Sahib Magnam (2:10)

If I'm honest, we don't think of it in a way that I'm gonna put this much in. And am I gonna. Am I gonna get the same amount out during this week or not? Because I don't think that's, that's applicable at all. You have to think about it in a way that, okay, I'm a new brand. I know that very few people globally know this brand. And the idea here is to, you know, show up, tell people that you're here, show them the, the stuff that you can do because it has to be organic growth with both brands. With Magnum and Bida, we never want to be like a, a one hit wonder, to put out one watch and then disappear. And to do that, you have to build trust with the people. You have to show up. It's an investment for sure. But if you have cool stuff to show and if you surround yourself with the right people, I feel like 100%, it's worth it.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (3:01)

These are definitely cool watches, which I've used this joke before, but it's appropriate because in this igloo, it's very hot. So I think what would be great is before we started recording, you explained to me the philosophy behind both brands because they are very different. So if you're only listening to this on an audio feed. Yeah, they're very different. So if you could please walk us through the philosophy between or underpinning each of them.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (3:24)

Yeah.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (3:24)

And then the sort of funny anecdote which sort of ties them together.

Sahib Magnam (3:27)

So. So I'm not going to take it back all the way, but just to tell you, I, I made my first watch back in 2018. I had just graduated and I wanted to create a watch and I did a chronograph inspired by my favorite chronograph, which is the 6000, 265, the Rolex. And then I went on Kickstarter, much like everyone else, and I. And I wanted to put it there. And then I saw 15 other chronographs and 15 other divers and they all kind of look the same. And I thought, okay, yeah, if I want to do this, I want to do this my way. I want to do something that's very different. And this is where Magnum started. So I started working on something that's. It tells time, but it's an art form that tells time. And this is why we call them form 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So it's a different form every time. And then slowly but surely, Magnum grew. In 2023, the founder of Beda, he was a client, he was a customer for a Magnum watch Muharib. Actually, he called me up, he said, I want to order this watch, okay? Fine. A couple days later he calls me again and he says, you know what? I want to start a brand. I want to start a brand. Would you like to lead that? And I said, you know, we had a few back and forth discussion points, but as long as I can do Bada and Magnum separately, yeah, I'm on board. And they were really understanding of that particular point and they gave me the creativity and the freedom to do what I want to do. And so that's how Veda started. What we were discussing before is that with Magnam for sure, I designed for myself because it's something that I want to see in a watch and with better, I design for the people. So I, I know that people would like a cool watch, but it's not something that would maybe break the bank and it's not something that they've seen a million times before. So as long as I can do both this way, I'm happy.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (5:16)

So in your mind, they're very separate. What about in your clients minds? Do you have any overlap in terms of those who are buying one versus.

Sahib Magnam (5:25)

In one particular case, which is the Eclipse line? The Eclipse is our flagship. We introduced the Eclipse, which Rob has now in his hands back in 24 and that was the very first watch that I started working on after I joined Veda. It's the one that's most, I would say. And so the crossover between the two clientele happens exclusively on the Eclipse lineup. But we are seeing more and more love being given towards the entry point, even to beta with the angles. And so I feel like with time there might be more of a crossover. But for now it's, it's just that.

Rob (6:01)

Talk to us about price points there because I just showed the form four.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (6:06)

Yeah.

Rob (6:07)

Into the camera there. And that is one of the craziest cases I've ever seen in my life. I mean, it's got shades of debitune, shades of Urwerk, you know, but it's its own thing. Something very, very special.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (6:19)

Yeah.

Rob (6:20)

Reminds me a little bit of a trivia when I turn it over on the back and I see some of the.

Sahib Magnam (6:24)

Those are big names.

Rob (6:25)

They're big names. Right. And normally with that kind design and that kind of complexity, what we expect along with big names is big prices.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (6:31)

Yeah.

Rob (6:32)

But that isn't the case.

Sahib Magnam (6:33)

So Muharrab is 6, 5, 6, 500 Swiss francs. And you know, it's not easy to price it at that point because I know that if I charge more, I know that I would be able to sell this watch just the same. But going back to the point that I was talking about, if you want to build trust with people, if you want to grow a community about the watches that you do, I think it's always important to try and, and price it competitively as much as you can, at least in the beginning, because I want people to be able to take the risk and buy the watch and see that, oh, my God, like, this watch is actually worth the money and it's worth even more of that money. And so, you know, that allows me to take a bigger risk next time and build something even crazier and reach a higher price point, not just for the sake of it, not just for a higher price point. But, you know, there are some complexities that I want to include in the watch, but I simply cannot because of the price point next time. If people trust the brand, if people are willing to take that bigger risk, I'm able to do that. Starting with a Mahara, basically.

Rob (7:35)

Okay, so you've almost answered the question that I had locked in my brain. There was something you said that really piqued my interest, and that was you wanted to let people get access to these watches to take a risk on something. I've worked with some risky independents in the past that have been trying to do things differently, and they've also had it in mind that they should price their watches very competitively so that they offer a value proposition. But the problem they've all run into over time is that they created a rod for their own back by putting themselves in a lower price point. When realistically, if that watch were made by Omega. Yeah, it'd be 20k. Yeah, no doubt. Is that special now? So that's a funny thing because you think, well, does a low price really make so much of a difference when we're dealing in the kind of figures that we are, 6500 for that watch is an absolute steal. But it's still 6,500 francs. Now, if I saw that, I would think I would pay at least 15 for it. I'm not going to give you 15,000 because you've only asked for six and a half. And I can imagine. And this is how I think you answered the question very well, because you're going to develop new models in the future. You're going to bring out new stuff. So the price point will sort of organically come up to the place where it should.

Sahib Magnam (8:47)

It's this word. It's organic growth.

Rob (8:49)

Right, okay, so fair enough. I assume and actually Hope that the form 4, which is my favorite of the cases sticks around in the collection.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (9:00)

Yeah.

Rob (9:00)

And if that is the case, if that is to happen and that is to remain at relative to that price point, I'm sure it will have to go up a bit over time, but it will be more anchored to that lower end. People are getting a bargain, an absolute bargain. Like, it's, it's. It looks like it has to be five figures. I'm sorry. Like, the strap is incredible. The finishing is superb. Like the Velcro on the strap. To mention Urwerk again. Urwerk does great Velcro.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (9:25)

Yeah.

Rob (9:26)

It's not something you normally mention in luxury watchmaking. Jarrell Charles makes a beautiful neon yellow strap on their 18,000maestro tennis special edition. This scratches all those itches for a fraction of the price.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (9:38)

Yeah.

Rob (9:39)

And I remember talking to Sylvan Berneron before he found it. Berneron or before he released the Mirage. And he originally wanted to price the Mirage much lower as his gift to the industry. And I said to himself, and the gift to the industry is your genius. It's your design, it's the watch. It is a gift. You know, you don't have to crucify yourself because you're a kind guy and you want to give something back. Like, you need to make money. You need to make this work. So when's it gonna happen? When are we gonna see Magnum get to that price point? How quickly should people be trying to buy one of these before they escape the realms of men?

Sahib Magnam (10:14)

It, realistically speaking, it will creep up in price, but with Muhal specifically, since it's also become kind of the face of the brand, it's. It's never going to be like a, A huge jump now, I think with running two brands and I'm, I'm unwilling to put out, put up, put out a new watch just because it's a new watch. So it has to be the right watch. The 2025 release that was originally planned was cancelled after the prototyping phase because I just did not feel it was up to. Up to what I want to put out. So now it's a 2026 release and it's coming. And naturally it's going to be more expensive than both Muharef and Noor. The thing is, again, something that I like to touch on is as someone who doesn't come from Switzerland, you know, I'm Palestinian, Jordanian, and I grew up in Jordan. It's not as easy for us to break into the industry. It's more of a challenge and it requires more of A trust, let's say from potential clientele. So, you know, it's something that I simply had to do because I don't have a permanent presence in Geneva. When I first started, I couldn't even afford to come to Geneva to show the, to, to show the watches. So sometimes you, you really need to do what you have to do to, to get a few people to take that risk and see the watch.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (11:43)

After we're done recording, I'll share with you the dinner story from Rob and I yesterday on, on Geneva pricing. I totally get what you're saying.

Sahib Magnam (11:50)

And by the way, there's a magic number now in Geneva pricing and I think we all know like there's a, a number 80k. Whenever you go now you'll hear, how much is this? It's 80K, how much is that? It's 80K. They want to give you a bargain. It's 75.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (12:05)

So just, I just one comment I wanted to make was that's a really interesting business model that you mentioned earlier where you have an icon that you try and keep as consistent as possible and then you use that as an entry point to then get people into the higher end stuff. And it's definitely something that you see elsewhere.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (12:19)

Yeah.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (12:20)

But I can't think of anywhere else that it's being done in watches because most companies will just say, well, everything goes up and you know, it's up to the consumer to find their way in. But I think it's a really, I don't know if responsible is the right word, but it's a very unique approach in, in this industry to do it that way.

Rob (12:36)

Yeah. Actually the more I hear the justification for it and the thought behind it, the more I see. Yeah, that could kind of work, you know, because, but not with every brand, but I think because of the nature.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (12:49)

Yeah.

Rob (12:49)

Of Magnum, that strikes me as a brand that will have a lot of repeat custom. Like you will have the same guys buying every watch that you do. It's like nothing else. Once you buy into the family, buy into the bug, then it's like, okay, yeah. Looking at that way then form four is basically like an entry card to the, to the whole game.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (13:08)

Yeah.

Rob (13:08)

And then you're going to want to buy everything else because like, well, I've already saved 10,000 by buying this watch, so I've got 10,000 more to spare for the next one.

Sahib Magnam (13:15)

A very large percentage of noor, which is Form 5. What I have on my wrist right now are repeat customers from, from form four.

Rob (13:24)

Yeah.

Sahib Magnam (13:24)

So it's it's true.

Rob (13:25)

Yeah.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (13:26)

I really cannot stress enough. If you have a chance to handle them, handle them. This is not something I ever would have seen had I not been here doing this. And they just look and feel like, like nothing else. And okay, fine, like we're on a podcast with the brand. But seriously, this is, it's really cool. It's very affordable and get your hands on one if you can.

Rob (13:47)

So that's a good question, actually, because I'm in the process of trying to sell as many of my watches as I can because I want cash. But as soon as I get that cash, I know I'm going to start buying more watches again. And actually, this is a watch that I genuinely, and I'm not just saying this on air, I don't say this very often. I would like to own that because I could imagine wearing it every day. It's extremely light, low profile. I'm a huge fan of like fluorescent yellow, green, whatever we want to call it. So I think it's stunning. That's my go to word. When I say it, I mean it. It's a stunning piece. I love it.

Sahib Magnam (14:16)

Thank you.

Rob (14:16)

But how do I get one? Because is it limited in number? Is it limited in product? Tell us how to get one.

Sahib Magnam (14:23)

We don't usually do limited, and I'm kind of against doing limited until. Unless it's like, for a really special piece and really low numbers. Magnum works on order. So people order the watch, we build it for them, and then we deliver it a while later. It depends a lot on the time of year. It depends a lot on the demand because it's waves, you know, up and down throughout the year. But I don't do limited, and it's for a good reason because I feel like if I limit everything, I also limit myself and my ability to produce something new. It's a good watch. And again, at the price that it is, if I don't, if I limit it to a certain number, business wise, it really would not be possible at all. And while it is a project that is purely, purely driven by passion and my love for watches and watchmaking, at the end of the day it's a business. And if it's not a business, I could not keep doing this and could not keep making watches.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (15:19)

So now if someone wants to order one, can they talk directly to you?

Sahib Magnam (15:22)

Yeah. So there's a form on the website that they can fill, but they also can send me messages on Instagram, the Magnum St, that's the official Instagram for the brand. Some People actually reach out to me on my personal Instagram. It works either way.

Rob (15:38)

Very good. And it is just you at the moment, is it?

Sahib Magnam (15:41)

So I do design, technical development, but I do get the help of other people with, with the prototyping. But then I also do a lot of the assembly, even though I do have help here in Switzerland with the assembly production. Of course I have to outsource to many, many, many different suppliers, but I do quite a lot of this company.

Rob (16:06)

And touching on communications because of course, that's what we do as well. You're working with everybody's favorite PR agency in Switzerland, right?

Sahib Magnam (16:14)

I really, really am. 289, yeah.

Rob (16:17)

So what's the experience been like with 289?

Sahib Magnam (16:20)

We touched on this before the podcast. It's really been amazing. We haven't been with them for a long time, so I'm with them with both Magnum and Beta and it hasn't been long, it hasn't actually been less than a year. But you know, as someone who's been a fan of the industry and in the industry for a while, I understand how it works now and I understand that you really need people who are better at communication than you are. And I suck at communication. So they really helped me by simply connecting me to the right people at the right time. We all like watches, but I wouldn't have had the chance to sit down with you and talk with you if it wasn't for 289, so.

Rob (17:01)

And it's resulted in quite an accolade already, hasn't it? You've just been nominated for gphg.

Sahib Magnam (17:08)

We're very happy. We're very glad. The Bedard Eclipse. So the watch that we launched in 2024 and represents the flagship for Beta has been selected as the top six for the GPhD Challenge category. We're really, really happy about it.

Unidentified Interviewer 2 (17:24)

Yeah.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (17:24)

Nice.

Rob (17:25)

Congratulations. Will you be attending the event?

Sahib Magnam (17:28)

I will, yeah, I will.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (17:32)

So I think we're about to wrap up, but I think what I wanted to say here is that what we talked about is really only a fraction of what we actually discussed prior to the reporting.

Sahib Magnam (17:40)

Yes, yes.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (17:41)

And I think you have this like, really refreshing take on just approaching watchmaking. But you're also not afraid to share pretty much everything it sounds like, so it'd be really great. I have no idea, Rob, what the recording schedule looks like, but a full length episode here, I think we could definitely touch on a lot of different things. So maybe look for that in the future.

Sahib Magnam (18:00)

Yeah, be happy to. For sure.

Rob (18:02)

We will definitely get you back on. Thanks for joining us today. Thanks for taking the time out.

Sahib Magnam (18:06)

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed this, guys.

Rob (18:08)

A real pleasure. So now you're a podcast addict.

Sahib Magnam (18:11)

Yeah. I hope I did well on my first podcast.

Rob (18:13)

You're a natural.

Unidentified Interviewer 1 (18:14)

You got invited to your second already, so, like, clearly.

Sahib Magnam (18:17)

Thank you so much.

Rob (18:18)

Our pleasure. Join us soon again for more live content for from Geneva Watch Days 2025.

Sahib Magnam (18:35)

Sam.