Sometimes it’s the unexpected twists and turns in life that put us on the right path.
The Elizabeth Doerr, born in Detroit, included having to win a scholarship for postgraduate studies in Germany, where she would meet her future husband, start a family and get to know the world of high-quality mechanical watches.
Now co-founder and editor-in-chief of the seven-year-old QuillandPad.com website, she focuses on independent and expensive producers and works in a suite on the top floor of her home in Karlsruhe, Germany, with a view of the rooftops and rock music. playing in the background.
Me. Doerr, 54, recently spoke about the industry and what the near future may offer. Her comments, by email and by phone, were edited and summarized. – SUSANNE FOWLER
What attracted you to watches?
It was not a conscious decision. My interest developed through my work at a German publisher that launched a watch magazine, ArmbandUhren, in 1991. The more I learned, the more I got hooked. There was a real sense of community that I also loved.
You have handled some of the world’s most intricate and expensive watches. Do you remember your first one?
It was a gift from my mother, but it was lost at university and I can not remember if it was a name tag. It was definitely quartz and cheap. My first watch of any note was the Movado Museum Watch which I won in 1990 as the first prize in a tennis tournament. I later bought a “beginner automatic” from Oris, which is widely recognized as a stepping stone into the world of mechanical watches.
You and your business partner, journalist Ian Skellern, took Quill & Pad alive in 2014. You said it’s about 800 in online years’. How was the industry then?
The watch world went through a few things that I would consider extreme makeup. When I started in ’91, it was very intimate. You can walk into the Patek Philippe Basel Fair as an unknown and actually talk to people. As a firstborn, I could even handle the rarities. Today I do not really get to the rare items. The interest in mechanical watches was small, and has no worldwide interest.
The progress from then to now has been greatly altered by the merging of brands – a majority of the historic brands are now part of larger luxury groups with goals replacing them, but just a wonderful look. However, it really made the independent scene possible to come to the fore.
Have you also seen an increase in women working in this field dominated by men?
When I first started, there were almost no women in watches except the PR sector. But I see more coming in, which is fantastic. There are now some notable female CEOs and more women in key positions for design, marketing and sales.
But while most watchmakers at a given factory often consist of women – 50 percent or more in general – they mostly work in very basic jobs. There are a few female watchmakers and technicians climbing the stairs, but these are few.
Others built businesses from the ground up. These include Kathleen McGivney, CEO of RedBar Group, the world’s largest organized collectors’ group. And Livia Russo, the less extroverted partner of star auctioneer Aurel Bacs, who co-manages Phillips’ watch auction division.
Now for the crystal ball. Predictions?
I think the big groups will continue to deepen their commitment to e-tailing, which they adopted very slowly, and who suffered from it, during the pandemic. The independent brands fared much better, mainly because their online boutiques were already in place.
Last year, the auction houses did good business because people “shopped” online. I suspect that the continued interest in vintage and pre-owned, coupled with the need to buy safely online, will continue.
I would not be surprised if some brands hold back very intricate or very expensive pieces in 2021 until buyers are able to touch them again. And I think that sporty casual will still be a big theme in high watchmaking.
Like most online entities, we have seen an increase in traffic. But I see that we really need the gripping side of meetings to understand clocks. I do it at least. So I hope the fairs are not dead. The enthusiasm of a watchmaker for a project or a technical element can ignite a fire in me. Inspiration is contagious.