Company Profile
A Brief History of a Young American Watch Company
One of the most remarkable qualities of modern-day explorers is their ability to forge ahead in the most challenging conditions and unpredictable situations. In this way, the Kobold Watch Company is very similar to its clientele. In the highly competitive and centuries-old luxury watch industry, Kobold stands apart from competing brands, many of which were founded over 100 years ago.
The company was little more than a hobby turned into a college class project when it was founded in 1998 by then-19-year-old Michael Kobold. An aficionado of mechanical watches since age 12, Michael Kobold thought it would be fun to start a watch company as part of his entrepreneurship class at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Other students in the class founded technology companies and rode the Dot Com boom, some securing millions of dollars of seed capital. Michael limited his company's exposure to the Internet to a simple, 4-page website, and started with only $5,000.
A few semesters later, the one-man company was still in business and contributed positively to its founders ailing grade point average. After graduating successfully from the university, Michael Kobold had a difficult decision to make: turn his company into a real business or shut it down. With not much to lose at such a young age, Michael decided to follow his passion. Soon, the company hired its first employees and began to grow considerably.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based outfit knew it was on to something when a Kobold watch was named one of the “World’s 10 Best Watches” in its class by International Wristwatch Magazine. A suggestion by the company's brand ambassador in chief, famed British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes led Michael to focus on making watches for use by polar professionals who require accurate and reliable wristwatches rugged enough to be worn in the most punishing of conditions. These high-precision timepieces have been well-received by this market, and since 2002 Kobold watches have been worn on more polar expeditions than any other wristwatch. With retail pricing between $3,000 and $42,000, Kobold watches have been heralded by the international industry press as some of the world’s best in their markets. This acclaim is well-earned as Kobold watches today are worn not only by polar explorers, but also by NASA test pilots and astronauts, NSA and CIA operatives, SWAT teams, deep sea divers, field scientists and others who depend on their timepieces for their livelihoods if not their lives.
Perhaps the reason these clients are so dedicated to Kobold is because of the company’s impressive accomplishments in only twelve years. When the company was founded in 1998, its small line of aviator's and military watches were made in Switzerland and Germany. Incorporating materials such as surgical stainless steel, aerospace-grade titanium and virtually scratchproof sapphire crystal, each Kobold was and continues to be powered by a mechanical movement. By 2000, the first prototype of a new Kobold watch case, code-named Soarway, was being tested by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. In 2002, Kobold launched its Soarway Collection, which at its core featured a superior case design and improved components. Later that year, the Polar Surveyor Chronograph was unveiled, becoming the world’s first mechanical wristwatch that indicates time, stopped time, GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), the date, and day or night of the local time zone. The Polar Surveyor was specifically engineered to the specifications set forth by a group of polar explorers, among them Fiennes and Ben Saunders. The Polar Surveyor was the flagship model of the Soarway Collection and a small limited edition of the Polar Surveyour became the first Kobold watch model to be crafted in solid gold.
In 2008, Kobold began using American-made components, such as a new edition of its Soarway cases, crystals, bands and other parts to assemble its small line of watches in its workshops in Pittsburgh. Those components not yet made in the U.S. are of Swiss or German origin and are incorporated into the Pittsburgh, PA-based assembly process. As a result of its determination to help re-establish America at the forefront of mechanical watchmaking, Kobold was able to release the first serially produced American watch with a U.S.-made case in almost 40 years. The Spirit of America Automatic became the new flagship model of the company and its first run sold out in a matter of days. However, rather than rest on its laurels, the company continues to invest heavily in the Made-in-USA project and plans to unveil a 100% American-made watch by 2015.
The company's high level of attention to individual clients has not only established a following among collectors and extreme professionals, but also with an increasing number of high-profile celebrities. However, instead of following the time-honored tradition of paying individuals, who fit the brand image to wear its products, Kobold does not even give free watches to these high profile clients. This not only sets Kobold apart from other watch companies, it also endears the small outfit to its most famous clientele, who hence value a Kobold more than a product that is merely given away. To date, Kobold has manufactured custom watches for members of several royal families, heads of state, as well as sports and entertainment stars.
The company’s advertisements, which are created in-house, often include famous explorers and their achievements. These advertisements feature the accomplishments of explorers like Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Ben Saunders, and mountaineers like Kenton Cool. Yet sometimes, the company goes beyond the boundaries of traditional advertising campaigns so often identified with the high-end watch industry. In 2003 and 2004, Kobold's ad campaign focused on the company’s anti-establishment way of doing business. Featuring actor James Gandolfini and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Kobold's ads showed that the company is not afraid to take risks or push the limits of a traditional and conservative industry. By 2007, the mainstream media had taken note of the small, family-owned business. Inc. magazine featured Kobold's success story in an 8-page-long feature article by Josh Dean.
While the company has undergone several transitions over the past ten years, many of its founding ideals have remained unchanged. For example, Kobold will only manufacture a total of 2,500 watches in a given year. Compared to competitors who produce between 50,000 and 600,000 watches yearly, this may seem economically inefficient. Kobold justifies this policy by noting that less is more, especially when it comes to luxury goods. By limiting the supply so strictly, the company can maintain closer contacts with its loyal customers while ensuring its products' high quality.
Kobold is a pioneer in the watch industry, and like the explorers that wear its watches to the ends of the earth, the company is not looking to stop just yet. With ideas for industry-leading watches, new marketing strategies, and a lasting devotion to mechanical timepieces, it can be expected that the Kobold Watch Company will always adhere to its mantra - Embrace Adventure!