INTERVIEW: Urban Watch – First International Croatian Watch Brand

by croatiaweek
April 27, 2016
in Latest

Urban Watch (photo via @dorinlucy)

Croatia’s first watch brand to taste international success continues to expand with the release of a new collection…

It all started in 2010 when husband and wife Antonija and Ivan Petrović came up with the idea of creating their own brand of modern and high quality watches at affordable prices.

Urban Watch was born and since launching the couples watches can be found under the trademark Urban Watch all over the world. Watches range 540 kuna (79 USD), and they also offer a wide range of leather straps in various colours which can be specially ordered, so that buyers, by combining, can personalise their watches.

This week they released their latest collection – London – a collection which combines a minimalistic and elegant design made for everyday use, but can also complement any fashion combination. We caught up with Ivan to get an insight into Urban Watch.

How do you come up with ideas for new designs?

We design our watches inspired by the latest fashion trends and energy of world metropolis.

Can you tell us a bit about the manufacturing process?

As far as production, in Croatia there is still no manufacturer of watch mechanisms so we put our trust in company from Japan, which has a tradition of producing precise mechanisms by 1930. Straps and exclusive packaging are hand made from high quality Italian leather by our partners in Croatia.

Where are the watches sold currently?

We have our business so far based on online selling through our website, but we also have business partners in Croatia, UK, Portugal and the United States who represent our brand in these markets.

How did the break in selling overseas come about?

At the very beginning, we decided that we do not want to limit only to the domestic market, and the Internet was the best solution and connection to the world. Global market is a logical sequence of events in the development of our brand. Now, we can proudly say that our watches are worn in more than 80 countries around the world especially in Europe and North America, and lately increasingly among buyers from Australia and Asia.

(photo by @cvetlicnilonec)

What do you put your success down to?

We believe that our business success is combination of a countless of unique decisions and actions that gave meaning and direction to our project. A good idea at the right time, persistence and follow-up of global trends certainly influenced the positive business results.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out in business, what would it be?

If you have a good idea, willingness to learn and develop in a business sense and are willing to everyday challenges, you’re on your way to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

What are the future plans for Urban Watch?

Our plans for future are investments in further development of the brand expansion of the network of business partners. We just released a new collection of watches called London, which can already be purchased on our website.