I had the opportunity to interview Mason Bailey who is the brains behind the design and manufacturing of the watches of Melbourne Watch Co,The company pay great tribute to their Austrailian roots and the city of Melbourne. Read on to get to know this interesting watch company a little better.
Melbourne Watch Co. is a young company established in 2013. The watch industry - especially the Swiss - is centuries old. What did you think was missing that you could offer the watch enthusiasts, that the existing companies, couldn’t, regarding the design and build of your watches?
Since our inception in 2013, our goal has been simple: to provide quality timepieces at an attainable price. Whilst it’s true many Swiss brands and the industry itself have been going strong for a long time, an entry-level Swiss watch like a Tag Heuer will still set you back thousands. We seek to offer a solid alternative to entry-level Swiss watches which won’t break the bank.
You hold your heritage and surroundings in Melbourne in high regard naming your watches after street names and beaches. What does it mean for you to celebrate your heritage in your watches?We're very proud of the city we live in. As the world’s most liveable city (according to the Economist), we certainly see Melbourne and it’s suburbs as something to be celebrated and we do so in the naming of our watches, from the classic feel of the Carlton to the nautical design of the Portsea.
It seems your watches is to the more dressy side of the type of watches. Many newer watch companies start with dive watch style watches, why did you from the start aim at the more formal and/or polo shirt and jeans type of design?When we first launched in 2013, we felt that there was an over-saturation of dive style watches in the marketplace. Our founder, Sujain Krishnan, wanted to do something different and stick with dressier designs. We do have a diver in the collection now, but our best sellers continue to be the more formal styles.
You use a ceramic main disc for the multi layered dials, what is special with this type of disc and why did you choose this material?
The ceramic outer dial is a signature of the Portsea collection and a part of what makes the watch so unique. The material is tough yet light with an undeniably pleasing aesthetic and was chosen as no one else was doing anything similar at the time. Since then, it’s become synonymous with our Portsea and Sorrento collections.
You use the Seiko NH35 for the Portsea Heritage, why did you choose this movement and do you regulate or modify it?The NH35A is a robust and reliable movement which was also utilised in another one of our collections, the now retired Parkville Automatic. It allows us to keep the price of the watch down without compromising on quality. Each watch assembled in our showroom is tested for timekeeping accuracy as a part of our strict quality control testing and any watch running outside of the manufacturer specifications is regulated for maximum accuracy before being given a pass.
The Portsea Heritage is a watch that can be used both at formal occasions and more casual occasions, what were the main philosophies behind the design of that particular watch?
The sartorial versatility of the Portsea is one of its greatest features; it looks as good with a suit as it does with a shirt and jeans. The Heritage was designed chiefly to be a more affordable alternative to its big brother, the Portsea Calendar, but also appeals to those who like the style of the Calendar but are looking for something simpler in terms of dial design.
Can you tell me more about how you make the watches? Do you assemble them yourselves or do they come ready from another factory?Our watches are all designed and assembled by our team in Melbourne. Currently the individual components are manufactured internationally, but it’s our goal to one day be able to move manufacturing to Melbourne as well and be the first brand able to print the words “Australian Made” on a watch.
In four years you have introduced five or six different watch models, can you reveal anything about new models on the drawing board?We have a few new models on the horizon. Aside from some small side projects we’re working on (with details and updates available on our site journal) we’re currently looking into a new pilot/aviator release in 2018 and a re-issue of the Flinders with a Swiss automatic movement by the end of the year. We tend to offer sneak peeks and updates in our email newsletter as we move along with new designs and releases.
Remember to visit Melbourne Watch Co. on their website here: www.melbournewatch.com.au
If you sign up for their newsletter they offer a 10 % discount when purchasing a watch.
Showroom picture credit Melbourne Watch Co.
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