Elegance according to Daniel Wellington… in Switzerland? So British!
After seducing Europe and exploding across the Atlantic, the watchmaking brand created in 2011 by a young Swedish entrepreneur is becoming more and more present in the Swiss market where it has also brought its particular history.
By Fabio Bonavita
Filip Tysander, the brand’s founder, met Daniel Welllington on a trip around the world. The intriguing style of the Briton combined British gentlemanly elegance with an unpretentious composure. He particularly liked wearing Rolex watches with a NATO strap that he kept from his days in the Royal Army. The Swedish entrepreneur and the atypical Briton immediately became friends. One became a source of inspiration for the other, who would later dedicate his watch brand to him; a brand that blended minimalist Scandinavian design with British eccentricity.
Even James Bond…
The philosophy behind Daniel Wellington’s creations focuses on refined and symmetrical simplicity: sober yet not bland, the brand’s elegant watches have their very own distinctive style.
The dials are particularly thin (6-mm thick) and are available both in either pink gold or silver and in different sizes, ranging from 26mm to 40mm. They come with the famous NATO straps, made of a material developed by the British army in the 1960s to avoid rust from settling in. Sean Connery was a big fan of those straps and even wore one in “Dr No”, the first James Bond movie.
For those who prefer an even more classical style, Daniel Wellington watches are also available with leather straps. And as for those who like to vary their style, the straps are also sold individually. Every watch is delivered in a superb leather presentation case that contains everything necessary to change straps at one’s leisure. This leaves no space for monotony to settle in.
Contagion by Instagram
The watchmaking brand has just reached over a million followers on Instagram; quite a symbolic milestone. Thanks to its contemporary communication strategy and to its closeness to internet users, the brand is one of the watchmaking leaders in terms of activity on social networks.
Its secret? Keeping the momentum by posting photographs of the different models of the Daniel Wellington universe on a daily basis.
Places like the Great Wall of China, ocean shores, the heart of New York or an urban area in a London street are part of people’s everyday life. They belong to the global village and are shared and lived by Instagram users. Indeed, they participate in the brand’s on-line renown by posting their own photos in which they proudly pose with their watches. The unusual extent of this plebiscite on Instagram caused a high increase in sales in the brand’s stores not only in Switzerland but also in other countries. This just goes to show that a daring strategy may turn out to be beneficial in the watchmaking sector; Daniel Wellington is living proof of that.
New summer collection
Ideal for summer, the new Grace collection features an exclusive combination of the two available lines of straps. It blends the elegance of refined leather with the lightness of matt and very soft cotton.
The matt pink gold finish creates a perfect transition between the case and the strap while keeping the characteristic minimalist aspect of the watchmaking maison. The piece’s grace is actually at the heart of all the 36-mm models that play on a refined charm with a contemporary design. And by the way, is this really a unisex watch size anywhere other than in Asia?
The Grace collection features subtle colors and uses its leather tones as a symbol of simple and natural beauty, which matches the fundamentals of watchmaking. Daniel Wellington’s models are ever as refined with their ultra-thin 6mm-thick cases. Whether it is for boat trips, playing tennis or enjoying a sunny day outside, the new models encourage their owners to seize beautiful days by combining refinement and modernity with surprising affordability.