TW Steel Watches and the Family Behind the Success

TW Steel watches could be said to have gotten itsJordy chose to head up TW Steel and front the
start when a young Dutch boy took an interest indevelopment of the TW Steel watch.
what his father did for a living. It was when TonIn early 2006 a Chinese manufacturer was paid to
Cobelens, working as a distributor for Raymond Weilproduce 400 each of 4 different designs that Ton
watches, that the young Jordy Coblelens took anand Jordy Cobelens had produced, just to see if
interest in watches. His father moved on to anotherthere was a market for an even larger format than
career, advertising. He opened his own advertisingwas currently available. All of the prototypes sold in a
agency and was rather successful but soon Ton'sfew weeks through Dutch distributors of fine
passion for watches had him starting his own watchjewelry. There did seem to be a demand for the
brand. Now the passion that had been kindled in thebehemoth time pieces. The demand was not gender
young Jordy years before, had an outlet. At first heor age specific either. Men, women, young and old
worked on his entrepreneurial skills by selling hissnatched up the TW Steel watches.
fathers brand of watches, to the fathers andTW Steel (The Watch in Steel) is the Cobelens' take
relatives of school mates.on massive, blingy timepieces. While not a luxury
Jordy and his father began to work together inproduct they look as if they cost up to ten times
earnest on Ton Cobelens brand of watches. Jordymore than they do. With Dutch quality control,
learned the trade, spending a year in Germany gainingJapanese quartz movement, the expertise of Chinese
first hand experience in the art of Horology-the artmanufacturing coupled with the romantic rose and
and/or skill of making clocks, watches or othermatt black of the Cobelens 45mm, 48mm or 50mm
devices for telling time. His experience started withbezels gives the illusion of a luxury item.
learning to deal with distributors and jewelers thenThe 4 prototype models quickly turned into 11, that
expanded to every aspect of the watch industry.have multiplied into over 100 models that are available
TW Steel watches was the lure to bring Jordy intotoday. With the eye for design that Ton Cobelens
the watch business 100%, luring him from his otherhas and the opening of offices in Thailand, Hong
interest music. At the same time he was workingKong and Australia, the 100 models now available
with his father to develop his watch brand, he hadcould jump even higher.
also founded his own music company JC Records.With a distributor base that includes names like
With the concept of TW Steel watches on the tableHarrods of London, Jordy Cobelens is looking forward
Jordy turned his full attention to the watch businessto seeing how far he can ride this wave of success
in 2005.by using his brand on everything from sunglasses to
Believing in the potential of the TW Steel brandjewelry.