INTERVIEW By MICRO BRAND WATCH WORLD

By Gil Tamam

Interview with Hakim Elkadiri: Founder of ELKA Watches - Microbrand Watch World

In “The MBWW Spotlight”, we interview independent designers, watchmakers and brand owners about their journey, passion, and vision. Today, we interviewed Hakim Elkadiri, founder of ELKA watches. He shared his passion for watch design, sustainability, and ethical production, along with the challenges of running a microbrand. Hakim emphasized personal connections with customers and creating meaningful watches. The interview also covered brand inspiration, unique designs, craftsmanship, and advice for aspiring microbrands.
Let’s dive in to the interview now: 

Dear Hakim,
What inspired you to start your micro brand, and how has your journey been so far? It was an old dream that was not feasible before because I had small children, but now they are old enough for me to live my passion. Can you share a unique story behind one of your watch designs?
Behind all the watch there is a story, a watch without a story will have nothing to tell! 

How do you ensure quality and craftsmanship in your watches?
Working with the best co-contractors! 

What materials and technologies set your watches apart from others in the industry?
I love the Chevé box sapphire crystals, they give an extra touch to the shape of the watch, it looks like the hesalite glass of the past, it feels like having a polished peeble in your hand, you want to caress the watch. 

How do you approach sustainability and ethical production in your brand?
Sustainability is a key message today, everyone is talking about it, it is right, we have to protect Mother Earth. A watch is not a consumable product. My motto is: ELKA watches are inspired by the times when a product was kept for life. You have invested in durability, quality and uniqueness. It is an automatic watch, you will keep your watch for life, what is more sustainable than that? My packaging is made from recycled and recyclable cardboard and the watch is packed in a reusable pouch, not a big plastic box that takes up space and you throw away in 5 years when the glue has dried! 

What challenges have you faced as a micro brand, and how have you overcome them?
The brand is not well known, you need patience to make it known, you need time and resources.

 What upcoming projects or innovations can we expect from your brand?
I will keep the brand where I positioned it in the late 60s, when the previous ELKA brand disappeared, ELKA watches are inspired by the days when you kept a product for life. You invested in durability, quality and uniqueness. 

How do you connect with your customer community and gather feedback?
I have personal contact with each customer, which is the main difference between an independent micro-brand and a major brand. 

Can you share a memorable moment or milestone for your brand?
Every day you learn something new, every day you are different, every day you meet extraordinary people! 

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own micro brand?You must be passionate about your project. 

If your brand were a type of music or genre, what would it be and why?
The mindset is to step back to that period in the 1960s. To those pure and colourful aesthetics we still remember; back to the magical dreams of the space race, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Woodstock; a return to the struggles, the changes, the rebellious spirit that so marked that decade.

 What’s the “grail watch״ that you personally own or aspire to own someday?
The grail watch is the watch I’m developing, it is what I like, it is the watch I want to wear! 

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received when you were first starting your watch brand?
I would not have listened to any advice , I just wanted to develop it!! 

Aside from watches, what other hobbies or passions do you have that inspire your work?
In October (2024), I will launch another product: a single cask, single malt Whiskey!! Thanks for reading.
For more information and knowledge about Hakim and ELKA watches, you are invited to follow Elkawatch.ch