For the man in charge of a watch brand that is completely driven by a passion for music, it seems only fitting to be celebrating an appearance in the Top 10. And Raymond Weil’s entrance into the top 10 Swiss watch brands in the UK by turnover is, according to Craig Leach, a just reward for “hard work, combined with vision and forward planning”.
Leach is not only driving Raymond Weil forward at home, he is also doing well on the international stage. The UK is now Raymond Weil’s number two market globally, beaten to the top only by the US, and is also leading the way for global brand initiatives.
“The UK team plays a significant role in product and marketing strategy planning and implementation,” reveals Leach. “These structures are then rolled out to the other markets around the world. Music is the main vehicle for our marketing and as the UK is so engaged with the worldwide music scene our influence has been progressive and instrumental to the brand’s global strategy.”
Over the past 18 months, Raymond Weil has signed five new music ambassadors – Labrinth, Milos Karadaglic, 2Cellos, Frank Sinatra and Nicola Benedetti – as well as entering into a brand partnership with guitar brand Gibson. While all these fresh associations are incredibly important to its marketing strategies, Leach says that right at the top of all these is Raymond Weil’s 10-year partnership with the BRIT Awards and the Classical Brits, which is why he chose to have his photograph taken at the offices of the events’ organiser, the British Phonographic Industry.
Even when Leach is trying to relax off the job with his family – he enjoys weekends spent walking with his wife, two sons and their dog Lola or freezing on the side of a pitch – he can’t escape music, as his wife is a professional opera singer. Now that’s what you call married to the job.
