Timelords: Daniel Niederer
Founder of SevenFriday watches
From unknown newcomer to drop-it-like-it’s-hot style icon, SevenFriday is not only leading the way in a growing trend for affordable haute horlogerie, it pioneered it. Masters of design, execution and marketing, SevenFriday has shown a stifled industry how it’s done in an unprecedented leap from obscurity into the limelight. We sit down with Daniel Niederer, SevenFriday’s inimitable leader, to chat innovation, inspiration and the future of watchmaking.
Q. What’s your background; how did you come to find yourself in watchmaking?
I studied law, but realised soon after that my passion isn’t in that field. After working a couple of years in Switzerland, I wanted to see the world, so I went looking for a job abroad. I got an offer to move to Sydney to manage a company that distributed luxury goods—including watches—and I ended up staying with them for ten years, restructuring companies and building brands across Asia and the Pacific. Then, four years ago, I moved back to Switzerland with my family and started my own ventures, first with a design studio and, two years later, with SevenFriday.
Q. SevenFriday presents an unusual business model in the face of traditional watchmaking—what inspired you to do things how you’ve done them?
In the ten years working with various brands and restructuring companies, I came to understand that I disagreed with many practices common in the industry. I concluded that I needed to do it on my own to truly follow my beliefs and convictions. I wanted to create a company where I really enjoyed every day of work so much it isn’t work anymore, a company where every day is Friday. Obviously, this is an objective I sometimes get closer to—and sometimes further. The experience in Asia dealing with tough situations convinced me to follow my gut rather than ‘specialist’ advice, moving away from the way things have been done the last fifty years.
Q. Any watches, watchmakers or other industry professionals you tip your hat to in the search for inspiration?
There are many products, people and brands I respect highly for different reasons. But most of them are not from the watch industry!
Q. What do you think SevenFriday says about traditional watchmaking, or even contemporary haute horlogerie? Is it a complementary brand, or something they need to be wary of?
I hope we enrich the landscape to the consumer’s advantage. Also, we are foremost a brand with clearly defined values, and then a watch company.
Q. How have you found the journey from creation to success? Has integrating into the world of watchmaking posed any problems?
This world wasn’t really new to me. Also, we didn’t really look for integration as we want to stand for ourselves and our beliefs rather then being defined by industry norms.
Q. Where would you say the secret of SevenFriday’s popularity lies? Is there any one thing that you think back to now and think, ‘Phew, I’m glad I did that!’?
There are many things I could think of, but in the end our friends and customers are making our success. Social media helped us to reach our friends in a very fresh and efficient manner.
Q. Now SevenFriday has a collection of popular models to its name, how do you envision the brand moving forward? More of the same, or push the boundaries further?
We are still a baby in terms of age, so yes, you can expect plenty more development! Since the beginning, innovation and creativity has been one of our major strengths, and we intend to stick to our values.
Q. Is there anything you’d really like to do that you feel the industry isn’t ready for? A direction you’d like to take?
I generally don’t like to follow. Somebody once told me that followers can never be winners, and so we are currently working on many different projects with our R&D team at Studiodivine—but I can’t really tell you what specifically, not yet . . .
Q. Money no object, what would you be wearing on your wrist right now?
I created SevenFriday because I wanted to follow my convictions. This includes the design, so why would I be wearing anything else?
