In the May issue of WatchPro we took a look at the aviation watch market in the UK. Here Cos Costas, director of watch brand David Mason London, tells us about his experiences as a new player in the aviation watch market.
WatchPro: As a new player, how difficult is it to break into the aviation watch market?
Cos Costas: The watch market in general is very difficult to break into; there is immense competition and barriers of entry are fairly high due to the close knit nature of the industry, especially if you want to produce quality pieces. In respect of the aviation watch market, this is a highly competitive market, but we are of the opinion that there is room for an affordable, quality, British manufacturer in the marketplace with the right product, which I hope we have.
WP: When developing the concept for the David Mason London brand, why did you lean towards pilot watches?
CC: It was purely down to preference. On entering the market we had the opportunity to create one type of timepiece and due to our preference leaning toward aviators and David Mason’s love of planes and his historical interest in WW1 and WW2 it really made the decision easy, along with the opportunity to create a watch with additional complications, such as an additional time zone as in our inaugural DM1a The Quill and DM1b The Summers with their True GMT Movement. You can simply do a little more with a pilot watch than you can with a dress watch.
WP: How has the aviation watch market changed over the past year?
CC: The aviation watch market has always been a large part of the watch market. We have seen over recent years companies like Bremont take a stance and create some fabulous pieces within this field. Breitling have also cemented their grip in this area and we also saw IWC, another great watchmaker, mark 2012 as the year of the high-fliers with the introduction of five aviation pieces, to name a few of the more well-known higher end brands. Not to forget Bell & Ross who also have a variety of aviation-inspired watches and have some interesting novelties for 2013. We have also seen a resurgence in the pilot watch market in 2012, and hope this continues in 2013, with many smaller lesser-known brands creating an aviator watch, but generally they are based on the classic WW1 pilot watch case we all know and love and we hope our take on this case will push our watches to the forefront. So in summary the last year has seen substantial growth and a range of varying watches coming to market within this sector.
WP: Is demand for aviation watches still strong in the UK, in your opinion? Has the market grown or slowed in the past year?
CC: Demand in the UK in our opinion is as strong as ever within aviation watches, you just have to look at Bremont’s expansion and the intensity of our aviation heritage in the UK to see that the passion for aviation will never dwindle in the UK because of its amazing history with aviation. This has led to a growth in the market which could also be down to many manufacturers entering the women’s market too in aviators, something we have no immediate plans to do, but maybe in 2015 – watch this space.
WP: Who buys an aviation watch?
CC: In short, anybody and everybody. It’s no longer just a watch for a pilot, it’s a watch that everyone wants to own. They are historical, clear and offer variations that other types of watches don’t; you can have a chronograph, day date, big date, GMT, Second time zone, third time zone, you name it you can put it in a pilot watch. You can’t do that with a diver really, or a sports watch. Who wants a second time zone on a sports watch? You want a chrono really. Same as with a diver – why would you want to know what time it is in England when 500ft under water in Egypt? You’re not going to say ‘oh got to go and phone home’ and up you pop and use the phone.
WP: What new aviation product launches have you been working on?
CC: We have a new collection of aviation watches for 2013. These will all be Swiss Made with sapphire crystal and have a second time zone, and are simply called The Aviator. They will be available in a number of variations of different lumen on the dial, with blue, orange, grey, black, white and vintage being our colours of choice and will also be available in stainless steel and a black PVD too. This range will have retail prices ranging from £275 to £385.
WP: Is there any new technology emerging in this sector?
CC: There is always new technology rearing its head in the aviation market. We are forever seeing watchmakers wanting to go higher and better, as we saw with Zenith last year and Felix Baumgartner. Better lumen is also something we all strive for, as a watch needs to be seen in dull light if it is to be used for what it’s made for. We also have Seiko’s GPS technology which changes the time for you when you change time zones automatically.
WP: What sort of marketing activities have you been employing to promote David Mason London?
CC: Our current marketing has really been on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook along with good old word of mouth. We also have a few key friends of David Mason London, or ambassadors as others like to call them, and are present on their livery. We have Renault World Series FR3.5 racing driver Oliver Webb, Scottish international rugby player and hopefully British Lion in the 2013 Autumn Tour Tim Visser, young British Euro F3 driver and a fabulous talent and great all round guy Cameron Twynham, the team behind Cameron MRE Motorsport, Formula 1 news website Richland F1, a young British-based Australian racing driver hoping to be in British GT called Sean Winder and Max Coates Ginetta GT Driver Kent Cross. I’m sure that’s everyone. We are present on the race suits, helmets and cars of our ambassadors, as well as on their wrists and we are of the opinion the personal touch goes a long way in marketing. We will be attending a number of race events to promote our brand and enhance the knowledge of David Mason London.
WP: Have you collaborated with any retailers on events or promotions surrounding aviation watches?
CC: No collaborations yet. We are open to having a discussion but being new to the market and selling mainly through our own site we have not had the opportunity to follow this route, but 2013 is the year David Mason London is moving towards the retail environment.
WP: And what about talking to retailers – how do you plan to build those relationships?
CC: We are exhibiting at two trade shows this year and. We will be exhibiting a two amazing venues – Freemasons’ Hall in July with The London Watch Show and Somerset House in June with The Watch Salon, both dedicated trade watch events, albeit the second being part of The Jewellery Show London. These two events are our way of venturing into the retail environment and showing our wares to the world, and we will be launching our new Aviator collection at these events.
WP: What challenges does the aviation watch market face in the UK?
CC: In general increase competition from smaller niche brands from Russia and Eastern Europe with their own heritage in the industry.
WP: Are there any underdeveloped opportunities for aviation watches in the UK?
CC: There definitely are underdeveloped opportunities, but to discuss them here just makes everyone aware and gives the competition a jump, and as a young brand we need some sort of advantage in the years to come. We have to say though, Bremont is going a long way to filling this gap in the UK.
