Insights, Process and Mindset
I did something interesting today. A Google search on “UBIQ Watches” turned up some discussions about our current campaign for DUAL SERIES 01. I’m not sure why I didn’t think that there would be some discussion online regarding our designs, prices, and launch. That’s the inspiration for this blog post, and hopefully, some will stumble onto this and glean some insight on questions they may have. Some info might be a tad repetitive, but it will make more sense as a whole. Get your favorite drink ready. It’s gonna be a long one.
I’m Drayson Phua, a creative director from Singapore. I have been in the field for over 20 years, going from a junior designer to the head of creative for a major lifestyle and fashion company. Design has always been my passion, and although we have a small team of designers now, I still enjoy working on new projects and getting into the weeds.
My son came to us late in my life; I will be 47 in 2024 while he will be turning 4. It was, in fact, my wife who suggested, after reading some KOL’s article on passing down luxury watches, that we started looking for a watch to pass down to our son in the future. It started a rabbit hole into reading and learning about horology and watches, going into shops, trying them on, browsing reseller sites late into the night, until one day my wife told me I had become obsessed. I realized I have reignited a passion I had in my younger days where I loved buying and wearing watches, even though I was not exactly informed. They were mostly quartz fashion pieces, but all saw wrist time and love. A fully glowing watch from Swatch, a burgundy day/date from Kenneth Cole, and more.
For my big boy purchase, I went with the Black Bay 58 in blue. There seemed to be many reviews on it that emphasize its wearability and vintage-inspired aesthetics. I guess now you might see DUAL in a different light regarding its size and finishing. Despite the Tudor’s solid build, I do not actually wear it all that much. One, I’m afraid of damaging it, although I’m just a desk diver, and two, it’s honestly kind of boring? My son has taken to telling me about watch ads when they appear on YouTube (my algorithm), “Daddy! Watch!” He seems to have a little interest but only in the colorful, vibrant ones! He has 2 on rotation, a silly little monkey analog quartz and a digital Paw Patrol. They sit among the rest of his toys, which are all colors of the rainbow.
Inspirations aside, nothing would have happened if I did not stumble upon a local microbrand show, Spring Sprang Sprung, on my birthday in 2022. I went in looking for a present for myself and made acquaintance with Travis from RZE. I had seen their watches online before, and I got a titanium field watch that day. We exchanged contacts as I wanted a strap that was not available at the show, and he promised to deliver it to me once stocks were in. I was struck by how a microbrand owner runs their business by being there and being present. Hard work as it might seem, it kind of appealed to me as I run my agency pretty much the same way.
Needless to say, I reached out soon with an intro on what I do and an offer to assist with my skills. I even prepared a presentation deck on watch ideas, which in hindsight was pretty amateurish, but he welcomed me with open arms, giving comments and suggestions. Although we are not working together in any capacity, I regard him as my mentor, and he never fails to give me insights and advice on how to run a microbrand successfully. He will also be assisting us when it is time for fulfillments to be made with his knowledge on shipping, returns, and repairs. Thank you, Travis!
Now on UBIQ and DUAL. This obsession to see my designs turn into a reality stems from my passion for creating. With no future plans in sight, I started designing a watch that turned into a series of watches, leading to a 21.26GB folder worth of watch designs across various categories, including dive watches, dress watches, chronographs, field watches, and more. Every facet of what you see today from our logo, packaging, social media posts, and of course, watches all came from my laptop. To be honest, this is a boon to UBIQ, being able to pivot, redesign, photograph, and color match everything in-house instead of waiting on a response from an external designer. I only need approval from myself, I guess.
DUAL is the end of that whole design exercise. A watch that speaks to me, the identity of what UBIQ is, and what I feel is a small gap in the microbrand space. Each colorway is matched using Pantone charts, which I fortunately possess in my day job and obsess over to create a cohesive whole. Also, being an experienced designer, I understand that preferences are subjective. There are many beautiful and interesting designs out there, but this is our take. I did not want UBIQ to be a design-by-committee brand or be in a budget war where many brands offer similar specs and, in turn, similar looks at super affordable prices. I hope people who love our watches see worth in our unique vision and design language and embark on a journey with us where we can introduce the next collection with their anticipation.
In my research, I also discovered local Singaporean brands like Zelos, BOLDR, and Vario, which sparked my interest in the vibrant local watch scene. Additionally, brands like Farer, Baltic, and Traska from abroad have contributed to the flourishing microbrand landscape. These brands show that the microbrand movement is thriving in Singapore and beyond, inspiring me to create something that stands out. It’s exciting to see how the watch community is evolving and how we can contribute to that landscape.
Now, I am a pretty optimistic and driven person, but everything up to this point has been formulated in my head. Collector opinions and whether people will put their money into our creations remain unknown until the day we launch. I would like to give a big thanks to all our backers who have shown me that we do have something unique to share with the watch world. And also, a major shoutout to photographers and reviewers who made DUAL look great! A few of them have been giving us constant encouragement that keeps us going when the days seem dark. I was the one who reached out in the beginning to see if anyone would be willing to give our new brand a look, and I’m so glad that we are now approached almost daily by reviewers asking if they could have a closer look at DUAL. All comments, positive or constructive, truly fuel us to improve and do the best we can. And for folks who have not heard of us before? Well, we are on the way :)
