A fresh start for Germany's oldest watch brand:
KIENZLE has a new board and a new strategy.
KIENZLE is back, and moving forward in the spirit upon which it was founded: making watches for everyone. The company is introducing four collections that meet the highest standards of quality and design, and are affordable by all. Joining this rebirth are two well-known leaders of the Swiss watch industry: Thomas Morf und Max Imgrüth.
The tradition continues: Watches for everyone.
Founding father Jakob Kienzle had a vision. Before 1900, watches were attainable only by the upper class. Kienzle wanted to change this. He believed that well-made watches should be affordable by everyone, and his vision turned into success: around the turn of the century, KIENZLE had produced over two million watches, sold all over the world.
And now, just over one hundred years later, a new team is in place with the same grand vision. “KIENZLE is the watch for all. We have worked hard to be back to honor this promise” says Rolf Wuethrich, CEO of KIENZLE International AG.
Joy above all: enjoy your time.
Quality, beauty, and of course price remain at the core. And the new claim reveals this: enjoy your time. Just a glance at a KIENZLE watch is enough to remind the wearer to enjoy his or her time. And everyone can afford this pleasure, as KIENZLE watches are priced between 80 and 550 euros.
On the starting line: An experienced team.
An all new, all-star team is responsible for the new positioning and the four new collections. Thomas Morf and Max Imgrüth, both experts from the industry, have joined the management board. And on March 1, 2012 the team takes the reigns of Germany's oldest watch brand. “With its impressive brand history and high degree of brand awareness, KIENZLE has huge international potential” says Thomas Morf about his commitment for the brand.
Broad support: Watch experts with international experience.
Thomas Morf is the new chairman of the board. He reached the top of the jewelry and watch company Carl F. Bucherer, and today he is CEO of watchmaker Hanhart. As head of marketing for Swatch USA, Max Imgrüth played a significant role in the rebirth of the Swatch brand. Today he shares his expertise by sitting on the boards of several companies. Rolf Wuethrich, Dirk Weiß and Daniel Blunschi complete the team with their many years of experience in the watch industry.
Available now: Four New Collections
"The collections reference the classics, but are aligned with the latest trends in international design, material and function", notes Daniel Blunschi. "The result is a fresh, contemporary and varied collection. It reflects the many facets of a modern lifestyle."
K Core is the entry-level collection, combining classic design, time-tested functionality, and a sporty feel.
Lady K is a collection designed especially for women, featuring elegant details like Swarovski crystals.
K Spirit is the sports collection, designed and built with the most active and dynamic customers in mind.
K 1822 is the high-end collection. The watches are built to the highest standards, and priced accordingly.
With renewed spirit, the KIENZLE team is on the move. They started with a successful relaunch in Germany, and are now set to take on the world. After all, the watches for everyone should be available everywhere.
Collection
KIENZLE started out as a watch manufacturer in the village of Schwenningen in 1822, and by 1900 was already established in Milan, London, Paris and New York. This fast paced history continues with its latest collection. The collection is based on the classics, but is oriented towards international trends in design, materials and function. The result is a fresh, contemporary and diversified collection representing the many facets of modern life.
The base collection K Core includes classic elements and combines functionality and sportiness. Lady K is the collection especially for women. The sports watch collection K Spirit is centered around the needs of active and dynamic people. The collection in the highest price range is called K 1822. As the founding date in the name implies, it is a classic collection and meets the highest standards.
K CORE
K Core, the entry-level KIENZLE collection, combines classic design, functionality and sportiness. Its sports watches with their stainless steel cases and solid steel bracelets are water-resistant to 10 bar. Several of the men’s and women’s models are embellished with Swarovski crystals and equipped with an alarm function. There is something for everyone in this comprehensive collection.
LADY K
Lady K is the KIENZLE collection just for women. The watches combine timeless elegance with sporty elements and our great love for detail like Swarovski crystals and leather straps with folding clasps for maximum comfort. A choice of bracelets made of leather, metal or silicon enable a wide expression of individuality, so the client can choose a watch that perfectly matches her individual style.
K SPIRIT
K Spirit was created to capture the active-dynamic lifestyle. The watches of the K Spirit collection show at first glance, that they are made for passionate athletes. Sports enthusiasts enjoy the benefit of 20 bar water-resistance, a chronograph with alarm functions and K1 hardened mineral glass.
K 1822
The premium collection combines practical industrial elements with sophistication. The design brief for this collection was to incorporate classic components with a touch of sport and additional functions. Sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, unique Swiss made movements and sturdy engineering make the K 1822 collection an investment well worth the price.
History
1822 Johannes Schlenker opens a clock smith’s workshop in Schwenningen.
1855 Night Watchman’s Recording Clocks are sold all over the world.
1883 Jakob Kienzle marries into the Schlenker family. The company is renamed Schlenker & Kienzle.
1897 Jakob Kienzle becomes the sole owner.
1899 Machine production begins with the employment of approximately 400 workers.
1902 Schlenker & Kienzle opens a branch in Milan and London.
1903 Schlenker & Kienzle opens a branch in Paris.
1908 Wristwatch production launches. Annual production of watches and movements surpasses two million pieces. Staff totals approximately 1,700 people.
1910 KIENZLE expands into the automobile industry producing the first automotive clocks for the prestigious Rolls-Royce brand in England.
1911 Expanding its global boundaries, KIENZLE sets up in New York, USA.
1932 KIENZLE develops the automotive clock creating the 8 Day Aviation Clock for instrument panels of airplane cockpits.
1939 KIENZLE has 3,500 employees and produces approximately 5 million timepieces per annum.
1954 KIENZLE invents the first parking meters, manufacturing them exclusively for almost two decades.
1964 KIENZLE opens a branch in Switzerland.
1970 Annual production increases to over 7 million units.
1972 KIENZLE invents the first solar-powered timepiece, the Heliomat. The company also starts producing its first quartz movements.
1987 On a global scale, to date, KIENZLE has sold 300 million timepieces worldwide.
2002 KIENZLE strengthens its watch production.
The KIENZLE watch brand concept is halted in order to review and reprioritize its core strengths and focus.
2011 A new and international KIENZLE watch collection is launched. It is positioned as the "people’s watch".
Board Members
Thomas Morf
Thomas Morf has over 20 years of experience in the consumer goods industry, having worked in leading positions in a variety of companies. He gained his expertise in the jewelry and watch industries in the ten years he spent as CEO of Carl F. Bucherer. Under his guidance, the company grew and strengthened its international position. In 2010, Mr. Morf moved to the Gaydoul Group, where he worked as a strategy consultant for luxury brands Navyboot, Jet-Set, Fogal, and Hanhart. That lead to his current position as CEO of Hanhart Group, where he is responsible for the company's global expansion, strategy, and operations. Mr. Morf is also a member of the management team at the Gaydoul Group, and is the chairman of the board at KIENZLE Watch Group AG.
Max Imgrüth
Max Imgrüth has forty years of experience in the consumer goods industry, twenty of which he spent in the United States in several leading positions. His time spent at Swatch USA earned him an excellent reputation as a brand and marketing specialist. Through the use of innovative marketing and design solutions, he helped Swatch expand from its position as a popular brand in America to a worldwide sensation. Later, Mr. Imgrüth became CEO and Head of Worldwide Marketing at the American branch of Charles Jourdan International, where he stayed until 2002. In 2004 he joined the Swiss watch group The British Masters with his two watch brands Graham and Arnold & Son. He began as a consultant and eventually joined the management board. Since 2012, he has been a member of the board at the KIENZLE Watch Group AG.
Management
Rolf Wuethrich
Rolf Wuethrich has over 20 years of experience in international textiles and watches. He was Division Manager of Tissot Germany, General Manager at Kolber Genève and Managing Director of Roamer Watch SA. And Since 2011, Rolf Wuethrich has been the CEO of KIENZLE International AG which is located in Egerkingen. He is responsible for the international expansion of KIENZLE.
Dirk Weiß
Dirk Weiß has more than 25 years of experience in the watch and jewelry industry. After ten years of work as Key Account Manager at EGANA Group he switched to Head of German Distribution at KIENZLE AG. His next stop was the Festina Group, where he was also responsible for distribution in all of Germany. In 2011 he came back to KIENZLE. As CEO of KIENZLE Uhren Deutschland GmbH, located in Hamburg, Dirk Weiß covers the entire German market.
Daniel Blunschi
Daniel Blunschi has been working in the watch and related luxury goods market for 20 years. He was product director at Tissot, Certina and Mito, a member of the brand board at the Swatch Group, and member of the board at Tissot. In 2007 he became Managing Director and later COO at EGANA/MYWA in Asia where he lead the watch and jewelry business for the brands Esprit, Puma, Cerruti, and Joop. Today, Daniel Blunschi is leading AGSA ASIA Ltd., a company specialized in developing shop interiors. Since 2012, he has also been Managing Director of KIENZLE International (Asia) Ltd., which is located in Hong Kong.
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