Alistair Audsley, co-founder and CEO of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, speaks to WatchPro about three years of uniting the industry and the upcoming British Watchmakers’ Day on March 9.
WATCHPRO: Since its founding, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers has become a major force in the UK industry. Did you expect this or has it surprised you?
ALISTAIR AUDSLEY: In terms of expectations, we knew there was a need for a trade organisation like the Alliance; especially when we began to share the idea with other watch and clock company founders. We also took a long time to plan. So, when we finally launched in November 2020, we were fairly confident that we’d got the strategy right. However, as much as there was a carefully considered plan, you can never really know exactly how it will pan out. As Mike Tyson once said: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face!”
Thankfully today we have 92 Trade Members, so I would agree that we’re definitely a force to be reckoned with. However, we can only ever be the sum of the trade members, who thankfully comprise a lot of exceptional people running equally impressive brands.
WP: Why do you think it has resonated with the industry? Are we genuinely stronger together?
AA: What soon became clear was that there was already a deep sense of collective goodwill among British watch companies. I think what’s resonated is that we’ve provided a platform on which to nurture and amplify this collaborative spirit. Without our members’ inherent willingness to share knowledge, to work together, and to have the crucial insight that a stronger British proposition offers a linear benefit to all, it would have been impossible for the Alliance to gain traction in the way that it has.
WP: What practical help does the Alliance offer to small businesses?
AA: Firstly, membership is free to trading watch and clock companies, so they gain access to our whole community without any financial barrier to entry. We treat all members – whether larger established brands or micro-brand start-ups – the same. As a trade body that’s vital. We even took a similar approach with British Watchmakers’ Day in that our Brand Bar has given the smaller micro brands the opportunity to be part of the big day for a very low cost.
When showcasing our trade members, we create content to a very high standard and now that our social channels have grown it means we have a platform on which to raise awareness for brands who otherwise might not get attention. As we develop our country brand for watch and clock making we have to editorialise our approach – it’s not like running a corporate brand. As such that’s about sharing stories which support the overall British proposition. Of course, we share and feature new products but our ‘sweet spot’ is always a story which helps to build the reputation of the British sector as a whole… something innovative, new, exemplary.
The most positive feedback we have received, especially from small brands, is the sense of community though. Running a business can be a lonely place and the greatest benefit has been for founders to meet and connect with their peers. It gives a great deal of satisfaction to make those introductions, but again, if it weren’t for the receptiveness of our members that simply wouldn’t be possible.
Another benefit for small businesses is that we provide a collective voice for lobbying and policy in Government.
WP: Running the organisation must be a huge job, what are the plans for securing its future?
AA: As you know, operationally we are a tiny team. We started during lockdown and, going back to the planning stage, we made a conscious decision to remain ‘virtual’ so that all our funding could go into delivering our strategy and initiatives, as opposed to supporting a costly overhead. My first two years’ work in building the Alliance were voluntary and we’re still minding the pennies as a not-for-profit. As such, we have a degree of security through remaining lean. Any organisation should only exist because it adds value and we can only secure our future by continually enriching the watch and clock making sector.
We’ve been very fortunate to have had some generous benefactors and initiatives such as the Alliance 01 collaboration watch by Christopher Ward and Fears. The 50 pieces sold out in two minutes and gave our Club members a wonderful opportunity to acquire a collectible watch, while delivering a significant financial contribution to us. Our Club membership, which is subscription based, has grown to the extent that it is also helping to cover the bottom line. We’re constantly looking for ways to add value and appeal to that as well.
WP: What have the major achievements of the Alliance been to date?
AA: Getting to three years old for starters! But seriously, I’d like to think that the major achievement has been our main strategic goal, which has been to raise the profile of British watch and clock making as a ‘country proposition’. Within that overall imperative, getting onto the Department for Business’s economic sector panel in 2021 felt like the moment we were recognised as a distinct sector as opposed to a handful of disparate businesses. That was a milestone moment and I really enjoy representing our sector alongside peer trade associations who are far longer standing.
The delivery of the first ever Bellwether report in 2021 also helped to gain recognition that the British sector exists and it has given us a baseline and further steer on the key actions for the next phase of the Alliance – with careers at the forefront.
Building our trade membership to 92 businesses (so far) which comprises the vast majority of the British sector has been a huge achievement. I have to say what a fantastic job Katya Audsley has done of nurturing this by building personal relationships with our members. I think they can see how much she cares about their businesses. The Alliance 01 watch collaboration was a major undertaking for us as well, especially with the delivery of such a successful campaign.
And, of course, to come is British Watchmakers’ Day. Yet to be delivered, but almost upon us after a huge amount of work!
WP: How did the idea of British Watchmakers’ Day come about?
AA: When we launched the Alliance during lockdown, the idea of a live event seemed a distant, halcyon dream; but firmly lodged in my original plan was an idea that I borrowed from the music sector. It happens that I’m an avid collector of vinyl records and the highlight of our year is Record Store Day where artists, labels and independent record shops have banded together to release ‘day and date’ limited edition records. Starting in 2008, Record Store Day is arguably responsible for turning around the music sector. In 2007, vinyl was all but dead. By 2019, vinyl had overtaken all other formats for sales-by-value.
As a vinyl collector, you usually begin with a retail chart release; but, once you start down the collecting ‘rabbit hole’ you can end up investing in (very) costly rarities. You can have the same journey as a British watch collector. That’s one fairly unheralded aspect of the British sector – you really can go on a similar path because Britain has brands who can offer watches for every wrist and pocket; from an Accurist all the way to a Roger W. Smith.
So, I had this ‘what if’ notion to apply the same principle to watches and clocks. After all watches, like vinyl records, inspire the collector in all of us. So ‘what if’ we could persuade our trade members to offer limited edition watches on British Watchmakers’ Day and kickstart a distinctly British pathway for collectors?
The response from our trade members has been astonishing and British Watchmakers’ Day will offer collectors the chance to acquire super limited-edition watches from a few hundred pounds up to the one-off Roger W. Smith Series 1. That watch is causing so much excitement as it’s the first time that Roger has ever offered a new watch to the general collector community outside of his lengthy (and closed) waiting list. However, as Swatch in particular has shown us, collectability needn’t be restricted to the highest peak of the market. Actually, the first watch I ever bought was a Swatch Jelly Clear in 1986 when I was a student.
WP: As one of the driving forces behind BWD, how have you found the process of putting on the event?
AA: It’s hugely daunting! As I said, we’re a very small team and so I set out to commence production nearly a year ago to give us the time to get everything done. An awful lot of the burden has rested on Katya’s shoulders in terms of liaising with the venue, all 44 exhibitors and Daryn Moore, our creative director in laying out the event. Every day starts with a long list; you work your way through it and, at end the day… you have an even longer list!
WP: How did you decide on the location and format, and what is unique about this show?
AA: The aim was singular… if we’re claiming Britain is ‘back’ then the show needed to be big. We also canvassed our members who all lobbied us to make sure we had a venue with lots of natural light. So, we wanted to make a statement, have lots of natural light and a central location, which led us to the Lindley Hall in Westminster. We took one look and agreed this was ‘it’.
I’m not sure our approach is unique, but our focus certainly is. British Watchmakers’ Day is all about providing collectors with the opportunity to discover and buy British watches. It’s a sales fair and, as such, we’re not doing panels or talks which we feel are more than ably covered by major British shows such as WatchPro Salon.
Needless to say, I think the key distinguishing feature is the special-edition watches and I very much hope our exhibitors make some great sales to new collectors on the day. Having seen the incredible watches that will be on offer, it’s hard to imagine they won’t succeed.
WP: We are talking four weeks before the event and it is already sold out. What do you think this says about the interest in British watchmaking?
AA: We’ve been completely blown away by the response. It’s funny because we had all these contingency plans to boost ticket sales in the last couple of weeks so, to be able to just focus on the event itself, is a huge relief.
I think it demonstrates enormous interest in British watches, especially considering how many attendees are coming from around the world.
WP: Are you surprised by the public reaction to British Watchmakers’ Day?
AA: I am – this was a real step into the unknown for all of us. I’m not just saying this, but the interest, support and enthusiasm of our media partners and podcasters has been absolutely pivotal to that. It’s a very low cost of entry but the international interest in the show has been a wonderful endorsement for all our brands.
WP: What can visitors expect on the day?
AA: It’s a very straightforward watch fair, but totally dedicated to British brands and of a scale that I think will surprise. It’s all about collectors having the opportunity to acquire watches in a buzzing environment and with the chance to meet the founders of their favourite brands. The fact that there’s no panels or talks, or any additional ‘bells and whistles’ is what has enabled us to keep the ticket price so low – £10 for the general public and free to our Club Members.
WP: Could we see BWD replicated in other countries? For example, several British brands are already hugely popular in the USA.
AA: That’s a great question – and quite a daunting prospect right now, knowing how hard it’s been to organise a day in London! However, it’s exactly how Record Store Day evolved and,so, why not? We have some great partners in the USA so it would be a very welcome conversation.
WP: What is next for the Alliance? And what are the ultimate goals?
AA: Once the dust settles, for me it’s about developing the next phase of our strategy. That’s linked to our ultimate goal which is all about market growth. Mike France [co-founder of the Alliance and CEO of Christopher Ward] coined the phrase ‘Project £1 billion’ as a ten-year growth aim for our collective retail value. That’s a huge, transformative, step up from where we are now (around £200 million), but Mike’s point has always been to engender an attitude for growth which I wholeheartedly agree with. Mike has had a stellar career in British retail and it’s important that we have sector leaders like him who can talk credibly at the ‘£billion’ level and inspire confidence for other watch business owners.
We’re already seeing several of our brands who might have started out as ‘lifestyle’ businesses getting excited about their growth potential. They can see it happening with their peers within the Alliance’s community. My own focus is going to be on export and working with Government to leverage opportunities, both to grow our tier one markets and open up new markets for British makers.
But an urgent task ahead is to encourage new talent into careers within our sector. The need for more talent is both a threat and an opportunity to sustainable growth. We will deliver a major initiative on careers during the summer… but only once we’ve recovered from British Watchmakers’ Day!
