Welcome to another episode of our serious SLD meetups by Super Lock Street Group, where we connect with some of the most interesting players in the luxury market. My name is Alvaro, and today we'll be having with us a very special guest. His name is Charis, and he's the Chief Communication Officer at MB&F. They specialize on 3D kinetic sculptures, and he will be talking about the revolutionary watch industry and the concept of their machines.
Charis will be also sharing with us his marketing background and their unique impact that their product is having worldwide. Definitely great insights for those passionate about innovation and excellence. Enjoy! Charis, how are you?
Very good on yourself. I'm okay, man. Working for home. Working for home, right?
Welcome. Thank you for joining. Thank you so much. You know, and I was making a quick introduction about yourself, head of communication for MB&F, water magnificence of a company.
You've been 10 years already doing an excellent job, and what you are doing is fantastic. I'm very impressed with the type of work that you guys are putting day and night, and it reflects by the results. I think that a lot of people that follow your brand and your own customers are inspired by everything that you do. Tell us a little bit about how did you end up in this industry and becoming so successful in this brand.
I've always been a marketing guy, but I started like many marketing people in the fast-moving industry selling household cleaners and stuff like that. At one point, because I've always been interested in watches from a very young age from 10 to 12 years old, I'm part Swiss. So I guess that's in the blood. At one point, there was an opportunity to go and work with a relatively famous watch brand of KHA, part of Rich One Group at the time.
So I joined there, then back to other things. I spent most of my professional life in the agency business, advertising agency business. But then the watchmaking call was too strong. At one point, I had kind of become friends with Max, the company, we were chatting about another opportunity.
He suggested a bit of a joke to join MB&F, and there was a moment of silence. Of course, we were at lunch. I looked at it, and I told him, Max, if you're serious, I will consider this very much, very seriously, and a week later we signed the contract. Amazing.
Since then, it's been 10 years already. I'm very fascinated with the type of products that you guys are creating. Because for somebody that looks into your product, you cannot say they're watches. That's why I love that you market them as 3D kinetic sculptures that give time.
Because it goes beyond that. So let me ask you a little bit, because you are head of communication. So obviously, there needs to be a story behind this product. What's the meaning behind it?
Well, the name is MB&F, it means Max, Max, Newly, and Busser, Max, as everyone calls him, and friends. And to understand that, you need to understand that the story of Max is pretty amazing. He was 15 years ago, one of the rising stars of the watchmaking industry. If you ask anyone at the time, who are the five or six upcoming CEOs who really are doing something special, he was part of that list.
And then something really weird happened. I didn't know him personally at the time. He quit his job. People could not understand why would Max, who had everything, success, power, a strong rejuvenated background, he was head of Harry Winston at the time.
He quit Winston time pieces. Obviously, a very good salary, big bonuses and so on. Why would he quit that job? People thought he had gone crazy.
People thought maybe he was burned out. People thought, but wildest rumors. That's something gone wrong. He does something wrong.
But no, he quit because he realized that he had to start his dream company, his own thing. And so he took all that. It's like poker. You put everything you have on the table and you do that one bit.
He put everything he had, his lifetime savings and everything. And said, I'm starting my company on my own. So he went from 100 people at the time at Harry Winston, who won himself. And I said, with all his savings into the company, and for about two years, basically disappeared because that's the time he needed to start his own machine.
So we have a lot of respect for the guy for that. The ball, sorry, to do that. Oh my God, thanks a lot of guts. It's about that vision.
I'm very excited about getting to know more about the story because you obviously are communicating so well through what you're doing, marketing and the product itself. It's part of your inner child that comes out every time that you see this product. I just want to put some of the images here because you kind of have it divided into categories, right? Like the machines as you call them for everything.
So, horological machines, the HMs, let me start with the first one because they are impressive. I mean, this one right here. Look at this. So what is the story behind this?
This is the HM9, right? Correct. Yes. And you're right to start with those because that's really the horological machines as we call them, the HMs are what have defined them.
And the first machines we made really, even though that's a relatively recent one, this whole collection of horological machines is what defined us. And they go back to, as you said, our inner child. That's really why Mike started this company. It was to say, you know what, okay, I'm successful in the watchmaking business.
I'm the CEO of Eric Winston, whatever. Before that, he was at JLC. He made a lot of watches, very successful watches, but as he says, watches for other people, not for himself. So he knew how to market watches, how to sell watches, how to make watches that would appeal to a wide audience, but not because he was particularly proud of himself.
And that's why he started to be that. He said, you know, I want to make watches that I find cool. Hopefully a few people out there will. That's the reason.
And that's one you see these incredible unconventional watches. That's the HMs and Bulldog. Unbelievable. Give you an idea of how far these things go, that Bulldog you have on the screen.
How much are they? Average retail is about 100,000 US. Okay. You have an idea that the range starts about half of that, so around 50 or 60,000 US, and it'll go up to the several hundred thousands.
I think the most expensive piece we ever created was half a million. That's a little bit more about this product because it's actually made it. You know, it's a funny story because most brands would have started with the more classic pieces and then moved on to crazier stuff. We did exactly the opposite.
A lot of that. If we often do the opposite of what the mainstream would do. But yeah, the legacy machines, including the one you have on the screen here, which is the Women's Watch, they were really created because in the end, what we really love, even though we make these crazy watches, is the mechanical watchmaking inside. That's our raw material, if you like the, you know, the painter uses paint.
Well, we use mechanical watchmaking to express our heart and we love mechanical watchmaking, which is a very traditional art. You know, it has no reason for being today in a way. Why would you buy a mechanical watch when your iPhone or whatever phone gives you a much better time, more accurate, more precisely, and so on and so on. That's the LM perpetual, if launched a couple weeks ago.
It was a more direct way of saying, look how, look how the mechanical watchmaking is beautiful. That's, that was the idea of the legacy machines. What would you consider your primary niche market? Because obviously the price point is high.
The price point is obviously very high. And by the way, the price point is high not because we wanted that way. But simply because when you make these crazy machines and you know, you look at the level of finishing and so on that we put into them. The prices are direct consequences of that.
Also the fact that we're not making very many, we make in total all models combined, just about 200 time pieces per year. So why does this explain this to me? Because I look at it and I just get excited, but I need to really get the feeling of it. It's, it's, yes, it's, this is Medusa.
So it's designed a bit like a jellyfish. It's actually a table or desk clock. So it's about a foot high. You can also hang it from the ceiling, believe it or not if you want to.
So it's really floating like a jellyfish. And it's an extension of what we do. So when you know that, you know, what we're interested is, is mechanics and making these little mechanical sculptures for your wrist. Well, one day we stumbled upon other manufacturers that were making other mechanical objects, whether table clocks or music boxes.
And we said, why don't we co-create something? And, you know, Charis, with these price points and the quality that you bring to these products, obviously a lot of people will consider these luxury machines. Now the term luxury, it's been changing over time and this is something that I always ask with people that come to this SLG Medusa. And I would like to ask you Charis, like, what is really luxury to you?
You know, it's, it's a totally flexible concept. You're so right. I mean, I go to conferences or I give talks sometimes to various groups and so on. And even within a luxury-minded group, you realize there are very different segments.
So, Charis, with everything that is going on these days, you know, a lot of people think that it's a little bit crazy to invest or spend so much money into such machines or, you know, like things are changing a little bit. So what will be your reaction when it comes to the current market trends when it comes to your business? I'm sure you've heard this before, but it's reality. I mean, we are surprised by how resilient our sales are in this apparently difficult context.
It's, you know, again, when you talk to this very niche market, these are people who obviously have lots of money. And if they really like what they see, they will buy it, whether it's a yacht, whether it's a watch. And in fact, I think when context becomes uncertain, they will actually favor, in some cases, these very tangible goods. Definitely.
And Charis, let's say that somebody is looking to invest or buy their next watch, you know, and we're talking about kind of that niche market. What will be your recommendation to look for? You know, I mean, a lot of collectors say this and I agree 100%. Regardless of what I just said, watchmaking, collecting watches should remain a pleasure, first and foremost.
So, if you're just looking for the good deal, meaning you know, the watch that you will buy now and be able to resell in six months at a profit, you're not into it for your own pleasure, you're making a business, which is another matter. That's fine. If that's your job, no problem. If you're collecting for yourself, collect what you find interesting and make your own collection.
That's incredible. And it's a really good say. I think that this is what really wraps it up. You know, you need to look for something that makes also some valuable inner self because it's not just about the money.
It's about something that you can be passionate about and a collection that really fits through your personal inner needs. It goes beyond. So thank you for sharing that, Charis. You know, if somebody wants to reach out to you guys and find out more about your co-creations or your new products coming up or they want to know more about it, we'll kind of find you.
Well, I guess the easiest nowadays is digital, obviously. So a number of channels, check out our website, which is mba F dot com. So mb and f dot com social media. We're very active on social media, mainly Facebook and Instagram.
Maybe Instagram, actually, but we're out there on Facebook and Twitter and other channels as well. If you're in Geneva or, you know, in any city where we either have one of our math galleries or a retailer, of course, you know, go and visit them on our website. You'll find we have 26, 27, 28 locations around the world, including in the US, including in Florida, or in Miami with West time and then in Jupiter with Providence jewelry, for example. But also other patients in the US.
So, you know, anywhere, whatever works for you, we'll be happy to have it. Amazing. Thank you so much, Charis, for sharing all this information. It was an absolute pleasure having you today.
And as always, you are invited to come to Miami when you get a little bit tired of the cold. I'm excited to say, you know, when I get tired of the warm water, I'll go see you. Come skiing here, whatever you want. Oh, I love it.
Of course. All right, Charis, it was a pleasure. Have a good day, okay? Thank you.
Alright. Thanks again for everybody tuning in today. We hope you enjoyed it. And remember, embrace it beautiful, success in life.
My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time.