Hanhart has a special place in my heart. Although it has been through a few misadventures, it is nice to see it on stable ground, and by all accounts steadily gaining steam.
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| Courtesy of Hanhart |
The watch making know-how was always there. But at the risk of sounding less-than sympathetic to previous managers/owners, the business side had been poorly managed for quite some time. But that all changed with the arrival of Felix Wallner. I first met Felix in the lobby of the hotel formerly known as the Ramada. I had asked for the meeting to try and gain the US (and hopefully Canadian as well) rights for Hanhart. This was going to be based on the model that Synchron used for DOXA before the Jenny family took the distribution rights back. In the end, it did not work out, but Felix and I remained in contact, and I have to say that he has not only proven to be a true turnaround specialist, but also is someone that I truly enjoy speaking about the watch business with.
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| Courtesy of Hanhart |
In a world of outsized egos, over funded marketing campaigns, and basic inability to "read the rooms" of Watch Town, Felix stands out as someone who exercises patience, and simple common sense.
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| Courtesy of Hanhart |
The turnaround at Hanhart is not down to one "Magic Bullet" move, but rather down to making a plan, and having the discipline to see that plan through. While it might not be as sexy as renting out a nightclub, hiring a DJ and pouring champagne all night (paying for it with your investor's money, or daddy's), it is a blueprint for how to take a failing brand, and build it up through something not too common in Watch Town these days - PATIENCE and HARD WORK.
Bravo Hanhart and Mr. Wallner!
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