Needless to say the world of watchmaking is dominated by men. After all, the industry traces its roots to the valleys of Switzerland where farmers honed their craft during the winter. Simone Bedat was a pioneer in the industry, first with Raymond Weil, then her namesake brand which was sold to the then Gucci Group (known today as Kering) before being acquired several years ago by Malaysian tycoon Frances Yeoh who had been retailing the timepieces in Asia.
Under the leadership of Charmaine Low the brand has returned to its position of representing women. “Simone wasn’t prepared to accept the view that women should be happy with a male version, with a few diamonds added,” Low says.
With the sharp focus Bedat is again gaining altitude. In June, Bedat & Co opened a shop-in-shop at The Watch House in Dubai’s Wafi Mall. At the same time Golden Gate Jewelry in Jerusalem has joined as a retailer of the brand and in Kuala Lumpur Watatime in now onboard.
While watch brands have long had partnerships with sporting events ranging from The Masters to The World Cup, Bedat & Co is following one of its inspirations, aviator Amelia Earhart, into the clouds. Low has partnered with Cathay Pacific Airways and its sister airline Dragonair as “Exclusive Official Timekeeper.” Each time inflight displays show the time as part of inflight route maps “Time brought to you by Bedat & Co.” appears at the bottom of the screen. In between, images of the No 3 collection are rotated.
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