https://i.imgur.com/Sho9vD2.jpg
There was a small entry about this in the financial section of METRO the free London paper.
Marloe Watches moves to Perth to avoid post-Brexit England
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18...home-scotland/
https://i.imgur.com/Sho9vD2.jpg
There was a small entry about this in the financial section of METRO the free London paper.
Marloe Watches moves to Perth to avoid post-Brexit England
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18...home-scotland/
Until Scottish independence, I suspect the real reason is the massively lower cost of business premises...
And labour !!Quote:
Originally Posted by earlofsodbury
And publicity!!Quote:
Originally Posted by maseman
And just read the tagline of the paper that this article appears in and all will become clear.
Good for them. They have my utmost respect.
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And weather!!Quote:
Originally Posted by gerrudd
And deep fried pizza!
*Had a nurse from Gourock who says it’s the most amazing thing ever. I mean she did. She died from an MI**
**this bit is a lie thankfully. Currently.
So Marloe watches are based in Shiplake near Henley on Thames, which is near to co-founder Oliver Goffe's home town of Marlow and also happens to be one of the most expensive areas in the UK that they could choose to operate from. As far as I'm aware they rent their current premises (positioned in the most expensive/exclusive riverside road in Shiplake) from Swiss financier Urs Schwarzenbach which certainly won't be cheap to do. Incidentally Urs Schwarzenbach owns the land where Bremont's current headquarters is based and also the land that their new headquarters/factory is being built on.
A number of local people who work for and rent properties from Schwarzenbach are friends of ours (I grew up in Shiplake and have lived all my life in the area) and the talk is there has been a round of rent increases recently, although whether Marloe watches rental costs have increased or will increase is pure speculation of course.
Now they've decided to relocate to Perth in Scotland where the costs of running a business are going to be substantially less than they are currently. The other co-founder Gordon Fraser is a proud Scot and was born and bred on the East Coast of Scotland so in effect he'll be going back to his roots. Whilst I think I think the reasons they've given for the move (such as the company values are “much more in line with Scotland than the rest of Britain right now”) may well be true, I also think they are a being very disingenuous especially when you look a little deeper into the company.
Good luck to them, I kickstarted one of their watches and found it perfectly nice for the money.
If you are going to relocate because of Brexit then surely you would leave the uk and set up business in the EU or elsewhere.Does not make sense and I think earlier opinions about property costs are more relevant.Perhaps they hope to become the Scottish equivalent of Bremont...
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Gordon always wanted to make watches in Scotland - in fact, his first venture, Fraser Timepiece Co, wanted to be the first modern Scottish watchmaker (although anOrdain might get there first).
To avoid post-Brexit Britain, eh? Not very bright, the management then - unless, perhaps they aim to use it as a step in a route taking them out of Britain, to Denmark perhaps?
I know that there are some idiots in the watch business, but this must take the cake!
If you've a co-founder with strong Scottish connections, who's had a belly-full of the way England's toxic culture and politics is now headed, and sees a very real possibility of Scottish independence coupled with much closer ties to Europe again within the next ten years, while also knowing operating costs will be significantly lower up north?Quote:
Originally Posted by WatchIng
No. It's not idiotic at all.
It’ll never happen and making a business decision on a ‘maybe’ is a bit naive. With a Scottish owner/base, far lower operating costs and moving out of the shadow of Bremont being far more realistic motivesQuote:
Originally Posted by studs
Money talks.
Perth have grants available for business relocation - No doubt paid for (in part) by pre-Brexit UK taxpayers.
https://www.investinperth.co.uk/supp...going-support/
Quote:The Invest in Perth team is focused on ensuring businesses in Perth and the wider region achieve their full potential, and realise their ambitions for growth.
As well as offering a transparent and efficient planning process for your investment, they will also help you navigate funding and incentive schemes
For....? They’ve not really done anything? No different to a Londoner moving to North Yorkshire on principle because London gets a bigger slice of the cake.Quote:
Originally Posted by lughugger
For what it’s worth, I’d rather be part of Europe than not but these things happen and we/they really don’t have a clue what a post Brexit UK will look like anyway.
Pizza crunch! Pizza dipped in batter and deep fried,Mmmmm, take that you artery bastards!*Quote:
Originally Posted by Plake
I’m on statins for cholesterol anyway.
Since business decisions are made based on what the future could be, most businessmen must be naive in your book, then.Quote:
Originally Posted by theancientmariner
If Brexit is a success they’ll still benefit from it
If Brexit is an abject failure and Scotland becomes independent and joins the EU it will be a genius decision. Many will follow.
If Brexit doesn’t work out as expected but Scotland remains in the UK, less expensive premises and taxes will make sense.
Now who is naive?
Scotland will never be able to rejoin the EU because Spain has repeatably stated that it will veto their application. It is a major threat they have over Catalonia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint-Just
Scotland is out of the EU whether it likes it or not
Hope their business case doesn't rely Scotland leaving the UK and then rejoining EU.
Not a lot of demand for luxury watches in socialist failed states!
Ye..don't think that's the reason, just a convenient excuse
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You sound so certain; which is welcome, given *actual* Spain's repeatable uncertainty on the matter. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-spain-politics-scotland/spain-would-not-oppose-future-independent-scotland-rejoining-eu-minister-idUKKCN1NP25PQuote:
Originally Posted by Mick P
It makes me wonder that it seems by far the biggest problem with Brexit is that it's a national project built on misinformation that culminated in the longest tissue of deeply ingrained lies in this country's history. I do hope people don't get too angry when many of their cast-iron Brexit certainties unravel to the contrary. I fear our national deportment in the face of things going awry hasn't been the best lately, and it's not like we weren't warned, or anything.
Anyway. Apologies everyone. This, of course is Watch Talk.
Old Speedies are great.
Most Rolex are pretty good.
Zenith is perennially underrated.
And Marloe watches actually look rather nice and may even become interesting. Thanks for the heads-up, OP.
Always good to have your input. Did you read my post? The naivety was based on the supposition of Scotland gaining independence and rejoining the eu. If they’re leaving England to go to Scotland for purely financial reasons without any thoughts of Brexit then good for them but that’s not what they’ve said.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint-Just
As most business owners will tell you, we won’t have a clue whether Brexit is a success or failure for at least a decade so your comments above are pointless and irrelevant.
I not only read your post, I quoted it. And stick by what I had to say about it.
Do not mix up Business decisions and PR.
Yeah, you never see a Russian with a luxury watch, do you?Quote:
Originally Posted by J J Carter
M
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Just read this post, followed by the inevitable eBay search and found this Panda chronograph:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352973853921
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
Looks quite nice.Impressed as I didn't know about the company much before this post.Will the fact its made/sold in brexit/London affect its value versus Scotland/EU? Wouldnt want to support an inward looking separatist evil empire:)Sent from my SM-A505FN using TZ-UK mobile appQuote:
Originally Posted by sish101
Arghh!!! Please use the numerous BP threads, where you can shout into a vacuum to your heart’s content, for Brexit blathering.
There is only so far one can go with Russian movements.Quote:
Originally Posted by sish101
Unfortunately for my Scottish mates (who all want Indy) I doubt very much it'll even happen. It certainly won't happen under this Government which looks likely to be here for the next decade at least.
It seems like a shrewd business move for other reasons though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by studs
Makes sense to me from a cost saving exercise if there's incentives to move from one of the most expensive places in the UK!
The article says "influenced by Scotland’s support for the EU" and 'the company’s values are “much more in line with Scotland than the rest of Britain right now”'.
That, to me, just sounds like virtue signalling drivel. Like Scotland has particular "values" when it comes to very expensive (for the average person in the street) watches!!
I note that they took the company name "from the town of Marlow ... where Oliver grew up (sic)". Presumably they'll be changing that too in order to distance themsleves from the awful English - who presumably make up a big chunk of their clientele.
I wish businesses would stick to business.
Hear hear!Quote:
Originally Posted by David_D
Moving to a much cheaper place and getting some grants to do so. Good business sense.
But please don't dress it up as "company values".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt8500
Well said.
So we have a company who prides itself on its “British designed” watches (using Japanese movements and assembled in China ??) relocating from one part of Britain to another.
Whoopee do!
Whatever next, Roll Royce relocating from Crewe to Goodwood :smug:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt8500
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andyg
The thread was titled "Marloe Watches moves to Scotland to avoid post-Brexit England" so seemed to be inviting some "political" comment. Possibly shouldn't have been on Watch Talk in the first place.
Agree completely, if anything this type of publicity can put me off a company.Quote:
Originally Posted by David_D
I hear what you're saying.Quote:
Originally Posted by David_D
And I've said earlier that there was a business decision (relocating to cheaper premises with possible grants) and a PR communication which decided to put a political spin to it. As I type, the thread has received 2,169 individual visits (not different visitors). How many of those had ever heard of Marloe before?
Maybe Nicola Sturgeon will buy a watch off them, there's a good endorsement.....not.
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I hadn't and having read their guff, I wouldn't buy from them!Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint-Just
As I said, keep business as business and everyone's happy. Take "sides" and you risk turning some people off.
As far as I’m concerned it’s just an advertising ploy coupled to cutting costs.
Can’t wait to see the new tartan dial!
What a load of twaddle. Perhaps stay in the BP in future.Quote:
Originally Posted by studs
Co-founder/designer Gordon recently posted this on Facebook. Addresses most of the conjecture above.
'It made it easier to decide, but the reasons for the move were little to do with Brexit, and very much what you thought - rental costs, logistics, creative studio under my wing, developing the business and our content more efficiently, establishing a cool office for people to come see us, etc.
The press are sensationalising it a little bit for clicks and controversy - it's a damn hot topic, so it is. But it IS getting us out there and in front of a lot of people who are not necessarily aware of MWC until now. Which is good for business. Casting nets wider and further et al.
I agree wholeheartedly on avoiding politics, and this brexit slanting is out of our hands as such. As Oliver said, we are pro-remain. Whether we stayed in England as pro-remain or moved to Scotland as pro-remain, we're still pro-remain. And Scotland is very much a pro-remain environment. That's all.'