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Its beginnings got off to a flying start. In only 35 seconds, CHF 300 000 were collected and as a rocket, Furlan Marri made its mark.
Take your coat and suitcase and come with us to Geneva, we absolutely have to understand that brand. And who better to explain this success than Andrea Furlan, one of the creators of this watchmaking adventure.
It’s always a pleasure to be back in Geneva. I love that city, its atmosphere and the creativity it reigns there. The history of watchmaking has left its mark here and day after day, players in this industry participate in writing its new chapters.
This is precisely the atmosphere in which Andrea grew up.
Make yourself comfortable, coffee just arrived and a few croissants still warm are waiting for you.
Rushing will be your worst enemy, you need to be patient, methodical and eager for advice. This is what guided Andrea at the beginning of his project. To talk about a brand at this stage would be a bit premature, especially when the ideas have not yet taken the form of a product.
Is your passport up to date? If so, we can embark on a journey to Asia. Whether we like it or not, this region of the world has an important place in the watch industry.
If the desire to one day create a brand has always been present in Andrea’s mind, it intensified in 2019 while he was working for Dominique Renaud. If this name is still unknown to you, be patient, it will soon be…
Under the guise of consulting, Andrea went to Asia to find suppliers. Given the distance between Switzerland and Asia, it’s important to find trustworthy partners. The simple exchange of e-mails should not be the only way to establish a relationship of trust with your potential supplier. One must give priority to human contact and above all to check the quality of the products they offer.
Now that it has been clarified, we can continue. You know people who can produce your watch, but you still have a lot of steps to go through before launching your brand.
If you met with your suppliers, you have to meet with those who succeeded. They will be able to recommend books and share some of their techniques to help you in your entrepreneurial adventure.
First, you must check the production chain. This includes the concept, the story you want to tell and the product. Spend some time defining the WHY! The clear and precise answer to this simple word is essential.
The Kickstarter platform is a good tool in the absence of a website, and the customer management is appreciable despite the fact that it takes a commission between 8 and 10%.
If one never gives the keys of a car before showing who it works, it goes the same way with Kickstarter. Get information! Read up! Meet people and advice! You only have 30 days and experience shows that if your project is not 40% funded within 2 days, it is unlikely to succeed.
That’s why, before publishing your project, you must share your product and make people talk about it. We know it is you baby and that you are convinced of its beauty, but you’re not the only one on Earth and your conviction alone will not be enough to convince your potential customers. In his case, Andrea had 10 prototypes produced, 8 of which were sent to the various media he had chosen.
Don’t just send the watch, make them feel a unique experience. Get them interested in your project. The product must be flawless, as well as the packaging. Explain who you are and your project in a different way.
However, Furlan Marri’s success hasn’t only be achieved through good preparation. The product has of course an important place.
Do you want some more coffee? Because we are going to get to the product part. You were so focused, you totally forgot about the croissants.
Don’t make a sound, just be transparent and observe.
To create, Andréa needs to be alone with a background of classical or jazz music to awaken his muses who slumber in his books. He needs to immerse himself, to travel within an era to understand its codes and bring them to life in his own way.
For the first pieces, the classic codes of the 40’s and 60’s, his love for minimalism and the work on raw materials guided his pencil. Because yes, even if we are in the 21st century, Andrea still favors paper.
Amazed by François Borgel’s work on the case, he decided to pay tribute to him by reusing it. This will be reflected in its shape, its decagonal screwed back and the engraved Tasti Tondi pushers.
This metallic dress is echoed in the dial, which is symmetrical and classic, with a complex periphery and a loaded railway track. This complexity is matched by an airier inner dial.
If you own one of these beauties, I invite you to take a magnifying glass. Look at the railway and more specifically at the intersection between the minute marker and the inner and outer circles. These intersections are not marked by a sharp right angle. They have been smoothed out.
Your eye may not have seen it, but your brain has. Even if you don’t see all these details, you feel them. That’s the magic of a well-made and well-thought-out design!
This classic style makes the watch easy to wear and therefore reaches a wider audience. And this is just the first step. Furlan Marri wants to take you on a journey with it. As time goes by, classic will give way to modern touches. With this product, you have been told the story of the mecha-quartz.
We look forward to the next stories and believe us, they will be exciting! Gears and balance wheel will be part of the game…
One Response
Hello, I want to order another watch, I took the blue watch, but I want to own another watch from your publications. Can you help me with how to buy it, thank you