How a 31-year-old watchmaker made vintage luxury affordable
How does a watch brand become a worldwide success in just its first year of production?
I wondered the same thing as I got to know the newest brand in the competitive watch market, William L., and the man behind it. I discovered how success can be had in today’s fickle market and how combining old-world charm and design with modern business practices can break price and brand barriers.
A Man And His Watch
Yes, it all started with a man and a watch. Guillaume Laidet, the entrepreneur behind rising watch brand William L., is only 31 years old yet he is one of the biggest recent successes in the watch industry.
Born in 1985 in Cognac, France, home of famous brandy brands such as Rémy Martin and Hennessy, and into a family that worked for these famous cognac producers, it seemed like Laidet was destined to work for a brandy company as well.
He entered Skema Business School in Nice and went on to intern for several cognac brands as a marketing specialist but his love of watches eventually led him to a job with the Swiss watch brand Zenith in 2009. After two years, he was recruited by another famous Swiss watchmaker, Jaeger-Lecoultre. It was during his years working for these brands and other luxury groups that Laidet developed the skills to eventually become the successful watch designer and developer that he is today.
The idea to create his own watch brand came to Laidet by chance. “I inherited an unbranded vintage watch from my great grand-uncle. I had it restored and a lot of my friends liked it but they said restoring old watches was too expensive and the ones with this classic design from the high-end brands were too pricey. It was then that I had the idea to come up with a vintage-style watch made with modern pieces,” shares Guillaume.
With a starting capital of 10,000 euros, Laidet lauched his brand in 2015 with money he was able to collect via the global crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, an unconventional and modern start for a business inspired by the beauty and wisdom of the past. By October of the same year, he was able to raise more than 192,000 euros, triple his initial target for his starting capital.
Incorporating modern and vintage, his watches feature vintage-style faces with the latest Miyota movement for chronographs. His vintage style 40mm watches with leather straps start at just P9,900 while his vintage style 40mm chronograph watches with interchangeable straps are at P12,300.
A modern-day fairytale honoring the legacy of luxury from the past with modern methods and technology, William L. watches might just be this generation’s greatest contribution to the watch industry.
William L. watches are now distributed in over 20 countries including France, Germany, the UK and Japan.
William L. is available at Daniel Wellington stores located at Greenbelt 3, My Diamond in Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Glorietta 4, Gateway Mall, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, Festival Supermall, Robinson’s Place Manila, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Ayala Fairview Terraces, White-Halo- SM Aura Premiere, and SM Lanang Premiere; My Tempo in Resorts World Manila and SM City North EDSA, and Washington stores in Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Power Plant Mall.
