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NINETY FIVE
THE R O TA RY JOURNAL
Vol. i
WELCOME
Rotary Watches is pleased to announce the launch of The Rotary Journal. In
this first issue we delve into the new direction for the brand, one which pairs
contemporary design ideology with over 120 years of enduring heritage.
CONTENTS
1. A NEW ERA
How Rotary is adapting its business strategy in order to attract new customers
while remaining relevant to its existing base.
3. IN THE STUDIO
An interview with our Head of Design, Matthew O’Neill.
4. BRAND STRATEGY
An interview with Hardeep Dhanjal, Head of Marketing, on the realignment of the
brand and it’s policies.
5. THE COLLECTION
An outline of the new and improved collection structure, providing an overall
insight into Rotary’s offering.
With its Swiss origin and British influence, Rotary provides a unique
offering which combines over 120 years of watchmaking expertise
with a contemporary design ethos.
VISION & STRATEGY
Rotary’s vision is simple. The brand intends to re-establish itself as a superb quality
and fantastic value for money offering, centering around a combination of classic
and contemporary design cues. Key to this is developing strong and enduring
relationships with both customers and consumers, ensuring impecable service at all
levels across the business.
THE ROTARY JOURNAL
PETER MCKENNA - CEO
“Rotary has been based in the UK for over a century and we believe the opportunity to celebrate this is
long overdue. Britain is a world - renowned hub of creativity and diversity which perfectly complements the
longstanding watchmaking expertise and exceptional service which Rotary is historically known for.”
The British Isles remain the most important territory for Crucially, we have streamlined our collection to showcase
Rotary Watches, with a well-established brand presence, families with distinct features and aesthetics all whilst
accounting for the majority of annual turnover. maintaining the overall classic Rotary appeal.
The aim of this journal is to provide insight into how the Finally, we talk a little about the most important Rotary
brand is refreshing its image, from exciting marketing employees, our Area Sales Managers. Martin Devaney, Head
material, to our unbeatable value product offering. of UK Sales is an integral part of the business, and is at the
forefront of our commitment to great service and value for
I’m incredibly proud of our in-house British design team all of our customers.
with all products designed in our London headquarters. It’s
important to us that our consumers get to know exactly how I hope you find this journal valuable, we’d love to hear your
much goes into designing a Rotary timepiece so our Head feedback. Most of all I’d like to emphasise that our business
Designer, Matthew O’Neill, talks through the process of is all about your success, we are committed to providing you
concept generation. with exceptional service, outstanding product and unbeatable
value, we are proud to serve you.
The modern consumer can be reached through a variety
of platforms and selecting which media form is the most
effective can be challenging. Our Head of Marketing,
Hardeep Dhanjal discusses how to use new media channels
to communicate our brand in a more dynamic way.
What appealed about the position at Rotary to begin with? the market and its trends and assess our current selection of
products to determine if the proposition would fit. A product
Rotary wanted to introduce someone with experience in 3D brief is defined, which gives me parameters to work to, and
CAD to their in-house design team. I’d been working in the then it’s time to put pencil to paper. I can’t claim to be the
aerospace industry, pining for a more creative role, when I was best sketch artist, but this is where I begin to generate ideas
contacted to see if I’d transfer my skill set over to developing that ultimately provide the reference point for my 3D work.
timepieces. I was so excited to have the opportunity of joining
a watch brand with so much history and ambition for the Why 3D?
future that I moved to London in an instant and have been
here ever since! Developing a product in 3D has multiple benefits and for me
the most important is the ability to manipulate model features
Did working in London have a factor in your decision? in real-time and immediately assess the proportionality of the
design. The virtual parts of the watch I’m creating on screen
Yes it certainly helped; the atmosphere, culture and are all precisely accurate thanks to the powerful software I use
architecture of London is a great place to get the creative juices and this allows me to go into extreme levels of detail.
going... and here, in the heart of Soho, is where the process of
designing a watch all starts. I’ll add material textures and finishing to the case, bracelet and
dial and produce photo-realistic renders to assess the design as
a whole. We have a strong team dynamic and it helps when
“I was so excited to have the opportunity of joining a we critically evaluate a product – you have to be able to take
watch brand with so much history and ambition for criticism well and turn the feedback into a positive for a better
the future” design.
What are the initial stages of designing a timepiece? It’s an exciting time to be a part of Rotary as it embraces its
British roots. Our goal is to continue to produce high quality,
Firstly it’s important to identify a purpose for the product to reliable and affordable timepieces with great design that people
exist - the end goal must be to create a desirable piece that are proud to wear. I want Rotary to have the finest designed
will appeal to the savvy Rotary watch wearer. We research watches in the market for our price point.
Rotary has made steps to allow for its policies to become simpler
and easier to understand from all points of view.
Hardeep Dhanjal has over a decade of experience with the brand, working through every position in the department from: Marketing
Assistant, In-House Designer, Brand Manager and now Head of Marketing, overseeing all Rotary communications. His driven career path
brings a direct wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. This along with working closely with the Product Team for a number of
years provides Hardeep with a well-rounded insight into all creative aspects of the business.
What challenges do watch brands face in the current climate? How do you reach out to consumers from the digital age?
Looking back at my first years at Rotary, I remember thinking Digital age consumers are constantly becoming smarter. Smarter
that each brand had one look, one style, one story – we all played in the way they research and filter information, as well as, faster
inside our brand spaces. There were fewer brands and stronger in how they do it. The general feeling with digital media is that
identities back then, versus the 100’s of start-ups that are hard to direct selling can be damaging for a brand and we would much
differentiate in the window, which we see today. This competition rather have brand advocates, creating a root of information,
doesn’t necessarily drive better designs, but it does inspire to create which can later form in to a desire for the product. This subtle
new way to market a product. The challenge we face today is the approach allows the brand image to become more influential, a
same as 20 years ago – “How do you stand out in a crowd of 10 far more sustainable solution, than simply forcing an image in
brands?” except now it’s more like 50! front of every potential customer. We want our customers to
understand what they’re buying into, what justifies a price point
What is the consumer looking for? and what goes into creating each and every product.
TAGLINE
Further develops consistency across artwork, additional
use of 3308 reinforces brand image.
OCCASION
SPORTS
HENLEY
OXFORD
The Oxford family caters to the modern consumer, classic case
shapes combined with striking, clean dial details help to establish
a preppy feel. A calf leather strap with distinctive stitching helps
to complete the aesthetic.
• Sapphire Glass
• Calf Leather/Alligator Leather Straps
• 3-Link Stainless Steel Bracelets
• Water Resistant to 50m
• Sapphire Glass
• Leather Straps / Stainless Steel Bracelets
• Day/Date Functions
• Water Resistant to 70m
CAMBRIDGE
Like Rotary itself, Cambridge embraces the unity of tradition
and contemporary design. This flagship family is a triumph of
form and function, with models featuring meticulously considered
detailing.
• Sapphire Glass
• H-Link Bracelets
• Water Resistant to 50m
GREENWICH
Greenwich makes up Rotary’s skeleton offering, for those who
appreciate the intricacy of fine craftsmanship. An aperture on the
dial frames the mechanical movement powering each piece.
• Sapphire Glass
• Skeleton Dials
• Water Resistant to 50m
• Sapphire Glass
• 5.7mm Case Profile
• Guilloché Dial Pattern
• Water Resistant to 30m
AVENGER
Inspired from Rotary’s rich archive, Avenger returns as an
undeniably retro piece. Vintage bubble glass and dual finish dials
help to highlight this historic family.
• Sapphire Glass
• Ceramic Bezels (Selected Models)
• 3-Link Stainless Steel Bracelets
• Calf Leather Straps
• Water Resistant to 100m
CANTERBURY
The Canterbury family expertly balances a number of dial details,
creating a range of iconic and classic pieces.
• Sapphire Glass
• Clous de Paris Dials
• Leather Straps / Stainless Steel Bracelets
• Water Resistant to 50m
THE ESSENTIAL SALESMAN
MARTIN DEVANEY - HEAD OF UK SALES
ON THE ROAD
We have a fantastic brand and enjoy great relationships with our At the end of the day it’s all rate of sale and few brands
customers. Rotary’s unrivalled heritage demands we to do justice consistently generate sales and profit like Rotary. Great rate of
to the company founders and our new owners. In our personal sale, industry leading margin, no handling charge and a speedy
lives we all remember great customer service and so it’s really delivery service, it’s easy to see why we are market leaders.
important that we meet or exceed our customer expectations. Rotary has a very much ‘can do’ listening approach. For instance,
The Rotary ethic is very much built on team work, I have some changes to our guarantee and waterproof rating system are now
great colleagues with huge experience and a passion for what simpler than ever before and have been widely acclaimed.
they do.
Has the industry changed and if so, how? How is Rotary positioned going forward?
Of course today we have an increased number of competitors Our stylish new collections have a great feel, with the increased
vying for space in the window and an endless list of fashion specification and quality they represent fantastic value for money.
brands which come and go. Our largest market is the UK and so The plans for the brand going forward are really exciting and
being based in London provides us with a significant advantage, make us feel very confident.
it allows us the speed to react which other brands cannot enjoy.