BA111OD

A NEW MILESTONE

PRESS MATERIAL


A new milestone for the watch brand BA111OD


Neuchâtel, August 2022 - Thomas Baillod's breakthrough into the world of watchmaking fascinates as much as it intrigues. The entrepreneur, originally from La Chaux-de-Fonds, launched his brand BA111OD, on his own at the end of 2019. Today, he is at the head of a company employing nearly a dozen people and already earning more than 2 million Swiss francs in sales over the first 7 months of the year. The brand's influence manages to surprise, question, and please because the DNA is strong, the positioning clear, and the prices attractive. Today, the brand is taking another step forward by moving into a new headquarters in the heart of Neuchâtel, the Villa Castellane. With many surprises...


A new home for BA111OD in Neuchâtel

Based in Neuchâtel since the creation of his brand in 2019, Thomas Baillod has until now rented offices in the city center. The young company is writing a new page by moving into the Villa Castellane in August 2022. BA111OD will benefit from more spacious premises in the heart of this exceptional building, which houses several SMEs (Small and Medium-size Enterprise) and a restaurant. Between the magnificent woodwork and the enchanting park, this 19th century setting is a haven of conviviality and creation. It is an inspiring workspace for BA111OD's employees, who are working to expand the company and make it more widely known. Thomas Baillod says "the growth of BA111OD has led us to move from the status of a start-up to that of a watchmaking SME. What better symbol than to move into the Villa Castellane to reach this new milestone?"


The Villa Castellane was built in 1814 by Frederic de Pourtalès and his wife Marie-Louise de Castellane-Norante. This private mansion was their residence and the seat of many renowned cultural gatherings and events, bringing together their various circles of friends. These values, taken up by the association that now manages the Villa Castellane, perfectly match the spirit of BA111OD, which has always put the client at the center of its philosophy and with whom the brand creates a direct link, through its Community and the many dedicated Afluendors events. Beside these festive aperitifs offered by the brand, the emphasis is placed on the presentation and testing of new models, as well as on the networking of its members.


At the Café de la Villa Castellane with a BA111OD watch on your wrist? Free coffee!

This is the new promise made by Thomas Baillod. Because he doesn't do anything like everyone else and because he takes special care of each of his clients. Any BA111OD clients visiting the Café will be offered a coffee* by the brand on each visit.

*Offer valid for a coffee, an espresso or a cappuccino.

logo Villa Castellane

What about the former BA111OD offices? Transformed into a T2 & T3 workshop

BA111OD's new headquarters, administration, marketing, and design departments are now located at the Villa Castellane. The SME has chosen to keep its former offices on Rue des Moulins in Neuchâtel and to incorporate a T2 (dial &hands setting, casing) and T3 (bracelet fitting) watchmaking workshop. This integration allows the brand to increase its productivity and responsiveness, but also to demonstrate its dynamism and the relevance of its business model. Indeed, few watchmaking start-ups control the entire creation process internally, as BA111OD now does by including, in addition to a senior designer, a production manager and an assembly department, thus strengthening its autonomy.

Afluendors – “Share the passion”


“Digital native" brand and we-commerce

BA111OD is a "digital native" brand, recognized for its ability to capture and understand new audiences, but also to respond to them, establishing warmer and more direct exchanges. With a clever mix of mastery and spontaneity, Thomas Baillod is personally very present, especially on LinkedIn where previews of his new products are organized. "Today, there is no longer a border between the virtual and the real, everything is linked. So much so that a large number of watches are pre-ordered online as soon as they are launched, sometimes just by seeing a drawing, as was the case for the Chapter 4.1 The Veblen Dilemma Tourbillon," he says.


With BA111OD, he introduced a new distribution model, we-commerce, a more relational form of e-commerce, and explains: "Innovation should not only be about the product, but also about the way it is marketed. Our engine is based on the Afluendors concept (contraction of ambassador, influencer and vendor): a collaborative approach that redefines distribution and community engagement through a phygital approach. Being "customer-centric" is not just a marketing statement. Afluendors animate the community, publish, and can pass on the right to acquire the brand's watches and be rewarded for it. BA111OD then takes care of the transaction, shipping, and after-sales service.


Updated figures - as of July 31, 2022


- Turnover > CHF 2 M for the first 7 months of 2022

- 4 watch lines, of which the last 2 (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4) are Swiss made

- All future lines will be exclusively Swiss made

- 20 models produced since 2019

- 450 tourbillons sold since October 11, 2021 (the first deliveries have begun)

As a reminder, the Swiss watch industry had produced less than 1000 tourbillons until the early 1990s!

- 6 to 8 Afluendors events per month, organized in different Swiss cities

- Almost 3 years since the creation of BA111OD, on 11.10.2019

For its 3rd anniversary, the brand will unveil - as every year - a new surprise.

STAY TUNED…



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