Tokyo (SCCIJ) – After Laurent Ferrier in early December, the Swiss market expansion services provider DKSH has signed two more distribution agreements for watch brands in Japan. The accord with the Belgian watch brand Ressence was quickly followed by an “exclusive and strategic partnership” with the independent Swiss watch maker Speake-Marin to exclusively supply, market, sell and distribute their timepieces in Japan.
Focus on collectors
Speake-Marin was founded originally by the English watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin in 2002. Since 2015, Speake-Marin builds and assembles all the movements in its own atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The brand’s newest timepieces are from the highly sought-after collection “ONE&TWO”. Its quintessence is found in its English touch.
Speake-Marin’s passion for watchmaking can easily be noticed in the intricate finish and the unique design of its timepieces. The design characteristics of Speake-Marin watches include the eye-catching cases, heart-shaped clock hands and open work features. All this is combined with an in-house developed and COSC-certified movement that makes Speake-Marin an interesting choice for the modern collector.
A Speake-Marin watch
Japan market development
DKSH Japan will be offering its full support, reaching from logistics, marketing and sales to after-sales services, to help Speake-Marin drive growth in this important market. The Swiss market expansion service provider was chosen by Speake-Marin due to its longstanding experience and in-depth knowledge in the luxury watch market.
Christelle Rosnoblet, CEO of Speake-Marin SA, commented: “Speake-Marin watches are beautiful examples of Swiss craftsmanship with every watch being edited as a limited edition and using only in-house movements, which makes them the perfect offer for Japanese watch enthusiasts.”
Michael Loefflad, Representative Director and President of DKSH Japan, said: “An extraordinary brand like Speake-Marin with its established technology and strong passion for originality is a perfect fit for the demanding Japanese market. I am convinced that our deep capillary distribution network will help them reach the Japanese watch fans,” Loefflad said.
A Ressence watch
“Form follows function”
Also effective this year, the DKSH Business Unit Consumer Goods has partnered with Ressence, a Belgian watch brand to exclusively supply, market, sell and distribute Ressence products in Japan. Ressence was founded by an industry designer from Belgium, Benoît Mintiens, in 2010. Its watches are based on the philosophy “built on the expertise of yesterday, crafted with today’s technology, designed for tomorrow.”
This comes from Benoît’s unique background as a designer, which includes designs of cabins of bullet trains, aircrafts, medical equipment and other things. Ressence watches are designed functionally to be user-friendly, easy to read and comfortable to wear, according to Benoît’s idea of “form follows function.” Benoît Mintiens, founder of Ressence, commented: “I believe people of Japan will like our products and philosophy.”
Unconventional technology
The starting point for the design is the question what people need in a watch. This reflection leads to the major design points: no overlapping clock hands, no crown, no brand logo, no quartz used and the pebble-like shape. On top of the sophisticated fluid design and disk to show the time, there is unconventional and innovative technology hidden in the Ressence products.
Michael Loefflad, Representative Director and President of DKSH Japan, said: “The uniqueness of this distinguished watch manufacturer can be easily seen in their products, such as their never-before-seen visual effect – called water drop. We are convinced the Japanese market will enjoy the incomparable world of this fine watch brand designed in Antwerp, Belgium and made in Fleurier, Switzerland.”
About DKSH
DKSH is the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia. As the term “Market Expansion Services” suggests, DKSH helps other companies and brands to grow their business in new or existing markets. Publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2012, DKSH is a global company headquartered in Zurich.
With 825 business locations in 37 markets – 800 of them in Asia – and 31,970 specialized staff, DKSH generated net sales of CHF 11.0 billion in 2017. DKSH was founded in 1865. With strong Swiss heritage, the company has a long tradition of doing business in and with Asia and is deeply rooted in communities and businesses across Asia Pacific. The DKSH Business Unit Consumer Goods serves 310,000 retail outlets on a daily basis and generated net sales of CHF 3.6 billion in 2017.
Text: SCCIJ with material of DKSH; Photos provided by DKSH
