As the first Swiss watch brand to enter China after the reform and opening up, it can be said that since 1958, both the soft quality and the hard technology of watches have made a qualitative leap. Of course, behind this change is the unremitting efforts of the brand. Today, Watch House is honored to have an exclusive interview with Mr. Wan Zhifei, Vice President of Swiss Rado China. From him, we can not only see what the brand conveys. At the same time, I can deeply feel the background and story behind a brand that has experienced more than half a century in China.
Watch House: I am honored to be able to interview you. We would like to know how the Hao Xing series, which is the main product of Radar Watches this year, is different from previous products, and what are the breakthroughs in technology?
Wan Zhifei: In fact, if the appearance of watches is very different, our radar products will look more serious as a whole and are more formal. We don’t have many sports watches, but Haoxing is more different. Haoxing is more sporty in appearance and younger and more fashionable in design. In addition, there are quite a lot of changes. There is no inheritance point in the past. The radar has more innovative materials, including high-tech ceramics. This watch will have some. I take this as an example. This is our Haoxing advertising model. More athletic, stylish and young. Haoxing is a very large product series. There are many models. You will see that in addition to its own design sense, there is a very interesting place. It is made of different materials, such as an arc on both sides. The design of the whole is what we call a single-structure case, and there will be this curved design on both sides. It is a stainless steel, and the stainless steel part is enclosed in a bracket. So you will see some fusion of different materials. There are also some considerations for use. But more is to make this product younger and more distinctive. This is the stainless steel part. Stainless steel and black ceramic. This bezel uses a rubber ring. This is to ensure that you will not touch you too much when you are exercising, because there are many seals when wearing a watch, and it will not be possible to use a rubber ring. There are many details on this watch. Creation.
Watch House: The 2013 Basel Show is just over. Which radar watch is your favorite?
Wan Zhifei: As for me, I have a very clear product-the Court Tennis model of the radar Haoxing series, but it will not be available on a large scale until the second half of this year. Because everyone knows that the Radar brand has sponsored many tennis events, including Andy Murray, now the third-ranked tennis player in the world. He is also our spokesperson. He personally won the Olympics and the US Open, although he won the Shanghai Masters Cup. Won the runner-up, but that game is also known as the most exciting game ever. The reason why I like and recommend this model is not only because the brand has an inseparable connection with tennis. At the same time, this watch looks very interesting. Its color is inspired by the green and red earth and blue of the tennis court. This choice makes the entire watch look very vibrant.
Home of Watches: ‘Live and comfortable’ as the brand spirit of Radar’s new season, what kind of elements do you think reflect this feeling in terms of products?
Wan Zhifei: Hao Xing is the best interpretation. We talk about ‘Loving Lives’ is not the brand’s theme, but more about Hao Xing products themselves. We talk about Hao Xing. Hao Xing is the product we pushed last year. We will also push it for a long time. We feel that Hao Xing is different from previous products. There are some different materials and designs. For example, a watch has The combination of some materials and styles are now young and fashionable. You can basically find formal wear in the Haoxing series, you can wear it in sports, you can wear it in business occasions, and even shopping. There are some styles. It can be wild, so it is very young, fun, and sporty, and it is also related to tennis.
Watch House: As a well-known brand like Radar, Liu Ruoying was chosen as the brand’s spokesperson. Would you like to ask her what are the similarities between her personal and the brand?
Wan Zhifei: Liu Ruoying has cooperated with radar for three years, it can be said that it is a long time. As a radar, it is a well-known brand, but we are still very low-key in acting. We will spend a lot of money on the development of brand technology and the development of new materials. In contrast, the investment in advertising is not very large. What we want to present is something of quality. On the other hand, the spirit of the brand itself is not to follow the crowd, not to compromise, and to pursue unique taste. When you remove the logo on the watch’s dial, many watches can’t tell who is who, but the radar can basically see at a glance, which is what we are pursuing. From these perspectives, we will find a spokesperson who is very compatible with the brand itself. As an artist, Liu Ruoying, from singing to acting, to writing books and acting as a director, can be said to be a very intellectual and charismatic female image. And the most rare thing is that she has not stopped her footsteps, but constantly broke through herself, which is what the radar watch wants to express.
Watch House: You just said that radar watches are dedicated to the development of new materials and achieved extraordinary achievements. Can you reveal the advantages of radar ceramics compared to other ceramic materials?
Wan Zhifei: Radar is best known for high-tech ceramics. Of course, I also know that many brands are now making ceramic watches. If you want to compare them, you should speak from two perspectives. The first is that it is different. There are many grades of high-tech ceramics. Although the division of this grade is not as clear as the A, B, and C grades, we can still see the material itself compared to ordinary high-tech ceramics. Density, color, weight, and uniformity of brightness are all significantly different. We present not only a new and durable material, but also an advanced quality. On the other hand, radar’s leadership in high-tech ceramics is not that we have many watches of this material, but that the brand has absolute top-notch technology and breakthroughs in high-tech ceramic watchmaking. For example, we can make the thinnest high-tech ceramic watch in the world, and the highest-tech high-tech ceramic watch. Of course, in addition to ordinary high-tech ceramic watches, we have also developed a material called ‘titanium carbide cermet’, which has better hardness characteristics. At the same time, we can also use high-tech ceramic materials to make the color and brightness of precious metals. . These are not available in many brands.
Watch House: Will there be any guiding changes in the brand’s marketing strategy for the future changes in purchase demand in the Chinese market?
Wan Zhifei: China will be the largest market for radar watches at present and for a long time to come. In order to meet and meet this huge market demand, we will focus on the following points in the future, open more flagship stores, more Marketplace advertising, as well as increased marketing activity and more new products. As a mature watch brand, our sales channels are already mature. In the future, we will also focus more on the market development of second- and third-tier cities and improve the product after-sales service. I believe that after doing this, radar watches will achieve better results in the future.
Although it is only ten minutes, I still feel a lot as an editor. Such a brand that has been stationed in China for more than half a century has experienced the turbulence of the times and changes in society, but no matter how the outside world changes, the brand can always adapt to the needs of the market while inheriting the essence of the brand, and find its deep-rooted foothold, Until now, a mature consumer group with such a strong brand recognition and huge foundation has been formed. It can be said that this is not just a brand. It is more like a legend. Of course, in the face of the growing demand for watch purchases in the domestic market, I believe that radar watches will definitely take this opportunity to create another miracle that belongs to it.