T2W = RED

Steve = BLUE

 

Thank you you Steve for taking the time for this interview. Let's dive right in, shall we?

How did you get started in watches?  

I have always loved watches. I remember as a kid owning a few Swatch watches. In 1989 I became a certified SCUBA diver through the Boy Scouts and I went on a weeklong SCUBA trip to Hawaii that year. On this trip I purchased a black plastic Freestyle dive watch with a teal blue face. This was much larger than the popular Swatch watches, and I really loved it.

Have you always been a watch collector?

My dad was in the jewelry business for a short time in the 80’s. He has a friend who still operates his store today that I occasionally visit, but when I was about 16 I bought a Seiko 7T32 quartz Chronograph from his store. I still have the watch. I received a Tag Heuer Kirium Chronograph when I graduated college, and I have also purchased a number of less expensive watches over the years until I started to purchase more expensive pieces in my 30s.

What kind of watches do you collect?

I have always been drawn to stainless dive watches with steel bracelets. My dad has always worn gold watches, but I think I will always wear steel. As I get older my taste will probably change, but right now I am still into high adventure activities and I require a watch that is water resistant, scratch resistant, accurate, simple and classic in design, and can take abuse. Now I am collecting what we design and produce, so a Benarus watch must be designed to fit all these requirements and they are, and always exceed my expectations.

What is your favorite watch in your collection (if you have one)?

Lately I have been wearing a Benarus Megalodon on a ZULU, Worldiver GMT on leather, Moray on rubber, and a 1km on the steel bracelet. I am also really looking forward to 2 new designs that Ralf and I have been working on for 2010 that will replace the Sea Devil and Barracuda. We have really put a lot of thought into them and they will be great new additions to the Benarus family.

 

Could you please tell us a bit about your web design background?

I attended art school at Kansas State University. I received a BFA in Graphic Design. When I was in college, web design was not being taught, the Internet was new to most of us. In school I was given a great foundation and understanding of design principals and I learned that art is a learned skill more than raw talent. Talent pushes you into the field but only gets you so far. I started to use my design skills to build websites in 1999 and it has taken a long time and many website projects to get be at the level I am at today. There is still a lot I can’t do with a website, I have learned to do what I am good at and ask others to do the things I can’t do. Design is my strength, not programming.

How did you get involved in watch related website designing?

A few years ago I decided to get that old Seiko 7T32 fixed up. The crystal was scratched and it had been in a drawer for over a decade. I started to search the Internet and I found so many forums and information online that I couldn’t stop reading. I found a website and a watchmaker that could do the work and I contacted him about the Seiko. I was also asking him a lot of questions about movements and watches in general. After a few emails we had an arrangement going that I would rebuild his website and he would build me a custom MKII Seiko. After his new website launched I was contacted by another watch company. Slowly over the last few years I have been involved with a few watch related website projects.

Which companies have you worked with in the past and who are you working with now?

I am working full time with Benarus. Now I am designing watches and this is fantastic. I rebuilt the Benarus website twice and helped redesign the Megalodon concept before Ralf contacted me about working with him full time. It was a situation where I just dove into the projects because I was really passionate about it and I wasn’t under any contract to be paid. I just kept designing because I wanted to and then Ralf asked me to join his business. Our relationship is working out great.

What is it about Benarus that made you decide to stay with the company?

Ralf and I are very compatible. We share the same opinion on what is good design and we like the same types of watches. So when we are designing a new watch it is a lot of fun because we seem to already know what to do and which direction to take. Suggestions and changes are always made or considered because I am a designer that listens and values others opinions. In the end it is about how great the watch looks on the customer’s wrist and not who designed it.

I have noticed that Benarus uses Japanese (Miyota) movements and is now moving towards using Swiss movements (ETA) for their newer products. Could you tell us how easy or difficult sourcing movements has been?

The Miyota 8215 is great and helps keep the overall cost of the watch down. Our new GMT Worldiver uses the ETA 2893-2. We also produced the Worldiver with a Miyota GMT quartz movement for a less expensive option. We are going to use more of the ETA movements in the future because our customers have requested this. We purchase the ETA and Miyota movements directly from them and have not experienced any problems with getting them. We also look forward to new products being produced by both companies. 

Like many other Dive Watch Collectors out there, I am particularly interested in the Megalodon project? What can you tell us about it?

The Megalodon was a grassroots project that started on the forum. Ralf had this idea and posted the original drawing. I took his drawing and separated the teeth from the dial, pushing them forward. I then changed the dial to be a dark brushed steel. Many people on the forum contributed ideas and we added the minute marks, adjusted the tooth size at 12, and decided on 2 different bezels. I then changed the hands to be similar in shape to the teeth, it was a lot of fun and there was a lot of interest in that design thread.

 

 

Apart from being water-resistant to 2500m, what other “SUPER” features does it have?

47mm custom made case, 49mm bezel, Automatic HRV, Antimagnetic, 350g on the bracelet, C3 Superluminova on the teeth, hands, and Lume Bezel… and the price is great for the specs this watch is offering.

I also noticed that all 100 of the first issue of the Megalodon had pre-sold very quickly. That must gave been some kind of record. What, in your opinion, do you think is the reason behind its immediate success?

When the designs were being posted on the forum, there was a lot of viewing and posting going on. The Megalodon had a lot of fans from the beginning. We had 100 customers before we could show a factory sample. People were signing up from the drawings, but also because of the success of the Barracuda, Sea Devil and Moray. Our customers know that Ralf is going to get it built right because he works on-site with the factories. I have read a few times people say “This watch looks much better than the drawings”, I think they always do and people trust Ralf when it comes to producing the real thing.

What obstacles have you faced during the creation of the Megalodon?

Not many, but we have some new ideas for the Series 2 from our experiences with the first run.

From what I understand, the Megalodon was the biggest shark that ever lived. How did Benarus come up with the name?

 

Forum members were discussing a name for the “Moray” and someone suggested the “Megalodon”. Ralf said he had a plan for a larger watch in the future and didn’t think a 44mm was the Megalodon. He saved the name and the idea for a few weeks and then posted the name and the drawing together.

 

 

When do you think we will see the 1st Megalodon’s appearing on the forums?

 

We are trying to get these watches to the preorder customers by the end of December ‘09 or early January ’10.

 

 

So far, almost every watch Benarus has produced has been a hit. What can do you attribute to the companies overall success?

 

Benarus watches are high quality at an affordable price. We offer a lot of watch for the money. We also put customer service first and answer every question asked and take care of every customer’s needs. We offer a transferable warranty that stays with the watch and if there is an issue, I can personally service and repair a watch long after the warranty has expired. We try to offer everything we can, and also try to include extra accessories like straps, tools, and travel boxes.

 

 

Are there any plans for Benarus to go retail or are sales going to remain Internet based?

 

At this time we sell exclusively from our website, but I can’t predict the future. We are going to offer a lot of watches in 2010 and we will see how it goes from there.

 

 

What other plans are in the works for Benarus and where do you see Benarus in 5years and 10 years?

 

Our long-term goal is to get involved with bigger issues and organizations that protect ocean life and marine environments. You will see more about this on our website soon. The idea would be to produce a limited edition watch that will donate a percentage of the sale to these organizations. The watch would be designed in a way that reflects the cause. This will take a new effort on our part to get connected and find new partners who are out there doing great things for our Oceans.

 

 

 

For more on Benarus watches, you can click the following link to their website:

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading,

Marc