BA111OD WATCHES
BA111OD is a one-of-a-kind watch brand/marketing concept introduced by Thomas Baillod, a veteran of the watch industry. Officially launched on 10th November 2019, BA111OD follows a unique 360° customer-centric watchmaking concept.
BA111OD is a disruptive concept based on the mutual interest of all stakeholders, which merges physical and digital sales and intends to address the shortcomings of the traditional distribution system. It is an ecosystem that encompasses a watch brand and its distribution through a community of “Afluendors” connected via a dedicated application.
This ecosystem has enabled the brand to accomplish its vision in just a few months, without any form of crowd-funding, angel investment or aggressive marketing, in the midst of the Covid crisis. The first watches were delivered as early as February 2020. Within a few months, and in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the brand convinced more than 800 customers and sold around 900 pieces for a turnover of around CHF 330,000. The brand is present on all 5 continents; beside Switzerland, its main markets are France, the United States, Mexico and Dubai.
The unique brand name ‘BA111OD’ was taken from the founder’s family name BAILLOD, by replacing the letters ‘I’ and ‘L’ with digit 1. The BAILLOD family traces its roots to Jacques Baillod, the legendary 15th century knight who fearlessly defended the Bridge of Thielle in 1476.
Afluendors
Coined by BA111OD, the Swiss start-up company based in Neuchâtel, “Afluendors” is an acronym of Ambassadors-Influencers-Vendors. Afluendors are the cornerstone of the BA111OD system. They can be either individuals or partner shops. Sales are only made through them as they hold the resale rights of the watches.
Afluendors participate actively in the project and its promotion by sharing with their family, colleagues and friends the concept, the values of BA111OD, as well as the pleasure and pride they have in wearing their watch. They thus form a close-knit and active community that communicates via an application developed for this purpose.
BA111OD application
The BA111OD application is a community sales platform that encompasses communication and marketing. From putting the “Afluendors” in contact with the buyers to submit the order, via the shopping basket and the payment terminal, it allows total traceability throughout the process and the remuneration of all those involved.
The sale is community-based thus allowing the emergence of a new business model for all stakeholders. The novel marketing system introduced by Thomas Baillod makes use of social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, Apps like Instagram and WhatsApp as well as Google Maps and Micro-websites. For example, LinkedIn was the launching platform for the brand concept, when it was introduced in November 2019.
How the BA111OD concept works?
When an individual or a partner shop purchases a BA111OD watch, they become a member of the brand’s Afluendors network. With the purchase of a watch, each Afluendor gets 4 sales rights (Tokens). When a new customer desires to purchase a BA111OD watch, he or she should contact an Afluendor for Tokens. After converting their 4 Tokens into sales, each Afluendor will be able to choose an additional watch in the same chapter, which will be offered to them for free.
About Thomas Baillod
Born in 1971 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Thomas Baillod is an expert and a veteran of the watch industry which has experienced more than one crisis. Confronted with the quartz crisis in his childhood, he was responsible for the watchmaking supplement of the newspaper Le Temps at Publicitas when the press began its painful conversion to digital in the early 2000s.
Having taken up responsibilities within a major independent watchmaking brand, he faced the global economic crisis in 2008 and subsequently the rise of e-commerce, which has lastingly destabilised the entire sector.
From these numerous and rich experiences acquired in international distribution, he is convinced that the major challenge for a company is to anticipate and support technological breakthroughs. An MBA lecturer and founder of the Watch Trade Academy, he is today at the head of BA111OD, a Swiss start-up that is revolutionising watchmaking in general and distribution in particular.
BA111OD Watches New Models
Website: https://ba111od.com/
