HOW DOES EVERY MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE MANAGE ONLINE SALES?
We approach this differently. At Mühle we see that buyers are looking
primarily for price online, so we have created a separate online collection.
This way we can carefully monitor the collection and adjust it depending
on demand. In this way we also have a greater control over both types of
markets in our online and in retail stores. Our online collection is something
unexpected, and you’ll see it next year.
We are also planning to sell this online collection through a selected
number of our regular retailers. This gives consumers the chance to go into
a store to try it on. We are starting with three models. This is one step where
we can partner with our retailers to sell online.
Since we manage our own production, we have to control our inventory.
People who buy online want to have to watch the next day. You cannot have
them wait for six weeks. Also, you need to be available 24 hours a day when
you sell online. People tend to buy in the evenings when they buy online.
Plus, you need to make the online experience quick and uncomplicated.
I do see that in five years there will be fewer brick-and-mortar retailers.
Sales and margins are difficult, the big watch groups and bigger retailers
have much more money and rents will continue to increase in good
retail locations.
DOES MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE COMPETE WITH THE APPLE WATCH?
Our biggest challenge is to find out what younger people want to wear.
We have to make an emotional appeal. We need to tell them that with our
brand they get a high-precision, handcrafted mechanical watch not requiring
outside energy.
Mühle Glashütte
Pavona Green, on
a leather strap
On each new
model introduced
in 2019 Mühle
Glashütte has
placed a special
rotor with a 150th
anniversary plate
HAS MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE EXPANDED IN THE UNITED STATES?
Yes. When collectors are ready to expand their collections into German
watches we offer them something special. We now have twenty locations
that sell our watches in the United States.
HOW DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS WORK AT YOUR COMPANY?
I have two people in our graphic design department who create the design,
and at the end of the process we have five people who decide on the final
version. And of course we have to be aware of the production possibilities or
constraints. Sometimes we use outside designers for a fresh view into our
collection. But you must find a designer that he loves your brand.
DOES MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE PLAN TO MAKE COMPLICATED WATCHES?
Nobody who collects our watches has asked us to do a complicated watch.
For me it is more interesting to develop new modules for our watches, using
other movements inside. With a new module, we get the opportunity to
create an entirely new design to present that function. We also make wall
clocks, navigation and ship clocks. It is a small part of the business, but an
important one.
The watch industry used to say, “this is what we have, and this is what
you will buy.” That thinking is now changing. We are happy to make special
editions. We listen to consumers, and we are careful to be sure that the
consumer knows we are listening.
WHY SHOULD A COLLECTOR BUY A MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE WATCH
OVER ANOTHER WATCH IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE?
Because the buyer will get a watch with a soul.
We spend our energy and our emotions into the quality of each watch,
and you can feel that with each of our watches. Also we offer great value
and high quality.
In Glashütte, you can’t make a cheap watch. For example, eighty percent
of our cases we buy in Germany. Most companies (in our price range) will
buy from cheaper sources. I think you can tell the difference. When you
spend $2,000 or $3,000 on a watch, you should be buying a quality watch,
not contributing to a marketing budget. Also, not everybody will have a
Mühle Glashütte watch.
84 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2019
The new Teutonia
IV Moonphase
The new Mühle Glashütte
Sea-Timer BlackMotion