Swiss Made Supersede Packaging

Horage Packaging - Details Matter

Packaging is an interesting topic of conversation especially as it pertains to watches. Many focus solely on the unboxing presentation, which is indeed important, but lose sight of the actual product as well as the practical and economic side of things. Despite many nice watch boxes being produced following the removal of a watch, boxes are often thrown in a drawer or shelf and left to collect dust, if kept at all. At Horage, we believe packaging should be economical regarding materials and construction, purposeful post unpackaging all without sacrificing overall presentation. The watch is paramount, but we have taken great care in producing a package made here in Switzerland. Practicality is also important as boxes and pouches should allow for easy transport when travelling, and reduce shipping costs via optimal dimensions.

Swiss Hand-Made Sustainable Construction

We could have opted for the lesser expensive made-in-Asia, wood-inspired or plastic box packed with suede and cushion like so many other brands opt for. After all those boxes have some weight which provides a feeling of perceived value. Engineering and sourcing locally whenever possible are at the heart of all our projects. Take our movement parts for example. Aside from just three movement parts of the 101 - 195 part count (depending on movement) are entirely made in Switzerland by us or partners within a 45 km radius of our facility. The three pieces not produced in Switzerland are our silicon wafers that are produced just across the border in Germany, but that's ok because they are simply the best at what they do. We have carried this ethos through to our packaging and have looked for a sustainable, hand-made local solution.

Transporting empty boxes from across the globe by air just didn't sit well with us. We began to look locally and found a supplier that could not only make our boxes out of Swiss Made materials, but also by hand right here in Switzerland! Making hand-made anything in Switzerland comes at a premium, however, our supplier works with Swiss correctional facilities that offer work placements and like the good old days of prison-made license plates our paper packaging is made by hand in correctional facilities. This approach has enabled us to have a local partner that produces in batches with a quick turnaround time. This alone significantly reduces our carbon footprint. The use of sustainable paper products in our packaging has also proven to be more environmentally friendly than trying to source all recycled materials.

Our packages are sized to utilize a standard, reusable FedEx Pac that can save up to 50% of shipping costs compared to traditional packaging. More savings mean we can invest more into watch and movement product development. The outer cardboard box protects the white interior box when in transport.

The white interior box comes with a textile handle and utilizes a magnetic closure. The handle has been added to remove the need for an additional bag for times when customers pick up their watches. Inside the white interior box, you’ll find;

• One blue envelope

• One blue watch box

• One blue accessories box

Blue Envelope

This is where your Guarantee/Warranty slip is located. The slip directly references the details of the purchaser (you) along with the watch serial number. In addition to the guarantee document, you will also find your COSC certificate. This document is quite special as it's unique to your movement and outlines how your movement performed during COSC. No two COSC documents are alike and we are one of few brands that actually include this documentation with the shipment of your watch as it's an additional cost to brands to provide this to customers.

Blue Watch Box

The blue paper watch box elegantly conceals the highly protective reusable hardshell clear membrane watch case. These hardshell cases are incredibly robust and will serve you well either for home storage, travel or if you send your watch in for service. A QR code unique to your watch and a service checkbox is on the back of the blue watch box and this means it can be used to conceal the hardshell membrane watch case when shipping back for service.

Our membrane boxes are simple yet very effective in protecting the watch during shipping. The outer shell is a tough, clear plastic that doesn’t deform over time and allows a clear view of the watch. A special double membrane of soft, pliable material inside sandwiches the watch and prevents damage via a tight yet flexible cushion. Both sides of the membrane “float” within the outer shell, creating a protective cocoon that resists bumps and knocks during transport. The box itself is strategically sized for a watch with the length, width and height just large enough without additional bulk. This reduces shipping costs when receiving a piece and also when used to ship a watch to us for service or repairs. These specialty boxes can be reused many, many times. In fact, we have comparable boxes used for jewelry that have held up for over 15 years.

The membrane boxes are ordered from la Choux-de-Fonds a neighbouring Swiss town with a focus on quality. There are similar designs from Asian suppliers, but they tend to deform and/or break after just a few uses. That’s unacceptable to us as all of our products need to perform well over time, including something this simple that’s often overlooked. Standard watch purchases are rarely shipped with just a membrane box as we use additional packaging to include a leather pouch, etc. Still, they’re perfect for otherwise shipping watches for servicing or taking on your next vacaction.

Blue Accessories Box

This box is where you will find all the additional goodies that ship with Supersede along with any extra straps you have ordered. The Supersede accessories included are;

• Calf Leather Pouch

• Strap Changing Tool

• Strap box (If any straps were on order)

Calf Leather Pouch

We supply calf leather pouches that can transport watches and accessories safely and with style. Specially designed for us, they were inspired by a half-century-old watch pouch that we came across. Back in the day, watches were packed in simple paper boxes with these pouches inside for travel. We think this is a better and more practical idea as fancy watch boxes are again used once and often forgotten. It also makes more sense to use a compact leather pouch to carry a watch in luggage, etc. than a large, heavy watch box. Our leather pouches are produced by a Swiss artisan based in South Korea and designed to last a lifetime.

Strap Changing Tool

We have had a lot of fun in the development of Supersede and the icing on the cake for this project was the Supersede strap-changing tool. I have written about this tool extensively in the previous forum post that you can find here https://www.shop.horage.com/forum/k2-english/supersede-bracelet-tool-user-guide The tool is found inside a paper pouch.

Strap Box

The strap box is the final piece of the Supersede packaging. For those that opted for the full-price option or those that purchased additional straps, you will find them inside this box. Thanks to the additional strap-changing tool you will be able to change from bracelet to your favourite strap colour when you like.

Watches are made for wearing

Our watches are made to be worn and enjoyed, not stored in a safe for special occasions or rarely seen and treated as investments. Our packaging aligns with this philosophy. The outer boxes are also designed with another era in mind - the 1950s and 1960s. Back then, watch boxes were fairly simple and made from paper or tough board materials. They looked cool and presented well, but weren’t high-priced polished wood that resembled fine cabinetry. This reduces waste, is lighter for shipping and catching on in many other industries. For example, many technology companies have adopted this same philosophy, by utilizing simple, scaled-down paper and cardboard boxes that emphasize minimalism for an effective presentation and economical shipping. The product should sell itself without the need for an expensive shiny wrapper, so to speak.

Performance Watchmaking

Of course, our focus is on designing and producing the best possible timepieces at very competitive prices. We haven’t overlooked how to package them, however, and found a perfect balance of presentation, practicality and environmental friendliness. Sometimes older ways are the best and simply don’t require extensive revisions. That’s why we were inspired by how great watchmakers packaged watches in the past. Simple, effective and best for our customers.

Till next time... Landon Stirling