Interview with Robbert Suurland of TWCO Watches

Written by D Constant for The Watch Review Site

We had the opportunity to chat with Robbert Suurland, the young, dynamic watchmaking student who has launched his own brand of watches in TWCO, introduced to you be The Watch Review Site recently in this article.

So lets see what Robbert has in stall for TWCO and find out a little more about Robbert himself…

DC – So Robbert let us know a little about Robbert Suurland and your background at the tender age of 20?

RS – Well as you already know, I am a 20 year old student of watchmaking and horology at Vakschool Schoonhoven. I am in my final yaer of study and ready to face the world with my ideas and concepts.

In July this year I attended the A. Lange & Sohne (Glashutte, Germany) workshop as part of the F.A. Lange Scholarship and Watchmaking Excellence Award 2012. This year’s challenge was to design and build a watch date mechanism based on an ETA 6498 movement.

 Robbert – front and centre at A Lange Sohne.

I have been passionate about watches and it has been a hobby for many years already! That was the reason behind studying the art. I want to know all there is to know about watchmaking, the technique, specific design issues, the brand and philosophy to name a few. One could say, I’m a true watch aficionado!

DC – Why breakout with a new watch brand in TWCO?

RS – I would say that it was a coming together of my passion for timepieces, an opportunity presented itself and pure coincidence or luck, whichever you prefer, All these elements came together at the same time and for me a perfect time and place!

What I hear you ask… It all started in 2011 when during one of my regular ‘Google’ sessions, when by chance I stumbled across a Salvamento Maritimo (Spanish Sea Rescue Service) Limited Edition watch designed and build by TWCO, a small Spanish watch brand. I was taken in by its design and wanted one for my wrist!

On scouring the Web for more info and maybe one to buy I noticed there was no activity from TWCO whatsoever. The brand was completely dormant, so to speak. And that now became the opportunity to awaken a dormant brand with a little heritage. Itching to get going, boiling over with different ideas, new models, how to market TWCO, but how do I get the brand name and start working on my concepts and lifelong (I know i’m only 20) ambition.

We now for another pure coincidence, well hard work really, I managed to get in touch with the former owner and to make a long story short … TWCO is now an EU registered trademark, owned by myself. And my Idea and Brand TWCO now have life once again…

 

DC – So Robbert does TWCO mean anything?

RS – of course, TWCO stands for Technical Watch Co. referring to, and emphasizing, the strong technical foundation and design philosophy combined with the high level of quality that each TWCO watch will have.

DC – Back to little about you, in the watch industry who do you admire?

RS – Richard Mille is my idol. I like the way he designs and how he gets his watches produced. I also like Richard Mille philosophy; he designs what he wants to build and what he likes without making any concessions and gets the timepieces built at no cost whatever it takes.

He is always crossing the traditional watchmaking lines, pushing the boundaries regarding watchmaking techniques and material usage. Richard Mille’s use of varying lightweight materials is quite revolutionary.

 

DC – So RM is your watchmaking Idol, what about watch brands which do you admire?

RS – That probably has to be Bell & Rossat present, I just really admire what they have achieved in the watchmaking market in such a short period of existence. I also really like their current line of watches.

 

DC – How about a favorite watch?

RS – That has to be my very own Sea Rescue Diver Orange, serial number XXXX, the approved prototype! It’s my daily wear watch and until now the only one in the world! (not for long though). Alongside my very own TWCO Sea Rescue Diver Orange, I like the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean and the IWC Top Gun. The IWC is one of my all time favourites.

NEW TWCO Sea Rescue Divers Watch 600m

Getting back to TWCO, will it be based around the Bell & Ross concept and ideas, we know you now own the TWCO trademark and name, what we haven’t heard is why TWCO….

 

DC –Why TWCO? I cannot believe your decision was based on just one photo on google?

RS – What drew me to TWCO was the limited editions, like the Salvamento Maritimo I mentioned previously, and the strong link to maritime/naval/military style watches the brand held. That along with my idea and concept to make a professional high quality, reliable watch within that stream, a watch to be desired not only by professionals, but also by enthusiasts. A technical and very ‘wearable’ watch with a specific design feature.

This specific design feature is really the feature and difference between TWCO and other Divers I feel. For example, the Inagaural Sea Rescue Diver has the 3 minute radio silence markers on the dial. Which is a specific emergency driven feature to assist in times of need, I won’t bore you with the detail but more info is available on the site.

So it’s a diver’s watch then….. on that point

 

DC – So, What made you decide upon a divers watch, are you a diver yourself?

RS – No I’m not a diver myself, but I really love a classic diver’s watch. The technique behind making it and design. I guess it was just meant to be that I came across TWCO! It fits perfectly.

 

DC – Name your favourite diver’s watches?

RS – The Blancpain X Fathoms to name one. This watch is one of my favorites because of the technical features, like the mechanical depth gauge. Not to mention the 5 minute retrograde counter for measuring decompression times.

 

DC – This is a very competitive marketplace, how do you expect to stand out of the crowd with TWCO?

RS – TWCO will stand out because of its clean dial, specific design features, finish, less is more, always a high quality mechanical movement, sapphire crystal amongst other high quality features.

The watches will be technical, and at the same time a very comfortable to wear. All this along with an appealing design. In my mind you will just want to have it and wear it (just like I did).

My ultimate goal is to create a watch that is immediately recognized as a TWCO!

 

DC – Other than the Sea Rescue 600m Divers Watch any future plans? For TWCO

RS – Future plans? I have plenty of ideas and designs here! A mid-level 160 ATM diver, maybe a high level 320 ATM diver. But first of all, I want to make a steady and solid start with TWCO, no rush, no concessions to my quality and design standards!

The idea is to form a quality, nice and complete range of divers watches, then maybe we could move on to a quality collection of pilot watches.

I realize this is not easy: what I really want to create is a watch that is immediately recognized as a TWCO!

Functions Date display, Hours, minutes and central second with balance stop (hacking).