Several years ago the Moscow trade company
Interex-Orion was just selling watches. Nowadays Interex-Orion
makes watches. The company is a successful watchmaker, a leader
among Russian ateliers de terminage – new, viable and perspective
phenomenon of watch business in Russia. Private
ateliers de terminage appeared in Russia something about ten
years ago. But the best of them are producing already more
watches than dinosaurs of Russian watch industry with their
multi-thousands stuff. Trump-cards of these watch neophytes
are: independence, excellent knowledge of market niche, consumers’
priorities, tastes and finally – stunning efficiency. Sometimes
it takes for a model just 3 months to make its way from an
idea to a shop counter. Thus it is not surprise that Russian
ateliers to terminage soon earned lords-of-market reputation.
Founded in 1990 Interex-Orion was pure wholesaler
trading company for a long period of time. The company was
the biggest dealer of Vostok watch manufacturer. 4-year dealing
experience helped to learn customers’ tastes that have significantly
changed by that time. Management team of the company felt
its high point time to suggest completely new watches to Russian
customers.
Since 1996 the company started to purchase
assembling and test equipment, thought over how to implement
technological line, had multiple talks with potential suppliers,
reformed its own distribution. The main supplier of mechanical
hand-wound calibers till 2002 was the 1-st Moscow watch manufacture
Poljot. It provides Interex-Orion with calibers 2614, 26668,
26669 and 2612-alarm. Mechanical calibers 2414 and 2409 were
bought at Vostok and Slava factories. Lady’s models are equipped
with calibers 1509 and 2015 produced in Zarja watch factory
(Penza-city). Inexpensive, complicated automatic calibers,
cases and bands were ordered in Hong Kong.
The company always wished to be independent
company, to create, make and to sell what its customers want
to see. The logical result of such aspiration to creative
independence was an organization of own design studio and
assembling production, which allowed the company to stay flexible
and well-timed, on Russian watch market fluctuations, - Interex-Orion
director Andrei Kopeliovich.
First serious collection labeled with ORION
brand, came on the market in 1999. The company produces watches
of 3 relative price segments.
Basic – classical watches ORION equipped with
inexpensive Russian hand-wound calibers and quartz movements
(Interrex-Orion included quartz watches in its production
line in order to vary and complete assortment.)
Middle – limited editions multifunctional mechanics,
CARDI brand watches (collections Viking, Crystal, Captain),
“open-heart” models with Hong Kong automatic calibers, day/night
and 24-hour indicator, day-date calendar.
High – skeleton-watches ORION (Hong Kong movements),
multifunctional Divers and Auto watches with “open-heart”
and engraved movements, water resistant 100 m; pocket skeleton-watches
with crystal case-back.
All in all Interex-Orion offers now about 45
models for men and over 50 models for women.
Brand Cardi was bought by Interex-Orion in
2002. Founded in 1991 Cardi – was the 1st Russian private
company which opened watch atelier de terminage. Inexpensive
original designed models with bright dials were very popular
in Russia of post-perestroyka times. Re-launch of Cardi was
a success. Interex-Orion applied on new product its own quality
standards, kept original design of Cardi watches, and effectively
integrated Cardi in Orion’s distribution system. It was the
first precedent in Russia when one watch brand successfully
absorbed another.
Interex-Orion’s stuff including management
and distribution department consists of 31 men only. Productive
capacity more than 20 000 watches a month. Significant output
and the fact that all spare parts come to Interex-Orion from
different suppliers it’s hard to overestimate importance of
quality control. In order not to reinvent bicycle Interex-Orion
using technical documentation scrupulously reconstructed quality-control
line, which was elaborated at Poljot factory in Soviet times.
But there is one but important difference between the old
and new lines: amount of quality-control operators at Interex-Orion
is similar to amount of assemblers. All parts and details
are getting through strict tests before to be passed to assembling
line. All movements are going through, so called, “pre-sale
preparation”.
Models of basic price segment undergo 3-4 days
test on rate accuracy and endurance to dynamic and temperature
influences. The same tests for middle-segment watches take
up to 7-10 days, high-segment watches are tested during 12
days min. Thus quantity of reclamation was reduced to minimum.
Watches made by Interex-Orion take confident 3rd place after
Poljot and Vostok watches in Russian watch export. Due to
growing interest in Russian market and its products, for a
past two years company has been “attacked” by foreign customers
from all over the world. USA, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands,
Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway are just few from a
list of potentially interested buyers in Orion’s production,
who had already tested sales at domestic markets.
Interex-Orion has ten big distributors, dozens
small ones and large plans for the future. Recently the company
has bought additional equipment for watch decoration. The
company’s art department decided to equip watches of basic
price segment with crystal case back. So plates and bridges
of Russian movements have to be decorated properly. Big plates
of Slava’s 2409 caliber leave to decorators a large space
for fantasy and creation.
What’s more profitable now in Russia – to produce
or to assemble watches? Fierce discussion is still going on.
While some people are arguing, others are working. They’re
proving that in presence of large amount qualified workers,
peculiarities of tax laws and good management Russian ateliers
de terminage have bright promising future.
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