6 Minutes @ Jordy Cobelens

JORDY COBELENS loves and knows his watches, the CEO of TW STEEL engaged in the development of a breakout lifestyle brand and learned his trade from the ground up with over a decade's worth of experience in the watch business dating back to his mid-teens. The 29 years old Cobelens came to Hong Kong recently to open the first standalone boutique together with the global brand ambassador Kelly Rowland paying homage to the brand's expanding international platform and growing local presence. Cobelens told mylifestylenews in his suite in the four season hotel a true taste of what “The Watch in Steel” brand is all about......

 

I am born and raised in Amsterdam, my father Ton Cobelens first forged my interest in watches as a Raymond Weil distributor in The Netherlands before going on to run a successful advertising agency.

 

My father started his own watch brand, I was then honing his entrepreneurial skills at school, selling watches to my relatives and friends. There is where I started to learn the trade, dealing with jewelers and distributors, gaining first-hand experience of the watch business on every platform.

 

In fact, the company received quite good responds especially  strong sales in Holland, Germany and Spain. At the time, I was still working in my own record company - Jc Records and also doing some radio shows and touring around during the major festivals in Holland while running parallel the watch business.

 

Gradually, I found that I need to dedicate more time for running the watch business as I see more potential of the brand and I took the opportunity to head up TW STEEL and front its development as it quickly became a leader in the field of oversized watches.

 

That was in the year of 2005,  the concept of TW STEEL was enough to lure me back into the watch business on a full-time basis and once again, I worked with my father again.

 

With the expanding global distribution network, TW STEEL continues to go from strength to strength and we have demonstrated growing TW STEEL into a truly global lifestyle brand.

  

 

In October 2011, I was named as Ernst & Young’s‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2011’ in The Netherlands. Entrepreneurs within this category are selected for their distinctive vision, passion and strong conviction.

 

For Kelly Rowland, she is the four-time Grammy Award winner, also one of the founding members of Destiny's Child. She just became TW STEEL’s global ambassador earlier this year, and she has designed two models for TW STEEL.

 

TW STEEL watch is distinctive, stylish and is an affordable luxury lifestyle and is now available in over 100 countries worldwide.

The Hong Kong store embodies the brand's philosophy of pairing modern, bold designs with high quality build and features a wide range of TW STEEL's iconic timepieces.

The collaboration with Kelly Rowland being our global ambassador started since last year, we talked about the collaboration back in December and she designed two special edition timepieces for the brand and as we all know Keel has such a strong sense of style and loves to make a statement.

The two oversized watches, a TW STEEL signature come in Rowland;s favorite colors 9 Pink and blue) and are finished with rose gold detailing, 56 stones in either pink or blue and croc print strap.
 

We are known for producing "Big in Oversized Watches" since 2005. It is just the right moment for the right market when consumers were looking forward for new exciting things.

We are not afraid of being bold and making a statement and timeless pieces. Bright colors, innovative designs are our design DNA. We also engage ourselves into various sports events like Formula 1 car racing, golf, entertainment and other up and coming talented artiest in various lifestyle.

We are building what we created and to increase the market awareness to the mass public. Opening new stores are part of the plans. TW STEEL is not only just a fashion brand watch but it is more about making your own statement by wearing them.

Our closer competitor is actually the current technology gadgets like ipod/ipad, the consumer could easily spend their money on that at the same time while wanting to have a TW STEEL watch.

Luxury watches are timeless and fashion watches changes every time and every where and it can be copied easily. That is why we are very much emphasizing into branding TW STEEL watches as a statement watch. A watch that you wear with your own style and easily recognizable with great personality.

In 2013, we will be producing the pilot collection and it will be in a different price point.

 

 

Time to me is valuable and precious, We live only a very short time on this planet and we shall enjoy the most for what is given as we only live once. Time is important to me either it is for business or personal pleasure. Times flies so fast and I wish I could have 36 hours a day to run my busy schedules.

 

My favorite possession is my childhood memory, everything changes tomorrow and so quickly. I hope I can keep up with what is there for me to grab with a better retention.

 

My ideal way of a living lifestyle is probably now. It is kind of like living in the air, flying from one place to another to discover the different culture, to explore and widen my own knowledge and to experience life while developing the brand globally.

 

mylifestylenews @ Jordy Cobelens