TW Steel CEO Jordy Cobelens

We had the opportunity to pass on a few questions to Jordy Cobelens that he was kind enough, or rather BIG TIME amazing, to answer.

Q: TW Steel watches are destined for bold and ambitious individuals, not only because of their style, but also because of the BIG TIME growth of the brand. What can we expect for 2014?

Jordy Cobelens (JC): “I think primarily you’ll see an expansion on some of the initiatives we introduced in 2013 with the likes of our partnerships with Sahara Force India in Formula One and with Yamaha Factory Racing in MotoGP. We’ll be massively pushing those in terms of activation and obviously we have watch collections in relation to both partnerships, which are appealing and easily promotable.

“We’ll also be opening a few more boutiques, chiefly in Asia at present. We’ve taken back distribution of the American marketplace also which is naturally a significant undertaking. We’ll be focusing a lot of energy on that in 2014 and continuing to build our presence in what is undoubtedly a key market for TW Steel.”

Q: What are the new design trends that you find interesting?

JC: “At the moment we’re interested in the trend for slimmer watches. We’re shortly introducing our Slim Line collection which takes us in a bit of a different direction but hopefully opens us up to a new audience while still appealing to our existing consumers who love oversized watches.”

Q: Would you share a few hints about upcoming ladies models?

JC: “Significantly for us, later in the year we have a new model coming out in partnership with our brand ambassador Kelly Rowland. We’ve enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Kelly since 2011 and her previous special edition watches sold extremely well. We have a new timepiece for her being introduced in the summer and I have no doubt it will appeal to ladies due to its design and fit.”

Q: When did TW Steel first start to have a presence in Canada? How do you find the Canadian market?

JC: “We started around 2007, only a couple of years after the company was found. I think the Canadian market has proven to be very modern and very fashionable. We’ve grown significantly there and we’ve been able to utilize our partnerships in things like Formula One there courtesy of the Canadian Grand Prix and ambassador visits.”

Q: Where did the idea to launch Steel Entertainment Group come from?

JC: “My own background is in the music world but with the success of TW Steel, we decided to create our own company to manage our events for the brand and to handle our interests in the likes of Electronic Dance Music.

“We were being approached to get involved in things but rather than sponsoring other people’s events, we decided to create our own and fuse together the interests of TW Steel and now obviously Steel Entertainment Group, where we also manage DJs and produce EDM events. Both are very profitable separately but together they’re even stronger!”

Q: Can we expect Steel Entertainment Group events in Canada? In Montreal?

JC: “You never know! We’re expanding with various concepts, such as VOYEYR, around the world so I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we’ll be active in Canada and hosting events there.”

Q: Which TW Steel model are you wearing right now?

JC: “I’m wearing the CEO Tech Emerson Fittipaldi Limited Edition.”

More about TW Steel at www.twsteel.com