Thomas Baillod On Challenging Swiss Watchmaking Traditions At BA111OD

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This week on SUPERLATIVE, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Thomas Baillod, founder of BA111OD, for a conversation about challenging the traditional rules of Swiss watchmaking. Thomas looks back on the original idea behind BA111OD, which started as a proof of concept for a new way of selling watches through community, word of mouth, and what he calls “WeCommerce”. He explains how that idea grew into a full watch brand, why value remains central to the company, and how BA111OD has approached Swiss made watches, tourbillons, and retail in a way that pushes against industry norms.

Ariel and Thomas also discuss BA111OD’s acquisition of BCP Tourbillon, the importance of producing accessible high end complications, and why Thomas believes luxury watchmaking should respect both the product and the consumer. Thomas shares his thoughts on heritage, the debate around the BA111OD name, the tension between price and perception, and why he is focused on building watches from the Watch Valley with passion before profit. Join Ariel and Thomas for a candid conversation about Swiss watchmaking, business model disruption, accessible tourbillons, and the future of BA111OD.

Learn more about Ba111od:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ba111od.official/

- Website - https://ba111od.com/

This week's episode is sponsored by the Movado Heritage Kingmatic collection, learn more at the link below:

- https://www.movado.com/

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Key Timestamps:

[0:01] Intro & Thomas' Return

[1:15] Camino de Santiago & Leadership Lessons

[6:32] How BA111OD Began

[11:13] Reinventing How Watches Are Sold

[18:56] Price, Heritage & Luxury

[21:00] Why Build An Affordable Swiss Tourbillon?

[23:37] Who Buys BA111OD Tourbillons?

[26:05] Industry Pushback & Retail Challenges

[29:53] The BA111OD Name Explained

[36:46] Design, Production & The Atelier

[42:30] Respecting The Watch Consumer

[49:16] Acquiring BCP Tourbillon

[56:32] Making High End Watchmaking More Accessible

[1:03:33] Closing Thoughts