
Yay.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:13.419
Fantastic.
00:26:13.419 --> 00:26:18.220
It's, it's very personal, and it
shows just enough of the behind the
00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:22.800
scenes magic to get people excited
and intrigued about what's going on.
00:26:23.399 --> 00:26:23.880
Thank you.
00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:24.840
Thank you so much, Bennett.
00:26:25.509 --> 00:26:27.990
So Susan, thank you so
much for being with us.
00:26:28.069 --> 00:26:32.009
Keep up the fantastic, amazing work,
and I really appreciate all the
00:26:32.009 --> 00:26:33.699
wisdom you shared with us today.
00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:34.690
Thank you.
00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:35.960
I really appreciate it.
00:26:38.179 --> 00:26:40.810
And that wraps up another
episode of Watch Smarts.
00:26:40.810 --> 00:26:45.679
Listen, if you love this show, if you
love watches, subscribe, download,
00:26:45.729 --> 00:26:49.559
leave us a rating or review on
your favorite podcast platform, and
00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:54.339
check out all the free resources
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com.
NOTE
This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.680
I actually went to the Kickstarter
page, and on the Kickstarter page,
00:00:04.730 --> 00:00:10.879
it has a big stamp on it, says,
"Funded in six minutes." Six minutes.
00:00:10.879 --> 00:00:11.689
Is that true?
00:00:12.129 --> 00:00:12.540
Yes.
00:00:12.610 --> 00:00:13.799
That is very much true, yeah.
00:00:13.950 --> 00:00:19.330
Welcome to Watch Smarts, where smart
people get smarter about watches.
00:00:19.590 --> 00:00:20.950
I'm your host, David Newman.
00:00:21.180 --> 00:00:22.389
Let's jump right in
00:00:33.876 --> 00:00:37.025
What does it take to make a watch?
00:00:37.025 --> 00:00:39.626
What does it take to make a watch brand?
00:00:40.105 --> 00:00:46.196
What does it take to make a watch brand
and have Kickstarter and Indiegogo and be
00:00:46.226 --> 00:00:50.055
a one-woman watchmaking marketing machine?
00:00:50.056 --> 00:00:55.406
Well, we are about to find out because
my guest is the awesome and amazing Susan
00:00:55.415 --> 00:00:57.795
Galvin from the Galvin Watch Company.
00:00:58.045 --> 00:00:59.765
Susan, welcome to the show.
00:01:00.556 --> 00:01:01.065
Thank you very much
00:01:02.446 --> 00:01:06.226
So you have a really
fascinating background.
00:01:06.706 --> 00:01:10.366
Could you share with us just a little
bit about your professional journey
00:01:10.366 --> 00:01:13.806
that brought you to the work that
you're doing today, and what were
00:01:13.806 --> 00:01:16.176
some interesting stops along the way?
00:01:17.056 --> 00:01:17.356
Yeah.
00:01:17.356 --> 00:01:19.646
So, um, I'm from Finland originally.
00:01:19.646 --> 00:01:23.776
I live in Sydney, Australia,
and I'm a watchmaker by trade.
00:01:24.196 --> 00:01:27.346
Uh, I went to a Finnish school
of watchmaking, so that's how
00:01:27.405 --> 00:01:28.715
everything started really.
00:01:29.165 --> 00:01:31.795
There is a fantastic
school in south of Finland.
00:01:32.015 --> 00:01:36.565
Um, it's called Finnish School of
Watchmaking, and there's quite a few very
00:01:36.565 --> 00:01:41.505
famous watchmakers coming from there, such
as Kari Voutilainen or Stefan Sarpaneva.
00:01:42.146 --> 00:01:48.955
So I went to that school, three years
course, and after that I was offered a
00:01:48.955 --> 00:01:51.965
opportunity in working overseas in the UK.
00:01:52.455 --> 00:01:58.325
So yeah, I went to work for LVMH for a
few years and from there got a transfer
00:01:58.595 --> 00:02:04.616
to Australia and went to work for
Omega before I started my own business.
00:02:04.616 --> 00:02:07.226
But anyway, that's, uh, that's
how everything started really.
00:02:07.545 --> 00:02:08.095
Right.
00:02:08.135 --> 00:02:12.645
And for people that don't know,
with LVMH, it was TAG Heuer
00:02:12.675 --> 00:02:13.985
that you were connected to.
00:02:13.986 --> 00:02:15.015
Is that correct?
00:02:15.645 --> 00:02:16.385
Yes, yes.
00:02:16.385 --> 00:02:19.135
Mainly, uh, working with
TAG Heuer in that time.
00:02:19.155 --> 00:02:23.135
I did do some, um, other brands,
but mainly it was TAG Heuer
00:02:23.166 --> 00:02:24.325
watches that I was repairing.
00:02:25.005 --> 00:02:30.815
So tell me about being a woman in
this field, because I'm guessing it
00:02:30.815 --> 00:02:36.245
was mostly men in your class, and
there obviously it's, it seems to be
00:02:36.416 --> 00:02:44.616
there's very few women watchmakers and
very few women who run microbrands.
00:02:44.935 --> 00:02:47.375
And I'm wondering why
in the world that is?
00:02:47.376 --> 00:02:50.475
Because there's plenty of women
engineers, there's plenty of
00:02:50.475 --> 00:02:53.685
women architects, there's plenty
of women doctors and lawyers.
00:02:54.105 --> 00:02:57.715
Why is- Mm … watchmaking a little
bit behind the times, do you think?
00:02:58.575 --> 00:03:01.755
Yeah, I think there's a little
bit more interest in that field.
00:03:01.766 --> 00:03:03.925
When I went to watchmaking
school, we did have…
00:03:04.236 --> 00:03:09.445
So the school is quite tiny, so we
only had 12 people in each class.
00:03:10.245 --> 00:03:10.575
You know?
00:03:10.585 --> 00:03:10.615
Yes.
00:03:10.625 --> 00:03:12.136
It was a three years course.
00:03:12.136 --> 00:03:15.405
But then there was also micromechanics
there, so it wasn't just
00:03:15.416 --> 00:03:17.245
watchmakers, micromechanics as well.
00:03:17.835 --> 00:03:23.936
So I think we had few female watchmakers,
female students in the course.
00:03:24.386 --> 00:03:28.595
It wasn't 50/50, but, um, it wasn't,
yeah, there was quite, quite a few.
00:03:28.595 --> 00:03:34.026
And then when I went to work in
the LVMH in, in the UK, uh, my,
00:03:34.065 --> 00:03:39.575
another classmate who graduated at
the same time, she came as well.
00:03:39.595 --> 00:03:43.525
So there was four of us going
together simultaneously, two female
00:03:43.535 --> 00:03:49.908
watchmakers and two male Uh, in terms
of why has it been traditionally more
00:03:49.908 --> 00:03:54.827
male-orientated industry, I actually
don't understand because it doesn't
00:03:54.967 --> 00:03:58.607
require any, you know, strength or…
00:03:58.787 --> 00:04:01.787
It's fantastic profession
for everyone, really.
00:04:02.148 --> 00:04:05.227
Yeah, so I, it, it shouldn't
be, I don't… You know, watches
00:04:05.227 --> 00:04:08.097
are not gender specific, and
neither should be watchmaking.
00:04:08.817 --> 00:04:09.438
Totally.
00:04:09.438 --> 00:04:09.907
Totally.
00:04:10.207 --> 00:04:13.977
Am I right that y- was your father
in the business in some way?
00:04:13.977 --> 00:04:17.567
Or tell me how you originally got
interested in watches and watchmaking.
00:04:19.297 --> 00:04:19.667
Oh, no.
00:04:19.678 --> 00:04:23.608
My, I think my dad just saw an article
in a Finnish newspaper about watchmaking
00:04:23.608 --> 00:04:29.058
school, and I've kind of, I've expre-
expressed an interest that I would like
00:04:29.058 --> 00:04:33.707
to work overseas in some point, but I was
also very keen to do stuff with my hands.
00:04:33.728 --> 00:04:37.878
So I went to, I went to one
year art school, and I was doing
00:04:37.908 --> 00:04:40.277
jewelries, jewelry designs.
00:04:40.367 --> 00:04:40.707
Sure.
00:04:40.748 --> 00:04:44.657
And then from there, so just went to,
"Hmm, okay, watchmaking sounds good,
00:04:44.658 --> 00:04:47.988
and it's quite technical," and I, I,
you know, that was my strength as well.
00:04:48.017 --> 00:04:49.147
So, yeah.
00:04:49.318 --> 00:04:52.728
It was, dad saw an article in the
newspaper, and he kind of pushed
00:04:52.728 --> 00:04:54.208
me into the right direction.
00:04:54.808 --> 00:04:55.818
Isn't that funny?
00:04:55.818 --> 00:04:59.527
It's like these chance encounters,
like just that day he was looking
00:04:59.527 --> 00:05:01.267
at that part of the newspaper.
00:05:01.647 --> 00:05:05.498
His- I know … that headline caught
his eye, and here we are today.
00:05:05.948 --> 00:05:06.488
Yes.
00:05:06.547 --> 00:05:07.067
Yes.
00:05:07.158 --> 00:05:08.578
That's how life works sometimes.
00:05:08.717 --> 00:05:09.817
It sure does.
00:05:10.117 --> 00:05:13.598
Tell me about the founding of your
company because that's, that's a
00:05:13.607 --> 00:05:18.357
big step to say, "Okay, I'm working
for these big, giant, global brands.
00:05:18.647 --> 00:05:22.667
I think I have something new to
contribute. Let me start my own show."
00:05:22.667 --> 00:05:25.027
Tell me how that came to be.
00:05:25.027 --> 00:05:26.627
What was that transition like?
00:05:27.726 --> 00:05:32.276
It was beginning of pandemic,
so I was actually, uh, on my
00:05:32.276 --> 00:05:33.946
maternity leave with my son.
00:05:34.646 --> 00:05:36.546
He was only four months old in that time.
00:05:36.936 --> 00:05:41.066
And where I was working, they moved the
operations from Sydney to Melbourne,
00:05:41.066 --> 00:05:43.046
so basically the workshop was gone.
00:05:43.376 --> 00:05:48.466
So it was really, you know, there was
only a technician there, so they just, um,
00:05:48.835 --> 00:05:51.446
decided to relocate the service center.
00:05:51.925 --> 00:05:55.245
So that means that I didn't have a
workshop to go back to, and I really-
00:05:55.245 --> 00:05:56.396
Yeah … really liked working there.
00:05:56.396 --> 00:05:58.726
That was, like, really nice workplace.
00:05:58.726 --> 00:06:04.536
I was doing a lot of, um, chronographs,
coaxials, so service center.
00:06:04.625 --> 00:06:06.376
I was servicing them,
and I really enjoyed it.
00:06:06.956 --> 00:06:12.005
From there, I… My husband actually… So
I was thinking of what am I gonna do next?
00:06:12.016 --> 00:06:14.175
Obviously, that wasn't the point
that I would start working straight
00:06:14.176 --> 00:06:17.975
away, but my plan was to go back
to work by the end of that year.
00:06:18.755 --> 00:06:22.125
And then my husband came up this
idea that, "Oh, why don't you start
00:06:22.125 --> 00:06:25.496
designing your own watches?" And
I thought, "Well, I can't do that.
00:06:25.496 --> 00:06:28.885
I can't take a big brand
clone and, you know…"
00:06:28.935 --> 00:06:31.469
Because I, I knew working in
the industry that it doesn't
00:06:31.469 --> 00:06:32.015
work like you order 10 or, it,
00:06:34.115 --> 00:06:37.415
or if you want to start making
something, you need machinery,
00:06:37.415 --> 00:06:38.865
and they are very expensive.
00:06:39.285 --> 00:06:43.805
So when I had this idea that maybe I
could start, you know, designing watches
00:06:43.925 --> 00:06:45.545
but get that manufactured overseas.
00:06:45.546 --> 00:06:47.635
I'm putting everything together by myself.
00:06:48.205 --> 00:06:50.485
Then the problem was the
minimum of quantities, MOQs
00:06:51.495 --> 00:06:52.805
as we call it in the industry.
00:06:53.325 --> 00:06:58.455
But yeah, so then his, actually, his
friend did a Kickstarter campaign
00:06:59.035 --> 00:07:02.785
before, and he was like, "Well, why
don't you try crowdfunding?" And
00:07:02.785 --> 00:07:05.965
I was like, "Well, that's actually
a really good idea." You know?
00:07:06.025 --> 00:07:13.035
You make the design, you have the
sample, and you sell the idea before
00:07:13.075 --> 00:07:17.145
actually taking it into the production,
so you collect the funds beforehand.
00:07:17.255 --> 00:07:17.705
And I thought-
00:07:17.745 --> 00:07:17.995
Yeah
00:07:18.325 --> 00:07:20.536
… yeah, that's great, so I did that.
00:07:20.836 --> 00:07:22.356
That was the whole idea.
00:07:22.446 --> 00:07:26.545
The whole process started
2020 April, and I took it to
00:07:26.555 --> 00:07:28.495
Kickstarter in August the same
00:07:28.495 --> 00:07:28.895
year.
00:07:29.870 --> 00:07:33.219
Now with Kickstarter, 'cause that's
a whole separate world, right?
00:07:33.219 --> 00:07:37.180
I mean, that's not something that just
an average person says, "Oh, I'm gonna
00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:41.099
put up a Kickstarter, and magically
people will find it, and magically
00:07:41.099 --> 00:07:42.979
people will start to do pledges.
00:07:43.280 --> 00:07:50.840
And I'm gonna get 50, 100, $125,000 and
I don't need to lift a finger." So what
00:07:50.849 --> 00:07:57.549
did you do to activate that campaign or
to make people aware of it so that they,
00:07:57.569 --> 00:08:02.900
so that you could earn the attention
and then the pledges started coming in?
00:08:02.900 --> 00:08:04.850
But how, how did you prime the pump?
00:08:05.609 --> 00:08:10.859
Well, uh, my friend was actually, she
was working in a PR at the time, a
00:08:10.890 --> 00:08:12.689
Finnish friend who lives in, in Sydney.
00:08:12.690 --> 00:08:15.779
And, um, I had a chat with her, and she
was like, "Well, there's actually quite
00:08:15.780 --> 00:08:20.200
a good press value in this, you know,
given that you are female working in
00:08:20.299 --> 00:08:25.009
male-o- oriented industry, and also,
you know, the story behind. People like
00:08:25.009 --> 00:08:29.330
stories." So she, uh, helped me to do
a press release, and I just started
00:08:29.330 --> 00:08:31.419
sending it into the different places.
00:08:31.909 --> 00:08:37.960
And one of the Australia's biggest news
outlet was interested about the story.
00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:39.949
And yeah, from there it got quite wild.
00:08:40.099 --> 00:08:41.699
Um, and
00:08:41.699 --> 00:08:41.996
then- How
00:08:41.996 --> 00:08:42.250
about that?
00:08:42.250 --> 00:08:42.979
I know.
00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:46.259
So then in a Finnish newspaper,
it's called Helsingin Sanomat,
00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:50.329
which is the biggest newspaper in
Finland, or one of the biggest ones.
00:08:50.439 --> 00:08:53.609
Uh, they, um, made a
story out of it as well.
00:08:53.640 --> 00:08:57.099
So that obviously helped increase the
brand awareness in Finland as well.
00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:01.010
But yeah, so I think the press
release was definitely something.
00:09:01.010 --> 00:09:03.599
And then I, I did some research myself.
00:09:03.599 --> 00:09:06.849
So I went to Facebook, started
to look at the forums, found
00:09:06.860 --> 00:09:08.870
the micro brand watch forums.
00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:11.189
And I was like, "Wow, this is
completely new world to me."
00:09:11.469 --> 00:09:11.779
Yes.
00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:15.440
You know, I was working in a luxury
watch industry before, but this
00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:20.639
whole micro brand in, you know, the
world really, it was totally new.
00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:23.849
And, um, yeah, I started posting
there, introducing myself,
00:09:23.849 --> 00:09:26.820
introducing my designs, and
people were very, very welcoming.
00:09:27.479 --> 00:09:31.189
Yeah, so kind of little by little,
but I think the press release helped
00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:33.149
a lot as well.
00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:33.289
Amazing.
00:09:33.289 --> 00:09:39.560
Did you end up doing a lot of, uh, press
interviews, radio, TV, journalists, or
00:09:39.560 --> 00:09:44.269
was it just really that big, the big
major media outlet kicked everything off?
00:09:45.206 --> 00:09:46.086
I did some.
00:09:46.176 --> 00:09:50.666
Yeah, I did some interviews and obvious-
to send in a watch sample for reviews.
00:09:50.706 --> 00:09:51.906
That's important as well.
00:09:52.306 --> 00:09:53.166
So usually-
00:09:53.166 --> 00:09:55.176
And that was during the
Kickstarter campaign, you
00:09:55.176 --> 00:09:56.756
were able to send watches out?
00:09:56.765 --> 00:09:56.795
Let
00:09:57.446 --> 00:09:57.876
me think.
00:09:57.885 --> 00:10:03.895
I think it was… Yes, I did, I did send
to, um, yeah, a couple of reviewers.
00:10:03.916 --> 00:10:08.185
But I was quite new in that space,
so, you know, finding the right
00:10:08.205 --> 00:10:10.006
reviewers as well, it can be quite-
00:10:10.096 --> 00:10:10.506
Right
00:10:10.676 --> 00:10:11.276
… challenging.
00:10:11.426 --> 00:10:11.706
Yeah.
00:10:13.096 --> 00:10:16.845
Quick commercial break here to ask
you, have you seen all of the cool
00:10:16.896 --> 00:10:21.165
resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:10:21.346 --> 00:10:22.245
Go check it out.
00:10:22.315 --> 00:10:23.195
You'll love it.
00:10:25.206 --> 00:10:28.896
Now, the very first model,
the very first model that was
00:10:28.936 --> 00:10:30.926
on Kickstarter was which one?
00:10:31.565 --> 00:10:33.726
It was called the Alku collection.
00:10:33.756 --> 00:10:38.476
So Alku is a Finnish word, and it
is, uh, it stands for beginning.
00:10:38.826 --> 00:10:40.066
Alku means beginning.
00:10:40.545 --> 00:10:42.345
So that was my first.
00:10:42.846 --> 00:10:48.365
The whole design process was based on,
I went to one of my training trips.
00:10:48.416 --> 00:10:53.636
So when I was working for Swatch
Group OMEGA, I was sent to Switzerland
00:10:53.636 --> 00:10:59.135
for training, and I bought one of my
training trips a OMEGA pumper, which
00:10:59.136 --> 00:11:06.155
is about 1940s, 1950s, very classic
domed dial and very classic design.
00:11:06.505 --> 00:11:08.976
And I, I thought, I want
to do something like that.
00:11:08.986 --> 00:11:11.645
So make a classic
design, but with a twist.
00:11:12.066 --> 00:11:13.875
Classic, but modern in type of thing.
00:11:13.875 --> 00:11:17.855
So then I came across with the, with
the design of the Alku collection.
00:11:17.855 --> 00:11:21.505
So Alku is my first one, and first
I introduced, I started the whole
00:11:21.526 --> 00:11:22.775
journey with two different colors.
00:11:22.816 --> 00:11:23.795
It was black and white.
00:11:24.575 --> 00:11:29.375
So yeah, kind of, you know, I
started steadily, should I say?
00:11:30.355 --> 00:11:34.625
And there was only one color variation
on Kickstarter, is that right?
00:11:35.386 --> 00:11:36.045
There was two.
00:11:36.055 --> 00:11:37.245
There was white and black.
00:11:37.535 --> 00:11:40.346
Alku white and Alku black.
00:11:40.346 --> 00:11:40.686
I see.
00:11:40.686 --> 00:11:43.405
Because I first created those
two colors, and then I started
00:11:43.405 --> 00:11:44.645
my e-commerce store from there.
00:11:45.416 --> 00:11:47.485
But I wanted to introduce more colors.
00:11:47.865 --> 00:11:55.281
So it kind of came as a brand
Identity almost, the colors.
00:11:55.531 --> 00:11:55.551
Yeah.
00:11:55.901 --> 00:11:59.561
So first it started, everything started
with the black and white, but then from
00:11:59.561 --> 00:12:01.321
there I started introducing more colors.
00:12:01.722 --> 00:12:02.051
Yes.
00:12:02.291 --> 00:12:06.431
Well, and now- Yeah … if you
look, if you look on your website,
00:12:06.872 --> 00:12:09.102
beautiful, beautiful watches by the way.
00:12:09.111 --> 00:12:09.171
Thank you.
00:12:09.381 --> 00:12:12.102
The thing that is totally
striking, that jumps out at
00:12:12.102 --> 00:12:14.351
most people first is the colors.
00:12:14.811 --> 00:12:15.181
Yes.
00:12:15.221 --> 00:12:19.332
The colors are so unusual, so striking.
00:12:19.711 --> 00:12:25.821
Not just unusual colors, but also
fantastic patterns, patterns on the dials.
00:12:26.131 --> 00:12:28.841
One of the things, and it's funny
because I'm talking to a couple
00:12:28.841 --> 00:12:32.671
of people, a couple of, you know,
YouTube people, a couple of micro
00:12:32.671 --> 00:12:39.431
brand people, and my big campaign,
Susan, is I need more purple watches.
00:12:39.721 --> 00:12:40.261
Purple.
00:12:40.271 --> 00:12:40.571
Yes.
00:12:40.591 --> 00:12:41.971
Purple is the key.
00:12:41.971 --> 00:12:42.181
Perfect.
00:12:42.641 --> 00:12:45.771
And you have some amazingly
beautiful purple watches.
00:12:46.131 --> 00:12:46.602
Um- Thank you
00:12:46.602 --> 00:12:48.281
but I don't think there's enough purple.
00:12:48.321 --> 00:12:50.001
There's not enough purple in the world.
00:12:50.361 --> 00:12:50.391
Yes.
00:12:50.492 --> 00:12:53.341
Beautiful blues, yes, a
lot of people have those.
00:12:53.361 --> 00:12:55.251
Beautiful greens, absolutely.
00:12:55.371 --> 00:12:57.571
Beautiful cream, sure, of course.
00:12:57.982 --> 00:13:00.391
Even some, you know, teal kind of colors.
00:13:00.401 --> 00:13:07.292
But purple is really hard to find,
and, uh, this is my personal campaign.
00:13:07.491 --> 00:13:11.912
If I have anything to say about the
watch world, more purple, please.
00:13:13.491 --> 00:13:14.391
I am with you
00:13:15.278 --> 00:13:17.318
It's such a great color,
such a great color
00:13:17.318 --> 00:13:18.168
It is, yeah
00:13:18.378 --> 00:13:21.578
What were some of the … So
the Kickstarter went off.
00:13:22.168 --> 00:13:25.428
I think you've done three
Kickstarters total, correct?
00:13:26.098 --> 00:13:26.918
Yes, I did.
00:13:26.918 --> 00:13:27.647
Yeah, yeah.
00:13:27.948 --> 00:13:31.538
And so the first Kickstarter
sort of launched things.
00:13:32.057 --> 00:13:36.677
I actually went to the Kickstarter
page, and on the Kickstarter page
00:13:36.717 --> 00:13:42.057
it has a big stamp on it, says,
"Funded in six minutes." Mm-hmm.
00:13:42.067 --> 00:13:42.867
Six minutes.
00:13:42.868 --> 00:13:43.658
Is that true?
00:13:44.118 --> 00:13:45.808
Yes, that is very much true, yeah.
00:13:47.798 --> 00:13:51.928
Well, so tell me about … So
obviously you, you post it, right?
00:13:51.928 --> 00:13:54.097
You or someone on your team posts it.
00:13:54.097 --> 00:13:54.598
Mm-hmm.
00:13:54.598 --> 00:13:57.458
You have, you know, the different
levels and some beautiful
00:13:57.458 --> 00:13:59.127
photography and everything.
00:13:59.817 --> 00:14:02.867
Were you hitting refresh
to see the pledges come in?
00:14:02.868 --> 00:14:09.697
Or, or what was it like to watch this
thing six minutes after you hit post be
00:14:09.697 --> 00:14:12.308
fully funded and now you're in business?
00:14:12.857 --> 00:14:13.997
Oh, it was incredible.
00:14:14.077 --> 00:14:17.077
I think we had merde in a
fridge waiting for us, you know.
00:14:17.647 --> 00:14:20.717
You know, I just said, "We, it, no
matter what happen, we're gonna open
00:14:20.717 --> 00:14:22.267
the fridge, uh, the merde tonight."
00:14:22.778 --> 00:14:28.127
But no, um, I was home with my husband
and we just started the campaign.
00:14:28.127 --> 00:14:30.617
I think it was 10:00 PM in s- Australia.
00:14:31.447 --> 00:14:35.307
And yeah, just started the campaign and
just lo- both of us looking at the screen
00:14:35.428 --> 00:14:41.128
like, "What on earth?" So yeah, it, it was
pretty incredible having all the support.
00:14:41.208 --> 00:14:41.228
How
00:14:41.228 --> 00:14:41.528
about that?
00:14:42.158 --> 00:14:43.268
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:43.278 --> 00:14:43.318
That's
00:14:43.807 --> 00:14:43.827
it.
00:14:43.837 --> 00:14:49.548
So now that you're … I mean, so
when you have this quantity, at least
00:14:49.548 --> 00:14:56.228
181 people said they want a watch,
you're a very small company, right?
00:14:56.228 --> 00:14:57.347
A company of one.
00:14:57.877 --> 00:15:00.057
Uh, you said you have a
manufacturing partner.
00:15:00.397 --> 00:15:06.028
Was getting those 180 plus watches out the
door a problem, or was it pretty simple?
00:15:06.717 --> 00:15:10.937
For, actually for the first campaign,
I did have a help with the assembly
00:15:11.208 --> 00:15:15.427
because that was such a vast amount, but
I did all the regulation by myself and
00:15:15.427 --> 00:15:17.007
checked all the watches, quality control.
00:15:17.487 --> 00:15:22.057
But with the, after that, I've done
every single assembly by myself.
00:15:22.057 --> 00:15:26.727
So what I do is I get the dial separately,
hands separately, cases, and I put it
00:15:26.727 --> 00:15:28.588
back- Yes … put it together by myself.
00:15:28.847 --> 00:15:32.637
So with the first company, I did have
some help with assembly, but after that,
00:15:33.078 --> 00:15:34.777
everything is totally assembled in-house.
00:15:34.807 --> 00:15:41.698
So this is like the, uh, the 1800s,
I'm guessing, where there's the
00:15:41.708 --> 00:15:50.767
watchmaker in the watch studio literally
assembling every single watch herself?
00:15:51.592 --> 00:15:52.171
Yes
00:15:52.252 --> 00:15:55.742
It's like the purest form of micro
brand, like really micro brand.
00:15:55.962 --> 00:15:56.061
Yeah.
00:15:56.502 --> 00:16:01.072
It's not like you design it and there's
some factory in China that makes them.
00:16:01.551 --> 00:16:03.862
No, I put it together by myself.
00:16:04.471 --> 00:16:04.611
I-
00:16:04.721 --> 00:16:05.712
So impressive
00:16:06.091 --> 00:16:08.752
… I had the, you know, obviously
working in the industry for such
00:16:08.752 --> 00:16:12.132
a long time, I was working in the
industry over 10 years before I- Yeah
00:16:12.352 --> 00:16:12.632
started.
00:16:13.411 --> 00:16:17.451
And I've learned the protocols, you know,
when it comes to quality control, when
00:16:17.451 --> 00:16:21.102
it comes to testing, and I just follow
the same protocols with my own products.
00:16:21.461 --> 00:16:21.611
Yeah.
00:16:21.791 --> 00:16:25.251
So I suppose I'm a little bit,
like, I want to, you know, make sure
00:16:25.252 --> 00:16:27.821
that everything meet my criteria.
00:16:28.281 --> 00:16:28.381
Yes.
00:16:28.391 --> 00:16:31.441
And so it's just easier to
put it together by yourself.
00:16:31.842 --> 00:16:35.091
And actually, the assembly process
is not that time-consuming.
00:16:35.241 --> 00:16:40.692
I just had other… Well, it was, I
think it was m- March, I had a big order
00:16:40.711 --> 00:16:43.471
from the USA, and it was 48 watches.
00:16:44.401 --> 00:16:45.611
But it took me about a month.
00:16:45.982 --> 00:16:49.991
But so my speed is 10 wat- if
I just do assembly, I can do
00:16:50.072 --> 00:16:51.701
approximately 10 watches per day.
00:16:52.271 --> 00:16:54.581
But then obviously you have
everything else to do as well.
00:16:54.781 --> 00:16:56.551
It's not just the watch assembly.
00:16:56.561 --> 00:16:59.991
It's shipping and talking- Of course
… with customers and, you know, running
00:16:59.991 --> 00:17:01.091
the website and stuff like that.
00:17:01.101 --> 00:17:01.121
Yeah.
00:17:01.141 --> 00:17:05.281
But, um, yeah, so the assembly process
is not actually that time-consuming.
00:17:05.491 --> 00:17:06.561
Surprisingly fast.
00:17:06.701 --> 00:17:07.981
But yeah, I like doing it.
00:17:07.981 --> 00:17:14.318
I think it's very important, you know-
To, I suppose like, you know, when
00:17:14.318 --> 00:17:19.578
I put the watch together it's just I
want to make sure everything meets my
00:17:19.887 --> 00:17:21.537
personal criteria and quality control.
00:17:21.538 --> 00:17:21.848
Yes.
00:17:22.907 --> 00:17:25.108
Hey, David Newman here with
a quick commercial break.
00:17:25.108 --> 00:17:28.498
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:17:28.507 --> 00:17:30.107
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Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram, and YouTube.
00:17:34.447 --> 00:17:36.427
Now, back to the episode.
00:17:37.887 --> 00:17:41.068
Let's go back to talking
about design and colors.
00:17:41.077 --> 00:17:44.437
Where do you get your design aesthetic?
00:17:44.447 --> 00:17:46.897
Where do you get your eye for design?
00:17:47.237 --> 00:17:52.318
Where do you, you know, what, to what
do you look for inspiration, or where
00:17:52.348 --> 00:17:58.037
are the, the new Galvin watches that we
have not even seen yet, where are they
00:17:58.037 --> 00:18:00.608
likely to come from in your imagination?
00:18:01.337 --> 00:18:06.207
I think the biggest source of
inspiration for me is my heritage.
00:18:06.827 --> 00:18:08.538
So I'm from Finland originally.
00:18:08.577 --> 00:18:13.857
I lived my childhood in north of Finland
in this little village called Ranua.
00:18:14.917 --> 00:18:17.397
Uh, there's about 5,000
people living in that village.
00:18:17.397 --> 00:18:19.017
It's near to the Arctic Circle.
00:18:19.757 --> 00:18:20.887
Well, not too far away from there.
00:18:21.347 --> 00:18:26.258
So anyway, m- living my childhood
there and then, you know, how
00:18:26.258 --> 00:18:29.707
life takes, we ended up coming to
and, you know, living in Sydney.
00:18:30.247 --> 00:18:32.167
I, I do miss Finnish nature.
00:18:32.198 --> 00:18:34.317
I miss all the elements of the nature.
00:18:34.667 --> 00:18:34.797
Yeah.
00:18:34.798 --> 00:18:40.807
So I think that's kind of,
from that I wanted to bring it
00:18:40.807 --> 00:18:42.087
together with my own design.
00:18:42.107 --> 00:18:43.827
So for example, Loimu collection.
00:18:43.827 --> 00:18:49.917
Loimu is a Finnish word for a blaze,
so blazing of the northern lights, and
00:18:49.927 --> 00:18:55.077
that's how the guilloche style batting
came across, and all the vivid colors
00:18:55.077 --> 00:18:58.278
because that is a memory of mine-
00:18:58.658 --> 00:18:58.928
Yeah
00:18:58.928 --> 00:18:59.877
of the northern lights.
00:19:00.177 --> 00:19:01.168
Or Suvi collection.
00:19:01.168 --> 00:19:03.717
Suvi is a Finnish word for summer.
00:19:04.622 --> 00:19:07.722
And Suvi collection has all
the colors which they remind
00:19:07.722 --> 00:19:08.732
me of the Finnish summer.
00:19:09.142 --> 00:19:12.922
So yeah, that's been the source
of inspiration for me, my
00:19:12.922 --> 00:19:13.922
home Including purple.
00:19:13.992 --> 00:19:15.162
Including purple.
00:19:15.532 --> 00:19:19.471
Yes, you can see purple color
in the northern lights as well.
00:19:20.921 --> 00:19:21.502
So good.
00:19:21.511 --> 00:19:22.031
So good.
00:19:22.341 --> 00:19:27.232
I'm curious because these watches,
I think most of these designs, maybe
00:19:27.232 --> 00:19:33.341
all of these designs, can be worn,
uh, just as easily by women as by men.
00:19:33.931 --> 00:19:39.761
Size-wise, shape-wise, is there a
significant difference or are they really
00:19:39.761 --> 00:19:41.821
designed for both men and women to wear?
00:19:42.462 --> 00:19:42.902
Yes.
00:19:43.431 --> 00:19:46.781
As I said, you know, I don't
think watches are gender specific.
00:19:46.831 --> 00:19:51.351
They're for everyone, so, you
know, I think everybody can
00:19:51.352 --> 00:19:52.841
wear whatever they want to wear.
00:19:52.872 --> 00:19:55.391
So that's how I want to make my watches.
00:19:55.392 --> 00:19:58.941
I usually, when I start making
the design, I'm using my husband
00:19:58.962 --> 00:20:02.622
as my, you know, example, that-
Yeah … would you like this?
00:20:02.622 --> 00:20:06.141
And so if it kind of works for both
of us, I'm like, "Okay, this is good."
00:20:06.861 --> 00:20:08.231
Yes, for sure.
00:20:08.831 --> 00:20:13.232
Tell me a little bit, Susan, about,
um, because obviously you take orders
00:20:13.272 --> 00:20:17.962
on your website, you sell direct, but
you're also now starting to sell through
00:20:17.962 --> 00:20:20.941
some partners, some retail partners.
00:20:20.952 --> 00:20:21.312
Correct.
00:20:21.381 --> 00:20:25.422
Around the world, a couple in the
US, but around the world as well.
00:20:25.971 --> 00:20:30.371
What's it like working with and
finding good retail partners?
00:20:31.150 --> 00:20:32.940
Well, I've been quite
lucky, I think, you know.
00:20:33.050 --> 00:20:34.580
I've been really lucky with my retailers.
00:20:34.580 --> 00:20:36.460
Everything's been going
really, really smoothly.
00:20:36.840 --> 00:20:40.449
Yeah, I think it's just a matter of,
you know, finding the people who have
00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:44.170
the same kind of, I don't know, we're
thinking the same when it comes to
00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:49.749
the design perspective and, um, for
example, the quality of the product.
00:20:49.750 --> 00:20:50.020
Yeah.
00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:53.899
So, you know, I think
that's very important.
00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:56.820
But I don- I wouldn't say
is it really difficult.
00:20:56.830 --> 00:21:00.960
I mean, of course it can be challenging
to, 'cause there's a lot of micro brands
00:21:00.970 --> 00:21:04.750
around, so it's a quite competitive space.
00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:08.790
But yeah, I think I've been very
pleased with the distributors
00:21:08.790 --> 00:21:13.250
or stockists that I have at the
moment, so yeah, no, no problem.
00:21:13.310 --> 00:21:19.019
And of course, I would welcome more to
the board, uh, just because, I mean,
00:21:19.199 --> 00:21:23.439
for the small business like mine,
brand awareness is everything, so-
00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:24.040
Yes
00:21:24.650 --> 00:21:29.139
… I don't necessarily have a big
marketing budget such as bigger, you
00:21:29.139 --> 00:21:31.209
know, Swiss manufacturers would have.
00:21:31.209 --> 00:21:31.239
Sure.
00:21:31.810 --> 00:21:34.989
Uh, so my marketing
budget is quite limited.
00:21:34.999 --> 00:21:35.019
Yeah.
00:21:36.349 --> 00:21:38.739
So having these retailers, it does
increase the brand awareness, and
00:21:38.949 --> 00:21:43.030
also having the customer, so that
the customer have the opportunity
00:21:43.030 --> 00:21:46.380
of trying the watches if they would
have a physical store as well, so.
00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:46.850
Yeah.
00:21:46.850 --> 00:21:47.129
Yes.
00:21:47.139 --> 00:21:48.580
Um, yeah, I've been very pleased.
00:21:48.580 --> 00:21:48.830
Yeah.
00:21:49.179 --> 00:21:49.909
That's great.
00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:54.910
I'm curious, between all of your work
in the watch industry and now of course
00:21:54.999 --> 00:22:01.009
having your own company, did, did you
collect watches, like while you were
00:22:01.449 --> 00:22:07.109
with Omega or Tag Heuer, or it was just
really the work that was fascinating more
00:22:07.109 --> 00:22:09.909
so than you being a watch nut yourself?
00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:12.519
I did have a bit of a collection, yes.
00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:12.929
Um-
00:22:12.929 --> 00:22:13.419
Really?
00:22:13.419 --> 00:22:14.329
Tell me about your collection … yeah.
00:22:15.459 --> 00:22:19.709
So, well, when I was working
as a watch repairer, I, we
00:22:19.739 --> 00:22:21.819
get to have a, wear watches.
00:22:22.409 --> 00:22:23.759
You know, the watches they even wear.
00:22:23.760 --> 00:22:34.429
So I had a Carrera, and then I also had
a, when I was working for Omega, the
00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:38.109
Speedy, so with the sapphire sandwich.
00:22:38.409 --> 00:22:38.999
Hang on,
00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:43.239
1863, I think it was the caliber number.
00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:44.950
That's great.
00:22:46.310 --> 00:22:50.209
Only someone who works in the business
would know the actual numbers.
00:22:50.769 --> 00:22:53.240
Yeah, 'cause I was like- Great … 1863
was the, with the sapphire case back.
00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:53.270
There you go.
00:22:53.270 --> 00:22:57.289
And 1861 was with the closed case.
00:22:57.670 --> 00:22:58.160
Nice.
00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:02.659
So yeah, I had those two, and
then I, vintage watches, so for
00:23:02.659 --> 00:23:04.049
example, the Omega Panthere.
00:23:04.969 --> 00:23:06.450
And I have one Finnish one.
00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:11.749
So we have this Finnish watch brand, it's
called Leijona, which stands for a lion.
00:23:12.299 --> 00:23:15.189
And back in the days they were, I think
that back in the days they used Swiss
00:23:15.189 --> 00:23:21.730
calibers, but then they meant to a
little bit, you know, more a commercial
00:23:21.730 --> 00:23:27.786
line, so I think they changed to there
was more battery operated and all that.
00:23:27.796 --> 00:23:29.966
Nothing wrong with that, but
it's just different kind of-
00:23:30.006 --> 00:23:30.326
Sure
00:23:30.356 --> 00:23:31.856
… they were marketing differently.
00:23:31.906 --> 00:23:35.286
And then I think Boldline and
did a collaboration with them.
00:23:35.906 --> 00:23:39.055
So anyway, so that kind of got my
interest and I was, oh, I wanna
00:23:39.056 --> 00:23:41.026
get old vintage Leoner watch.
00:23:41.845 --> 00:23:42.476
That's great.
00:23:42.515 --> 00:23:45.975
Tell me what's next for you.
00:23:45.986 --> 00:23:48.336
What is, what are you looking forward to?
00:23:48.345 --> 00:23:52.176
What's coming up as far as
new designs, new releases?
00:23:52.675 --> 00:23:56.785
Any big watch shows that you're
attending in the next little bit of time?
00:23:56.785 --> 00:23:57.795
Tell us all of that
00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:03.550
I've been looking at potentially
attending to … So I was living in, in
00:24:03.550 --> 00:24:08.490
the UK in Manchester when I was working
for LVMH, and there is a Manchester
00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:10.400
watch show coming up in November.
00:24:10.830 --> 00:24:12.760
So I've been talking with the organizers.
00:24:13.170 --> 00:24:13.430
Yes.
00:24:13.430 --> 00:24:16.199
That, uh, I, I would like
to, uh, potentially attend.
00:24:16.350 --> 00:24:19.450
It's not confirmed yet, but I think
that would be a great opportunity.
00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:22.280
Obviously, it's quite far away
from where we are, but then we-
00:24:22.289 --> 00:24:24.340
Yes … visit, visit home as well.
00:24:24.750 --> 00:24:28.649
Also in Australia, we have Watch
Fest, which has been really nice.
00:24:28.840 --> 00:24:31.670
You know, good friends with the
people who organize the event.
00:24:31.870 --> 00:24:34.949
And, um, yeah, those are the
two ones I'm thinking about.
00:24:34.949 --> 00:24:37.290
There is one show in Singapore.
00:24:37.629 --> 00:24:40.219
It's called SSS, Spring Spring sprung.
00:24:40.350 --> 00:24:42.010
I did attend to it last year.
00:24:42.299 --> 00:24:42.539
Yeah.
00:24:42.679 --> 00:24:47.449
Uh, I might have some visibility there
this year as well, also to be confirmed.
00:24:47.780 --> 00:24:52.369
When it comes to the watch releases,
yes, there is something exciting
00:24:52.379 --> 00:24:56.510
happening, but, um, I will keep
my mouth very shut about it.
00:24:58.129 --> 00:25:01.299
It is so exciting, you can't
even talk about it yet.
00:25:01.749 --> 00:25:04.140
It is very much a secret at the moment.
00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.260
Um-
00:25:04.280 --> 00:25:05.759
Well, as it should be.
00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:06.570
As it should be.
00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:06.609
Yes.
00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:10.679
All, all good things need to be a
wonderful surprise wrapped up in a big
00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:12.729
beautiful box with a big bow on top.
00:25:12.729 --> 00:25:15.680
And then when the right time comes-
Think so … we open the box,
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:17.230
and then everyone can buy one.
00:25:17.609 --> 00:25:18.399
Absolutely.
00:25:18.469 --> 00:25:19.020
I agree.
00:25:19.600 --> 00:25:23.159
So Susan, tell us, how do we get
connected and stay connected to
00:25:23.159 --> 00:25:28.309
you and the watches, and, uh, what
links should go into our show notes?
00:25:28.969 --> 00:25:29.219
Yeah.
00:25:29.219 --> 00:25:36.540
So you can find my website from
www.gallminwatchcompany.com.au.
00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:38.719
That's my website.
00:25:39.350 --> 00:25:40.609
Uh, I have Instagram.
00:25:40.949 --> 00:25:43.990
I'm quite active in Instagram,
trying to be more active nowadays
00:25:43.990 --> 00:25:47.489
in TikTok with the help of Luigi,
who's my social media person.
00:25:47.729 --> 00:25:48.109
Right.
00:25:48.179 --> 00:25:50.379
And YouTube as well.
00:25:50.409 --> 00:25:53.109
So all the traditional
channels, I suppose.
00:25:54.089 --> 00:25:54.839
Tremendous.
00:25:54.909 --> 00:25:57.869
And then people can see you at work,
they can see you in the workshop.
00:25:57.879 --> 00:25:59.400
They can see a little bit of assembly.
00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:03.210
They can get to know you personally,
get a little profile behind the scenes,
00:26:03.210 --> 00:26:06.079
videos that are in all those spots.
00:26:06.350 --> 00:26:09.939
So I gotta hand it to you, both
you and Luigi are doing a great
00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:12.319
job, I think, on your social media.
00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:12.669
Thank
00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:13.139
you.
00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:13.279
Yay.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:13.419
Fantastic.
00:26:13.419 --> 00:26:18.220
It's, it's very personal, and it
shows just enough of the behind the
00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:22.800
scenes magic to get people excited
and intrigued about what's going on.
00:26:23.399 --> 00:26:23.880
Thank you.
00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:24.840
Thank you so much, Bennett.
00:26:25.509 --> 00:26:27.990
So Susan, thank you so
much for being with us.
00:26:28.069 --> 00:26:32.009
Keep up the fantastic, amazing work,
and I really appreciate all the
00:26:32.009 --> 00:26:33.699
wisdom you shared with us today.
00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:34.690
Thank you.
00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:35.960
I really appreciate it.
00:26:38.179 --> 00:26:40.810
And that wraps up another
episode of Watch Smarts.
00:26:40.810 --> 00:26:45.679
Listen, if you love this show, if you
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00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:54.339
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