Building a luxury brand from scratch in an industry dominated by centuries-old Swiss institutions requires more than ambition – it demands strategic vision, relentless dedication, and an understanding of what truly drives high-net-worth consumers. In an exclusive interview with The Executive Magazine, Laurence Brannigan, Co-Founder and Director of Jacob & Co UK, demonstrates precisely these qualities as he recounts his remarkable journey from watch industry veteran to luxury brand architect.

Over the past three years, Brannigan has transformed Jacob & Co UK from a brand new operation into what founder Jacob Arabo himself describes as one of the company’s most exciting global partnerships. Through a unique hybrid model combining distribution and bespoke client services, he has successfully positioned the American luxury watchmaker as a formidable competitor to established European marques. His approach – treating clients as personal friends rather than customers, spending 70% of his time travelling internationally for direct engagement, and creating strategic partnerships from Manchester City Football Club to GlobeAir – has redefined what luxury brand building looks like in the modern era. With operations spanning from the UK to Australia and a client retention rate that sees 40% purchasing multiple timepieces, Brannigan’s vision offers valuable insights for any leader seeking to build premium brands in competitive markets.

You co-founded Jacob & Co UK alongside three business partners, transforming it into what Jacob Arabo himself describes as one of the company’s most exciting global partnerships. What strategic approach enabled you to establish such a strong presence in a market dominated by established Swiss brands?

“High-value networking, putting on events and collaborating with other recognised luxury brands in sectors such as performance vehicles, premium spirits, and hospitality experiences. We made an early decision to act as both distributor supplying the authorised retailers across the UK as well as to offer an elevated lifestyle customer-centric service serving private clients.

“We also became the official local partner of Manchester City in the luxury watch segment which enhanced our marketing to a new audience and generated sales of both the limited edition Manchester City collection timepieces and interest in our core collections. We put the client at the heart of everything we do and believe we are unrivalled in terms of customer care. In fact, I would argue that all of our clients are now personal friends of our team. It takes up an incredible amount of time meaning we are away from our homes and families 70% of the year, but that dedication has generated customer loyalty and friendship which will continue to be the driving force of the business.”

Your business model spans both the UK and Australia—territories separated by 10,000 miles yet united by what you identified as crucial market synergies. How did you recognise these opportunities and execute your expansion strategy?

“Once we had the blueprint of our go-to-market strategy and partnership relations locked down within two years, we wanted to open a further market outside the UK. Australia shares synergies such as language and passion for luxury brands. We established that all the main brands you would expect to see were already well established amongst retailers, but we knew that with our lifestyle offering and bringing a lot of fun into the mix, we could launch Jacob & Co into this market and follow a similar path as we did here in the UK.

“After a one-week market visit to five cities meeting all the partners we needed to kick-start the business over breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, we were ready to push forward. It has now been over two years established there and we have a base in Sydney. Retailers launched in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Gold Coast.”

You’ve described your operation as functioning both as a business and as a lifestyle concierge service. How do you maintain such personalised client relationships whilst building a scalable business model?

“We dedicate our time to our valued clients and friends of the brand. We communicate naturally from the heart – no fixed emails or messages from a CRM system. It is our team and we communicate directly, honestly and with excellence in execution. We aim to provide the most luxurious emotions and experiences as well as a spectacular timepiece. Our friends of the brand have our personal numbers and contact us around the clock.”

You’ve mentioned that clients often recommend Jacob & Co to others within your network. How does this word-of-mouth approach drive growth for the business?

“Our friends of the brand wear our timepieces; they do not lock them away in a vault somewhere. They enjoy them. The timepiece is a symbol of their successes in life and as such they love to come to our events and tell newcomers how amazing both the product and the lifestyle service is and the feeling they have being a friend of the brand.”

The Manchester City partnership represents a sophisticated understanding of how to align a luxury brand with British football culture. What strategic considerations guided your approach to this collaboration, and how do you measure success in partnerships that extend beyond traditional retail metrics?

“Partnerships are about people beyond brand names. The people that we met in the initial period way before we became an official local partner at the club were awesome. They listened, they worked with us to build a bespoke package of how to amplify our brand name into football culture as well as amongst their fanbase.

“The success is of course measured in the ROI of the sales versus cost of goods and marketing investment, but we also see that our brand has had an increase in demand domestically and in other countries thanks to the scale of the club’s reach. Fan or not, it is likely that if you follow football news you have seen Manchester City x Jacob & Co. The biggest success is the relationships we have built with club stakeholders and its fanbase. We have countless friends of the brand and personal friends thanks to this epic collaboration.”

Your commitment to spending 70% of your time travelling internationally demonstrates remarkable dedication to direct client engagement. How has this hands-on approach to market development enabled you to build stronger relationships and identify opportunities that might be missed through traditional remote management?

“You can only build meaningful and genuine relationships by being present. Our clients value and respect this. Most of them are entrepreneurs who have built companies and sold companies; they understand time is precious. We give them our time and they give us wisdom, valuable connections and loyal friendships.”

You’ve identified that 40% of your clients purchase multiple timepieces. How do you manage these long-term client relationships to encourage repeat business?

“No CRM system can track these metrics because our product and lifestyle is totally unique and ever-changing. We know our clients on a personal level; they are not a number in a system. We do this intentionally and it sets us apart.”

The luxury watch industry faces significant consolidation, with fewer brands capturing larger market shares. How has your positioning of Jacob & Co as an American brand enabled you to capitalise on these market dynamics?

“The brand will continue to be ‘inspired by the impossible’, launching world firsts in the watchmaking world year after year. I am sure something special will be brewing for the 40th anniversary next year. Our opportunity is to continue to work with selective authorised retailers that share our vision for customer service and satisfaction. We will continue to offer our lifestyle alongside our exclusive timepieces.

“The exclusivity remains as our production is ultra-premium and un-rushed. The brand is privately owned, not on any stock exchange and therefore organically operates to meet the demands of its global consumers.”

Your background spans roles from Goldsmiths department management to international distribution across Asia, Africa, and Europe with Movado Group. How did these diverse experiences shape your understanding of luxury consumer psychology, and what lessons proved most valuable when establishing Jacob & Co UK?

“I have been very blessed over the last twenty-two years of my career. Goldsmiths taught me how to operate with multiple brands on offer and how to profile a client’s needs instinctively. Movado Group was amazing for me because I was able to run and grow brands from the ground up. I travelled around forty countries and you can take a pinch of all the good you see and then utilise it for Jacob & Co to grow and to be a best-in-class luxury brand experience.

“I understood early on that luxury is about being personal, feeling valued; the client is part of an exclusive and elite club now that they have your product on their wrist. All of my career experiences along with my business partners have allowed us to shape the best-in-class consumer experience that we offer.”