Xploring: My Time

Time. A curious thing. It flies. It takes an eternity. It liberates. It dictates. It soothes. It frightens. People race it. Kill it. Beg for it. We remember it. Long for it. Await for it. Our whole world revolves around the almighty tick-tock.

This Xploring journey is about just that. Understanding the role of a brand like Hamilton in people's lives in order to create a global vision for the brand. From from Madrid to Milan we chat with people from all walks of life and share a piece of their time.

Click on Posted Stories (to the right) and see the people we’ve met, the stories they’ve told, and some fresh ways of thinking about the accessory of all time.

Cheers,
Coco, Emma, Martin, Delphine & Laura

The Unassuming Dream-Maker

Feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed, the new Geneva Xplorers were off, keen to get our feet wet and thirsty for a taste of this new world full of new and fresh insights. With our NY Xplorer Coco taking the lead, we ventured out into the hustle and bustle of central Madrid and headed for the suburbs where our first visit was waiting. A short taxi ride bought us into a quiet, leafy suburb and to the security entrance of a modest private estate. Through the gates, we passed down the streets of identical townhouses with small, neatly groomed gardens. Arriving punctually, Señor Juan-Luis Picazo opened his door and warmly greeted us, inviting us into his home, from where he also conducts his business as General Manager of a new, emerging telecommunications venture onto the Spanish market. Spacious and bright, the living area opened out onto a garden framed by a pool bordering the far wall. Small white flowers crawl along the walls of the garden and he leads us outside to sit down comfortably around a big table in reach of the sun and a cool breeze.
Señor Picazo, when you first meet him, is very warm and inviting, emanating a kind and gentle presence, and regardless of topic of conversation, a business call that he excuses himself to take, or brief interlude with the cleaning woman, this persona never shifts. He is married with 3 children, one of which lives with him at home since his wife recently passed away. Dressed neatly in crisp white shirt and suit pants, he wears only a wedding band and a watch concealed by the cuff of his shirt. Conversing over a coffee, through a fond memory of his children, touching on a reference to his wife that causes him to blush briefly, or candidly regarding his vision for his current business venture, he touched on many things from the bounty of opportunities on offer to today’s generation through to recalling moments with colleagues and peers in earlier working life. He shared with us what he would have done had he been among the generation allowed to follow their dreams, “If I had a choice, I would have been an Architect or a Doctor.” But it was soon clear to us that with or without a choice Señor Picazo had become all three in one way or another: The Architect, The Doctor and The Entrepreneur. This has come to fruition through his affinity for mixing creativity and technology, his natural ability to create a team of people and lead them to build something and watch it grow. This he would have applied in another life perhaps to building a solid structure as an architect, the challenge of research and the role of caretaker in discovering new ways to cure people as a doctor, and has indeed applied to helping small businesses develop their idea and launch into a new market, as the real life entrepreneur (Click play to watch).



As a family man, he plays the role of the father to perfection, but is still mastering the humble lesson to be a student too and finds the lessons that his children teach him never cease to amaze. (Click play to watch).



As the entrepreneur, he’s a dream-maker. He’s got the sixth sense to spot a great idea and the determination to bring it to fruition. While his legacy is not in being a world re-known architect or in making medical advances, he’s certainly revolutionizing the way technology affects us. In the end, he’s turned his dreams into his lifetime job.

Bottom Line: The real dreamer is not concerned with ‘what could’ve been’ because he always finds a way to live out his dream in the reality he lives in.

The Spice of Life

In stepping out of the comfort of conversation and focusing back on the busy schedule of a General Manager’s Monday morning, Señor Picazo gave us an interesting introduction to our next visit, “It’s too late for me to be an architect or a doctor, but you will see that for Mr. Thamer it’s not too late, I know he will soon fulfill his dream.”



We arrive in a small dead end street outside a very unassuming townhouse. The door is opened and left ajar and one of us hesitates before peering in. Thamar appears from behind a cloud of smoke and, cigarette still in hand, shakes each of our hands firmly. We are directed into the sitting room and are left to seat ourselves in deep armchairs or raised stools. Our host appears again to take pride of place in the raised armchair at the head of the gathering. His throne frames him amidst an array of Persian, Arabian and Asian pieces that befit his presence – an understated grandeur that emanates a long standing appreciation for the history of a region from which he partly descends and for which he has a real affinity for.

Half Spanish, half Saudi, Thamar speaks of growing up in Madrid and his university years clouded by excessive drinking and partying in Lebanon. He talks candidly of his strong belief for his children in an education of secondary schooling in Europe before tertiary studies commenced in the United States. America means independence. He has 2 boys, ‘almost 17 and almost 22’. Both of who were and will be refused any financial support for and throughout tertiary studies should they stay in Spain and not study abroad.


He wouldn’t live in Saudi Arabia though: “Not liberal enough”. He got married in San Francisco to a beautiful Persian acting student who gave him two gorgeous sons. Unlike Mr. Picazo he feels he was given the right opportunities in life although he does say his father pushed him into becoming an engineer, though to no avail. If he didn’t fulfill his “dream” as a child it’s because he was too busy having fun, enjoying life. In fact when asked what he wanted to be when he was young, he answers with a grin: “Rich.” He doesn’t see being rich as a means to an end though, but rather as a means to enjoy life with those around him comfortably.

Thamer is a collector. He collects National Geographics, cookbooks, spices, DVDs, tin soldiers, watches, pictures of his family. And he seems to collect people too. “The most important thing in business is connections.” You have to collect as many business contacts as possible. And you have to be honest and authentic.




He collects friends. Not many, but very good ones. He has them everywhere around the world, from all different walks of life. His favourite place in the world to be is Ibiza, with his family, and embarking on trips abroad with those close to him 3 to 4 times a year. He loves to reconnect with his best friend in Lebanon and reminisce about the explosive moments they’ve shared together, “To be surrounded by good people is important.”

He seems to be a successful business man having worked almost all Asian and Southeast Asian markets as a representative of international perfume companies. But maybe he is more the artist than the business man. In fact, Thamer speaks like an artist. But he denies that he wants to be seen as one – of course. All in all, he quite obviously indulges in the elegance of balancing nonchalance and challenge. The 8000 Euro Breguet on his wrist is not in any way a status symbol of course, it’s simply a nice looking watch. And his Porsche Cayenne is of course just a vehicle in which to comfortably get from A to B. (We’re trying to believe..).

And what of his dreams…? Soon to come true: opening his own restaurant with him behind the stove and his wife behind the business. Sounds like a perfect plan. He has been cooking as a hobby for 30 years and can’t get enough. In view of the countless herbs and spices that reside in his massive top chef kitchen, we believe him. We will soon be able to enjoy having lunch or dinner in Thamer’s Bistro where everyday is a new creation that he can ponder come morning and serve up to impress of an evening.

With an answer to every question and an opinion on every subject, we are keen to learn of any philosophies he might adhere to. Living a good life. Knowing the limits and pushing the limits. Being selective but generous, being loyal but open. Collecting a network of friends, but remaining independent. Thamar speaks to us frankly and proudly and he emanates an air of conviction that is hard to ignore. He is a man of principles. Although his ostentatious liberal attitude of not having any principles on certain things seems to be a well defended principal too.







Seeing the Light As we descend the front steps at the closing of our second visit in Madrid, I think we are all struck by a sense of something fairly special. We had been received with an air of authority and uncertainty. He had commenced the visit by participating in our conversation in an honest and open manner but he had emanated an unmistakable presence of reserve. The character that had shown us out and waved his goodbyes felt to be more of a friend who we’d wiled away some of the afternoon with, had a coffee with and reminisced about some memories with. He’d confided some of the more intimate trials of his younger years, shared with us his aspirations and spoke honestly of his concerns for having provided the proper grounding for his sons in life in order that they may freely make the right choices for themselves in the difficult and changing world in which we live. It was with this realisation that the project, our objective and our reason for having embarked on such a journey became clear. And the energy, enthusiasm, team spirit and camaraderie that set us up for the rest of the day, and the ones to follow, from that point onwards truly became contagious.

JC and friends

Already by late Tuesday, our schedule has well and truly settled into that of a group of real Southern Europeans. Lunch was at 4pm and by the time we sit down for dinner, it’s easily 9.30. We are fortunate to be in the company tonight of 3 young locals. It’s their choice of restaurant, a little French Bistrot tucked away in a gastro area of Madrid, and spirits are high as it’s somewhere they’ve always meant to try but never got ‘round to it.

They greet us warmly and as our host, affectionately known to his friends as J.C., is a friend of Coco’s, we’re instantly made to feel as if among friends. J.C. heads up the Alumni committee at the American school in Madrid and is studying to become a primary school teacher. Carmen works in HR management for a big hotel chain and Matthew, a French teacher in the American school with J.C., is happy that he can do what he is able to do: teaching French.

Tapping into the dreams of our new found friends, we were confronted with a group of young adults who had and were embracing all the opportunities and encouragement their parents had adorned them with. When pushed, individually, to think about what they’d do and where they’d be had they the chance to be somewhere else in life – anywhere, living out their ultimate aspirations – anything, they all react in a similar manner and sit back to relax fully into contemplative mode. Matthew raises his glass to ponder the thought with the aid of some red, J.C. places both his hands on the edge of the table and Carmen raises her hand to rest her chin on clenched fingers. Matthew honestly loves what he does. But then he pauses and, starting to squint, he tells me without hesitating he’d become an aid worker in Africa. Or a political activist, trying to help people; making a difference. Carmen instantly raises a point, one of which is currently of high interest in European Parliament, and talks of aspirations to improve the employee working conditions in Spain. And J.C. honestly is where he wants to be and doing what he loves. I know from Coco that he’s extremely dedicated and that he often dreams at night about what his classroom will look like and where his young children will sit, once he’s qualified. Then, out of the blue and more than half way through the meal, he turns to me after we’d been conversing separately with other’s around the table, and declares - he’d really love to open a scuba diving school and help people learn to dive.


J.C.’s first watch and the one he still wears proudly, is the one he bought himself with his hard earned first pay check on Madison Ave, whilst working in New York. The reason for the purchase was that he wanted to replace the watch his late mother had given him but still keep the memory and this one resembled it, and yelled style at the same time. It’s a square, white steel DKNY. He loves this watch which instantly recalls an era full of memories from bygone days when he lived in the Big Apple, and of course, his mother. Without it, he would feel naked. No numbers, no date, no second hand: details on time he doesn’t need, details on time don’t matter. ‘Unless you have to catch a train, perhaps’. He tells me that ‘a watch is like perfume. You change it with the day and your mood. And occasionally you find a special one that you hold onto for a while and it reminds you of something. Or someone. It means something special. But it’s more for those memories than for anything else. Time you can find anywhere’.

And Carmen? She doesn’t wear one at all and hasn’t for years. ‘What for? Because you find the time everywhere and have it on your mobile in case you don’t see the clock of a nearby church, your p.c. or a watch shop. If you’re meeting a friend after work, you meet them ‘after work’, whenever that may be’. A similar sentiment to that of Matthew, who is wearing a white steel Swatch Chrono. “It doesn’t look special, but it doesn’t look bad either”, he claims with no emotions for this accessory which for him serves a functional purpose only. ‘Time doesn’t matter here in Spain, you get there when you get there and your friends will still be there’. ‘When you wear a watch you feel pressured to watch it. You find yourself counting the minutes and running when it tells you to run’. When asked why he wears this particular Swatch? ‘I picked it up to buy it because I liked the design. I didn’t even know what it was before I was buying it’. ‘I have 3 at home, all for different clothes, for different moods. Today I didn’t care. I picked this one up and went to work, that’s all.’

Conversation continued to flow and dinner continued until well into the evening and the concept of time…? Apparently not so much of an issue for these 3 and their friends in Spain. The lack of which however made up for in abundance of spirit.

What we found these three younger “Xplorees” had in common with the older ones is they are very open-minded. They have moved around a lot, they still want to and they are very open to differences. So in thinking of something that could regroup all these potential consumers I would think: Open your mind, explore the world, and see things in a different way. Also, the fact that none of them admit to being attached to material things or brands: They always say that most of their significant possessions have a sentimental reason attached. When venturing a little further in conversation about brands, and what they mean to this group, it could be interpreted that they'd pay attention to a brand if it had something interesting to say - like a strong message for example, on life; something broader than the product in itself. They'd then feel a connection to it, would be drawn to listen and probably consider.

BeCool

After 2 hours of trying to find a restaurant that's actually open on a deserted August night in Milan, we finally found a place that seemed appropriate for the occasion. BeCool. Perfect for three girls, dressed to the nines and ready to mingle. While sitting, asking each other questions of which characters of which sitcoms we would recognize ourselves in and wondering for at least a good 20 minutes which was the fourth character in Sex and the City… there is obviously Mr. Big, Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha… and who was the cool weirdo red head?! We start asking those around us… one, two. Nine…ten…everyone, even people we don’t know start texting their friends to find out. Finally a girl shouts out “Miranda!”…of course…how could we forget? In the midst of this Italian loud-mouthed-hand-moving-chat-aholic vibe, we meet a Lisa & Marco, two amazingly, outrageously hilarious Italians from Milan and, luck of the draw, she works in her own watch store! True Italians they are, or true macho he is, they automatically sit at our table and the chatting begins.

We obviously jump at the opportunity to be speaking to a beautiful, charming woman that works in the business! Turns out she has her own studio, passed down by her father. They produce artisan jewelry and sell watches on the side. Her store and home are about a half hour away from Milan but this doesn’t stop her from having her second, third, fourth glass of wine knowing she has to drive back later… or so she says, or so I prefer thinking Italian women are just so tough! We chat and she tells us she knows Hamilton well but that not many people really buy the brand. Why? It’s just not well known. Up to 8 years ago, when she started taking over the business, people would walk in, not really knowing what product they wanted but knowing what the latter should express about their personality, about what they wanted it to say to the world about themselves. She would sit with them, talk to them, get to know them better so as to make sure she could best advise them as to which watch or jewel would describe them best and tell the world something true to them. Now, people watch too much TV and advertising has such an influence… people come in, know what they want and get what they want. Sometimes she gets to chat to them, sometimes they want to chat to her and make sure their choice is the correct one. But when she advises them otherwise, they don’t want to listen, they don’t want to know. They know best what they want. They saw the image on TV they want to aspire to. So here she goes again, selling another Rolex.


Her favorite brands, if she had to pick one for her boyfriend, would not be a Rolex. Everyone has a Rolex. She would rather suggest a Bulgari Monaco or a Santos Cento of Cartier (which although is a man’s watch, she wears proudly on her left wrist). Why a Bulgari or a Cartier? A Cartier is a classic and a chic classic at that. They still maintain that kind of old school classic. Why a Bulgari? Because it’s not mainstream yet and it’s just cool. Plus, you get to buy it only at their stores. Bulgari offers you everything of their collection in their stores. She tells us she is worried about these specialized, oneshopall brands. They are making more and more business around their personalized stores. “I will come to Milan once, twice a month and go to the store to buy anything from toe to ear because I recognize myself in that brand and I get to live the whole experience. I get to see the entire collection from shoes, scarves, watches, glasses… and it makes it all that more special.” This doesn’t make it easy on her business though.


Brands like Breil, which has been so successful in the last two years, are hard to work with for a small shop like hers. They ask for a big commitment and then send them whatever they want. “I learnt through my father that new brands such as Breil are not worth the hassle. I’m a small shop and I work on word-of-mouth. If my client really wants a particular watch that I don’t have, I’ll make sure I get it for them or know someone who can provide it to her. This makes me work closely with my customers and make sure I provide them with what they need”.

Lisa is an only child, and proud to be one because she gets to handle all the family business without fighting over it! She’s worked there for almost 9 years, the last year of which she has completely taken over the business. She loves what she does, it’s written across all her face. She speaks so passionately about watches, jewelry. She admits that although a watch will always take priority over a jewel (she has beautiful ones already!) if a man were to ask her to chose between a ring and a watch… no doubts, it would have to be the ring! Having said that, she is obviously confident with who she is and what she does. Her dream is to one day open a “street window” a store right in the centre. But don’t get her wrong, in her town not in a place like Milan, way too much competition! We ask her more about Hamilton. She knows nothing of the brand’s history but when we ask her what man she thinks would best represents him she tells us it would be a top-gun kinda guy, an aviator. Why? Because it would just fit, with all its functions and all. A friend of hers who also owns his jewelry/watch store wears a Hamilton. He’s not an aviator, he’s not particularly adventurous but he’s young, cool and likes to be particular.


Marco meanwhile tells Coco and Emma about his Russian experience and that the moral of the story is “never trust Russian women”. We have a laugh, receive beautiful red roses, take more “paparazzi” pictures, and continue drinking of course. Ultimately they invite us to their private pool the next day. My moral of the story? How can you not love Italians?! ;o)



Careful with the Russians! (click play to watch)

Cool. Calm. Collected.

A handsome 45-yr old Milanese by the name of Luca greets us at the reception of a very modern white office. He’s cool, calm, collected. Think George Clooney with a charming Italian accent.

When he speaks, you can sometimes hear traces of an American twang, which he probably picked at the age of 12 in Chicago. At the time he hated his father for sending him off to live with an American family for 3 months. He felt lonely and frustrated at not being able to speak a word of English, but his homesickness was soon replaced by the restless curiosity of an eager teenager. With a cheeky smile he tells us of his meeting with a special American girl, 2 years his senior, whom he cracks for. He smiles and laughs and says enough to make us understand: “sex, alcohol and rock & roll! Those were very good times.”



Every summer after he spent traveling around, working and learning his way through his teens until he was called back to Italy to carry-out his military service. In the military he trained by climbing mountains and trekking, a hobby that became his passion and one that he shares with his son.

His son is his pride and joy. Unlike his own relationship with father, Luca and his son are more like buddies, sharing everything from climbing to dining, from ipods to Abercrombie & Fitch boxers.



The one thing he doesn’t yet share with his son is his collection of about 15 watches that range from comfortable sporty ones to the more “important” Rolexes. He even owns a Khaki Hamilton, “which was worn by the guy in Pearl Harbour,” he points out. For now he keeps this watch collection to himself. Partly because it is so sacred to him, but also because “kids these days don’t use watches. They find the time in all the gadgets they use.”

Bottom Line: Tradition never fails. Fathers will pass down their valuables, like the “important” watches, to their sons. The same way their fathers and grandfathers did before them. But today’s dads are less concerned with passing down material things unless these valuable are part of a shared interest, experience or moment.


Luca on Parenthood:



Luca on being 19, and "alone":

A well "verso" traveler

Gianni’s 28, single and a world traveler. He's been working at Bradipo Travel for 4 years now, mostly for the perks of traveling to all kinds of new places. Already during university, he had used the Erasmus program (a famous European student exchange program) to study 6 months in Norway. He chose this unlikely destination because it was a sure ticket out of his small town, Genoa.

This trip quickly reinforced his passion for traveling and meeting new people. As soon as he graduated he moved to London to perfect his English. This, he says, was the best and most crazy time of his life. He lived with two Italian girlfriends he met there and was paid to help beautiful looking girls look more beautiful by dressing them up in cool fashions. Six months later he was offered a job at the Italian consulate in Paris and he didn’t think twice. He dropped his successful career dressing girls for another opportunity to travel. Right as the bureaucratic world of a functionary was getting old, a friend invited him to work in Milan at a travel agency. Ecstatic at the prospect, he moved to Milan to do what he likes best, organizing trips and traveling!

He doesn’t consider himself to be a typical Italian. He left his parents’ when he was young and is not willing to stay in Italy the rest of his life. But not many of his friends in Italy understand this or are willing to do the same. Even now his blood is already bubbling with the desire for a new experience in some other place in the world.

Gianni’s philosophy on time: Verso (sometime around). Sometime around 9ish. Sometime around next week. Sometime around my 30s. He’s especially flexible with his travels. When planning a holiday, for example, he only books a one-way ticket. As for the return? “You see when you get there.”

Meet the Xplorers

Coco Videla
Strategy Director and Xplorer- Saatchi NY, Milan

Have you ever been caught off guard by an unexpected comment blurted out by the most unlikely person? It's quite thrilling. Actually so thrilling, I'm addicted to the feeling. So often we're bogged down by stereotypes, hearsay and statistics that we miss out on the most surprising and unexpected truths about people. For example, Xploring has taught me that so many people out there have an incredible need to open up and share something beautiful about themselves, but so often they're not given the chance. That's the beauty of Xploring. It gives people the chance to move you.

Emma Kohler

Account Management at Saatchi & Saatchi Simko, Geneva

Having been graced with a fair amount of determination and the ambition to venture abroad in search of a challenge or 2, I've been afforded the opportunity to travel within the Saatchi network. Now I find myself far from home and the shores of Sydney but since embarking on this project – still very much full of Xploring spirit. Saatchi has become somewhat of a true Lovemark for me over the past few years and it is with opportunities like this to embark on Xploring that equate to exactly the reason why. Xploring for me is a tool that opens doors if approached with a whole lot of the best intention, a tonne of honesty, a pinch of empathy and the courage to bear a little of your soul. This will in turn open a world of opportunity in which real insights and real truths are laid bare for you to discover, and as a result - an invitation into people's lives and their hearts.

Martin Fritsche

Strategic Planner at Saatchi & Saatchi Simko, Geneva
Xploring is refreshing, really! It was actually the English/Polish anthroposopher Bronisław Malinowski who brought about 100 years ago something like Xploring to us. As aspirers for our PhDs we blew Malinowski's theorie into bits for it's lack of objectivity. It was fun, though, but very intellectual. And now I am an Xplorer myself – not for academic reasons, but to create new Lovemarks. Telling stories about people I never met before and creating association fields around the myths of their lives. That's the refreshing part about Xploring: plunge into worlds you didn't know you didn't know and create something, you didn't even dare to know that it will be known all over the world.

Delphine Digonnet

Strategic Planner, Saatchi & Saatchi Simko, Geneva

Hi I'm Delphine and I'm from… well I'm not really sure! I have no roots and basically spent my whole life exploring: French parents, brought up in England, hit puberty in Singapore and settled for a while in Mexico. This is my first official Xploring experience and I'm thrilled! What I found absolutely new regarding Xploring was the way we actually get our hands dirty and share. With traditional research you basically write out a questionnaire to make sure you get everything you need out of your "interrogated consumer" and what you give back usually is a gift or money. In Xploring I find the exercise much more human and honest: You have to give a bit of yourself to get a bit of someone else. Basically what you do in a simple conversation with a friend. Sometimes you actually have to tell a personal story to get someone to really tell you their story. If you give them money they will give you your money's worth. If you give them the opportunity to bond and have an interesting conversation it's priceless. For example when you share something in common, they are much more willing to open up.'

Laura Zanni

Account Management, Saatchi & Saatchi Simko, Geneva

Not only was I given the awesome opportunity of going to do what I had only read about… Xploring baby! The excitement started pulsing once I set foot out of the adrenalin-stress-driven agency and realized I was embarking on a full-on trekking and sharing of human company, brains, dreams and imagination. I believed in Xploring way before I had even met Sandy . The book had already hooked me in. This is a tool that is actually going to make a difference not only in the way we research but in the way we look at and talk with our consumers. Coming away from this I am even more convinced of the importance and significance Xploring will have on the future of our business and the way we interact in our lives.