Time To Watches: BA111OD

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Real Time Show – "Time To Watches: BA111OD"

Episode Details:

• Title: Time To Watches: BA111OD
• Host: Rob Nudds
• Guest: Thomas Bayot of BA111OD
• Release Date: May 27, 2025

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1. Introduction to BA111OD

Timestamp: [00:00 - 00:22]

Rob Nudds welcomes listeners to the on-site edition of The Real Time Show, introducing the setting at Time to Watches and his guest, Thomas Bayot of BA111OD. The conversation kicks off with pronunciation challenges associated with the brand name.

Key Quote:

• Rob Nudds [00:22]: "Thomas Bayot of BA111OD or O D or O D?"

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2. The Unique Branding Approach

Timestamp: [00:22 - 01:14]

Thomas Bayot discusses the unconventional approach taken in naming the brand BA111OD, emphasizing that the brand name was secondary to starting conversations. He deliberately chose a name that's difficult to pronounce to serve as a conversational starter.

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [00:43]: "The name, the brand name was completely secondary. It was meant to be a conversation starter because most of the people wearing my watch don't know how to pronounce it."
• Rob Nudds [00:59]: "Having a name that's pronounceable in every language around the world would be optimum... But you went completely against that."

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3. Anti-Brand Philosophy and Business Model

Timestamp: [01:14 - 07:39]

Bayot elaborates on his anti-brand strategy, highlighting his focus on distribution over traditional marketing. He draws parallels between his approach and disruptive business models like Uber and Airbnb, aiming to make high-quality Swiss watches more accessible by reducing costs through innovative distribution.

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [01:14]: "Everything I did was completely wrong in terms of what everything would teach me in terms of marketing whatsoever. I really didn't care. I went my way and it pretty much worked."
• Thomas Bayot [02:30]: "When you buy a watch, the least you're paying for is the watch. What you pay for is not marketing."

Bayot emphasizes his expertise in watch distribution, aiming to bridge the gap between producers and consumers to offer high-end watches at unprecedented prices without compromising quality.

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [05:08]: "I try to bridge and make the bridge as small as possible between the guy who produced the watch and the guy who wears it and make sure that the most value will transfer from one to the other."
• Rob Nudds [06:13]: "I'm assuming that the business model works. It's a successful self-sustainable."

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4. Family Heritage and Industry Respect

Timestamp: [03:14 - 04:34]

Coming from a long lineage in the Watch Valley of Switzerland, Bayot expresses pride in his family's 250-year history in watchmaking. He stresses respect for the industry and other brands, positioning BA111OD as a respectful yet innovative entrant.

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [03:14]: "My family has been doing watches over 250 years in the state of Neuchatel."
• Thomas Bayot [07:01]: "We provide the best of the Swiss made watch industry on the wrist of the customers and make sure that they pay a very fair price for that."

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5. Product Showcase: Chapter Series

Timestamp: [08:46 - 16:28]

Bayot introduces two flagship models:

1. Chapter Seven:

   • Description: A certified chronometer from Geneva Observatoire Chronometry de Geneve, boasting top-tier precision and launched below €1,000.
   • Highlights: High quality, precision, affordability.

2. Chapter Four:

   • Description: A flying tourbillon certified chronometer with artisanally finished moon phase, offered below 10,000 Swiss Francs—a price point significantly lower than traditional haute horlogerie pieces.
   • Features:
     • Convex case and bezel
     • Sapphire crystal dome
     • Accented small seconds with a sunray pattern
     • 120-hour power reserve

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [08:57]: "We launched a new flying Tourbillon, a certified chronometer... below 10,000 Swiss Franc."
• Rob Nudds [12:05]: "I was able to have a look at it earlier. The finishing on the dial and the tourbillon cage is absolutely gorgeous."

Rob praises the Chapter Four for its exceptional craftsmanship and competitive pricing, likening its tourbillon to the admired conical tourbillon by HYT.

Key Quotes:

• Rob Nudds [12:05]: "I've seen this watch in my hands today... the finishing... is absolutely gorgeous."
• Thomas Bayot [13:05]: "The tourbillon is an emotion. A flying tourbillon is something that is standing proudly out there, turning on itself and it's mesmerizing."

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6. Market Reception and Future Plans

Timestamp: [15:11 - 16:28]

Bayot reveals that BA111OD's customer base largely consists of industry insiders from the Watch Valley, validating his business model. He touches upon the future launch plans, aiming to introduce new timepieces and complications monthly, while maintaining affordability and high quality.

Key Quotes:

• Thomas Bayot [15:14]: "We have a launch plan that usually a brand of 50 million would have."
• Thomas Bayot [15:37]: "Every month we'll be launching, introducing new things, including new one, two new complications."

Rob expresses excitement for upcoming releases and plans for future collaborations, ensuring listeners to stay connected via BA111OD's website and LinkedIn for sneak peeks.

Key Quotes:

• Rob Nudds [16:07]: "Make sure that you keep yourselves tuned in to ba111od.com."
• Thomas Bayot [15:11]: "Follow me on LinkedIn as well. I put a lot of sneak peeks on my profile and I interact with a lot of people."

---

7. Closing Remarks and Host Reflections

Timestamp: [16:28 - 20:48]

The episode concludes with Rob and his co-host Alon Ben Joseph reflecting on their impressions of Thomas Bayot. They discuss the initial intimidation felt, which was later replaced by admiration for Bayot's humility and vision. The hosts commend BA111OD for setting a new benchmark in the watch industry and encourage the community to engage and share their opinions.

Key Quotes:

• Rob Nudds [17:48]: "He could be a political leader."
• Alon Ben Joseph [18:15]: "It's cool, it's hip, it's happening. I know he wants to break the mold."

They emphasize the brand's impact as both a case study and an inspirational model for innovation within the watchmaking sector.

Key Quotes:

• Alon Ben Joseph [19:05]: "It's tough to not like something about what they're doing. I still find it a bit unnerving, a bit perplexing..."
• Rob Nudds [19:57]: "Let’s keep our eyes on BA111OD and everything Thomas has to say, and appreciate this as an incredible brand."

---

Conclusion

In this episode of The Real Time Show, Thomas Bayot of BA111OD presents a revolutionary approach to watchmaking by prioritizing distribution and accessibility over traditional branding. Through innovative business models and a commitment to quality, BA111OD aims to democratize high-end Swiss watches, making sophisticated timepieces attainable for a broader audience. The discussion highlights the brand's unique position in the market, its respect for watchmaking heritage, and its ambitious plans for future growth.

For more information and updates on BA111OD, visit ba111od.com and follow Thomas Bayot on LinkedIn.

Transcript

[Rob Nutts]

Foreign welcome to another on site edition of the Real Time show. Here live from Time to Watches with me, your host, Rob Nutts. I'm here today by joined by Thomas bio of ba1110d or o d or O D?

[Thomas Bayot]

Who knows? I didn't know myself when I launched that brand. The name, the brand name was completely secondary. In fact, no brand, no branding. And that was my first idea, is to start with a conversation and that's a conversational starter because most of the people wearing my watch don't know how to pronounce it. So this is where it starts.

[Rob Nutts]

You know, it's an incredible way to look at it. It's extremely bold and it certainly has achieved your goal. But to be fair, most branding experts in the world would say having a name that's pronounceable in every language around the world would be optimum, although it is very difficult. But you went completely against that.

[Thomas Bayot]

And that's not just for name. Everything I did was completely wrong in terms of what everything would teach me in terms of marketing whatsoever. I really didn't care. I went my way and fact is that it pretty much worked.

[Rob Nutts]

So your brand is basically the anti brand.

[Thomas Bayot]

It was meant, actually it wasn't meant to be a brand, to be honest. It was meant to be an experiment at the beginning. I'm born and raised in a watch in the Watch Valley in Switzerland, in La Chaudefonds. And I am a specialist in watch distribution. I've done that for 20 years around the world building distribution network, which makes me one of the top specialists in the market regarding business of watches and commercialization. And when it comes to sell a watch, I'm the expert. And believe it or not, today it's not so much about how you produce a watch, but how you sell it. It's not so much about the taxi, it's about Uber, it's not so much about the hotel, it's about Airbnb. So the ecosystem is important. And why am I saying this, Rob? Because when you buy a watch, the least you're paying for is the watch. What you pay for is not marketing. What many people blame, it's what I'm a specialist in is distribution. So five, six years ago, my attempt was not to launch a brand, it was to prove that my business approach, that my business model that I was teaching at the time in my academy and in several universities, so it was more academic approach, was to tell that when you rethink the way you sell a watch, you can so much influence on the price that you can launch amazing timepieces Swiss made at a price never seen before in the market. And this is what, five 05 years ago we still stand for. We launched amazing, beautiful Swiss made mechanical watches at a price and competed in the market. And it has nothing to do with quality, it's just the business model. Now it's not just about the price. It's about expertise and mastery in knowing how to make a watch. I'm coming from a family that is one of the oldest in the state of Neuchatel. That's the Watch Valley in Switzerland. We're back in 1341, so it's 50 years after the creation of Switzerland, like 700 years ago.

[Rob Nutts]

Wow.

[Thomas Bayot]

And my family has been doing watches over 250 years in the state of Neuchatel. And I continue that tradition. So my brand is five years old, five and a half. But it goes rooted in the state of Neuchatel, in the Watch Valley since 1775.

[Rob Nutts]

What does your family think about the way that you've approached watchmaking? I mean, it's extremely novel. They're very proud of that.

[Thomas Bayot]

Actually. All my family and friends work in the watch industry. Again, I come from the Watch Valley, so directly or indirectly, everybody's linked to the watch industry. My family is, I think, very proud of it and quite grateful. You know, we're talking before starting how to pronounce that brand name. One of the main reason I didn't call it Bayou B, A1, B, A I, L, L, O, D. So I changed the I and double L for one is because that brand name doesn't just belong to me. So I thought it was very arrogant, okay. To take the brand name while all my family should deserve it. So that's why I twisted it in 1 and 0, which is by the way, turn to the future because this is binaire. So it's 0 and 1. It's the digital. So it's, it's an old new brand heading the future and digital era. Born in the digital era.

[Rob Nutts]

It's very interesting because what you've done is create extremely accessible, very highly raw watches that most people would never have been able to afford otherwise. Most people wouldn't ever have been able to get a Tourbillon on their wrist.

[Thomas Bayot]

Exactly.

[Rob Nutts]

But now, like they can make a very straightforward decision between a bog standard chronograph from an established heritage brand or.

[Thomas Bayot]

A tourbillon 100% developed assemble in Switzerland.

[Rob Nutts]

Did you do it as a gift to watch collectors or was it purely to prove A business model that you'd conceived and you believed in so heavily.

[Thomas Bayot]

Well, see, I think both things can match together. I conceived it to prove that my theory was right and that you could, by rethinking the way you sell the watch, bring a lot of added value into the watch. But I come from La Chaudfond. I don't know if you know La Chaudefond, that's a proletarian city. We were the guy in the factories doing watches. And somehow I wanted to respect that heritage and respect for me, the two main characters in the watch industry. Naming the guy who makes the watch, the watchmakers, and the guy who pays the salary of everyone, including the CEO, is the end consumer and consumers, because they are the guy buying the watch and paying for everything. So I try to bridge and make the bridge as small as possible between the guy who produced the watch and the guy who wears it and make sure that the most value will transfer from one to the other and have both being respected. Well, paying the guy who produced the watch and offering the lowest ratio or price for the guy who buys it.

[Rob Nutts]

I'm assuming that the business model works. It's a successful self sustainable.

[Thomas Bayot]

Pretty much, yeah.

[Rob Nutts]

Looks good.

[Thomas Bayot]

And as I told you at the beginning, it was just. It wasn't even a brand. It was just an experiment and it went out of control because of again. And you. Where, where did it work? Rob? Our customers now 80% are guys from the watch valley. So the people who buy our watches are the same guys working in the watch industry for other brands.

[Rob Nutts]

Well, that doesn't surprise me at all, because when I was a watchmaker, I remember sitting at the bench for Omega servicing a Ploprof, which was my favorite watch at the time. I desperately dreamed of owning one, but I earned less than it would have cost to buy a Ploprof in eight months, I think, before taxes. And I thought, this is crazy that the people that make these watches never get to own these wonderful things. But I mean, you've given them the opportunity because they know what's gone into it. They know firsthand.

[Thomas Bayot]

They know exactly the quality. Then, of course, I mostly respect every brand, every marketing whatsoever, because you don't just buy time or an object, you buy an emotion. An emotion is made out of many things. I'm trying to convey as much emotion as well, we design in house, we assemble the watches in house, downtown in the chateau. So I try as well to bring that emotion, but again, respect to all the other brands. Everybody does the business the way they do. Our goal is to bring the best of the Swiss made watch industry on the wrist of the customers and make sure that they pay the very fair price for that.

[Rob Nutts]

So why don't the other brands do the same thing as you? Are they just too big and too set in their ways, too cumbersome?

[Thomas Bayot]

I actually, I offered at the beginning my business model to be tested by 2025 Swiss made brands.

[Rob Nutts]

Really?

[Thomas Bayot]

And they all said thank you, but we don't understand, we cannot, we don't want whatsoever. You know, a surfer will never catch the wave behind because you're ahead in one wave and the next one coming, you're surfing that way. So the business model most brands have adopted is not compatible with the things I did without naming. Imagine any brand selling, as you mentioned, a beautiful three hand mechanical watch at 4000 Swiss Franc US Dollar Euro. And with my business model, that very same watch would cost 1,000, 1,500. It's exactly the same quality, it's produced in the same factory plants, etc. Etc. But it's 1/3, 1/4 of the price. How would that brand justify the price shift? And how would they justify to still sell products at 4,000? They cannot. So nobody can adopt that business model unless you do it from the start.

[Rob Nutts]

Well, now you've been doing it for five, five and a half years. I've got several incredible models in your catalog already. But what about the piece you're here to talk to us about today?

[Thomas Bayot]

Actually I have two on my wrist. One is the Chapter seven, the new Chapter seven, which is a certified chronometer here from Geneva Observatoire Chronometry de Geneve. We went for the best quality and precision. So we belong to the 15% more precise watches in the market out there. And we launched it at very, very fair price in Switzerland. It's a 6, 760 or ahead 110, so below €1,000 at an amazing price. So that again, people can very much enjoy high end watchmaking now when it comes to today, actually an hour ago, we just launched a new, as you call it, UFO or Ovni or something that out of, out of the sky from another galaxy. It's a flying Tourbillon, a certified chronometer with a beautiful moon phase that is under a very beautiful dome on the dial, a very, how do you call it, nice cut, moon hammered, hand hammered, straight cut. So it doesn't have the usual typical romantic moon shape, it's straight to give it a contrast with everything in the watch that is curved the case is convex. The, how you call it, La lunette, the bezel, thank you very much, is convex. A beautiful dome sapphire crystal. A beautiful accentered small second with a sunray pattern. So this watch is about high end orlogerie and again we launch it at an amazing price below 10,000 Swiss franc, which I think and I can pretend in the world has never existed for such timepieces. It always starts from 50,000 upward and we produce it 100% in the watch valley in Neuchatel surroundings. So we produce it with the best suppliers that supply the best brands in the world. So we are very proud to bring something from very haute horlogerie in this new chapter four again at a price that people can afford. A dream that before wasn't accessible.

[Rob Nutts]

Could you just restate the price for me one more time?

[Thomas Bayot]

There is a one week launch price. So it's below 10, 10,000 Swiss franc. It will be established in what currency shall I speak to our.

[Rob Nutts]

Well, we'll go to Swiss francs. I think that we're Swiss franc.

[Thomas Bayot]

Yeah. It will end up at 11,100. You know I like 1 and 0. 11,100. That's the end price which again is amazing for this, this Autor luie. So everything, every detail is well, well executed. And again we went to the best suppliers and certified flying Tourbillon, certified chronometer, 120 hours power reserve on one single bar. So it's five days power reserve, which is enormous.

[Rob Nutts]

Good grief.

[Thomas Bayot]

And no, definitely something we're very proud to, to bring to this world.

[Rob Nutts]

I mean I've seen this watch in my hands today. I was able to have a look at it earlier. And the convex case you're describing, it's not just the case in itself, but every surface of the case is scalloped effectively. The case flanks are convex. The sides of the welded lugs are convex as well. And the finishing on the dial and the finishing especially on the tourbillon cage, if I may say so, is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like something that I would expect to see in a watch. Not just 50,000 but even higher. Like it's incredible. I've. I was never a fan of tourbillons my entire career until a couple of years ago. I was turned onto them by the H1 conical tourbillon by HYT. And he's got an H1 conical something like that. And I love that tourbillon. Since then I've had a little bit of a soft spot that's growing. I'm trying to deny it because everyone's ridiculing me for flipping 180. But seeing this, looking at that cage, it reminded me of the conical tourbillon from hyt.

[Thomas Bayot]

Well, you know, the tourbillon is an emotion. A flying tourbillon is something that is standing proudly out there, turning on itself and it's mesmerizing. So once you, once you are hypnotized by a tourbillon, fortunately something difficult to get away with. Yeah, for me.

[Rob Nutts]

Well, I'm glad you said that. You make me feel a little bit more at home, at least at ease because I was, I felt so ashamed that I'd just been, I'd been proven wrong after all these years, you know, being like, nope, I'm not, I'm not here for tourbillons.

[Unknown]

They're not for me.

[Rob Nutts]

It's so silly. It's ostentatious. And now I just. And mesmerized by them as well. And this is a particularly nice one. I love, love, love, like I say, the finishing on the dial. Every element you've given so much care and attention and thought and do you regard this as the, the apex achievement of the brand thus far or do you regard every new watch as the thus far?

[Thomas Bayot]

It's the best, the very best that we could do. We won't stop there. Every year we come with novelties, but again we. Why did I mention the chapter seven? It's because for us it's important. Not everybody has 10,000 Swiss franc to spend. It's a lot of money. So we at the same time proudly introduce something below 1000 Swiss Franc. Basically the price you would pay for an Apple watch. You can have a beautiful mechanical Swiss made certified chronometer. And I think that's, that's what we stand for. The best, very best quality we have coming from the kids from the Watch Valley.

[Rob Nutts]

Incredible. So is there anything else that we can expect to see from you this year or are you going to be back inside? Okay, okay.

[Thomas Bayot]

But you see, I've seen a lot of people being nervous today. So let's keep it soft. There is much more to come and trust me, I'm sure we see each other again. And for people following us, ba111od.com you'll be, you'll see marvelous things. Follow me on LinkedIn as well. I put a lot of sneak peek. Thomas Bayot on LinkedIn I put a lot of sneak peek on my profile and I interact with a lot of people so I'm very accessible. That's one Thing that I'm very proud of.

[Rob Nutts]

And when do we expect to see this? You don't have to tell me what it is, but when.

[Thomas Bayot]

Look, the problem. Let me be honest, Rob. We have a launch plan that usually a brand of 50 million would have.

[Rob Nutts]

Yeah.

[Thomas Bayot]

And we are much smaller than that. We're so passionate about what we do that we're a bit launching too many timepieces. So we try to slow down because lately it's about one novelty per month. Wow, that's too much.

[Rob Nutts]

That is a lot.

[Thomas Bayot]

So I've been seeing customers that saying, look, that one is amazing, but maybe I'll wait another month and something amazing is coming. And it's true. Yeah. But you know, one day you find your love and you get married with your watch. But every month we'll be launching, introducing new things, including new one, two new complications that are coming.

[Rob Nutts]

Wow. Okay, so busy times ahead. Make sure that you keep yourselves tuned in to ba11od.com.

[Thomas Bayot]

Yes, that's.

[Rob Nutts]

And yeah, well, we'll have you back on the show at some point. I'd love to do a full episode with you to discuss whatever these incredibly exciting things that caused you to break out into the most joyous of smiles when I asked. Is there something else coming? I can't wait to find out. I can't wait to discuss them. Thomas, thank you again.

[Thomas Bayot]

Anytime. Thank you very much, Rome.

[Rob Nutts]

I appreciate it. Cheers.

[Unknown]

So alon, you didn't get to sit down with Thomas Bale of Bale watches. I'm getting better at saying that. It's one of the few brands that even though I really struggle with the French, I think I'm getting close with that one. I have a funny thing to say about Thomas and it is a funny.

[Rob Nutts]

Thing, and I want to phrase this.

[Unknown]

Correctly because I do mean it in a positive way. When I first heard of him and I first listened to content created by him and I watched videos with him, I liked everything he said, but I got this feeling that I wouldn't like.

[Rob Nutts]

Him in real life.

[Unknown]

I don't know why. I think maybe I find him a bit intimidating. Strange thing to say, but he sort of has this total self possession, this conviction about his vision that I thought, okay, this guy's clearly brilliant, but he might be a bit scary. And then you sit down and you talk to him and maybe I'm just fortunate enough to express myself in a way that shows him that I get it. He's extremely warm and he's a great intellect, someone I love to listen to and have been lucky enough to talk to a couple of times now and I really like the guy. I really really do. I respect him a huge amount of. And he surprised me with his humility and his humanness and his manifesto almost. You know, the guy is.

[Rob Nutts]

He could be a political leader.

[Unknown]

Do you get that impression from him?

I am so bummed out I could not sit in on this interview. He seems fleeting to me. I've actually never met him so I have no idea what you're talking about. And I don't know how to pronounce the name. I thought it's B. Well, yeah, Bayou. It's B. A triple one OD or 10? Is it an O or a 10? A zero.

[Rob Nutts]

It's a zero. Yeah.

[Thomas Bayot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So. But it's cool, it's hip, it's happening. I know he wants to break the mold. It's a bit like code 41. They think out of the box. All his watches are chapters. I mean he makes 2 be at below 10k he had I. I liked the Kairos 3 plus K which goes a bit into the BNF and Urwerk space. Did he launch chapter 7? Now time to watch his role.

The watch we were discussing at Time to Watch Us was primarily chapter four.

[Rob Nutts]

The.

[Unknown]

The tourbillon that you just referenced there. The incredible flying tourbillon off center, seconds hand with.

[Rob Nutts]

How would we describe it?

[Unknown]

Radial sunburst, I guess emanating from that position. Strange position between 9 and 10 o' clock.

[Rob Nutts]

Really.

[Unknown]

And then the moon phase which is artisanally finished.

Looks amazing. I did not see it in the middle to my big regret. Love moon phase. I love tourbillons. You don't but I think ever since you admitted to your HYT obsession, I think it's growing on you. But I find it spectacular how this brand can navigate the 950 market and going to 13,000 plus for that chapter four infinity flying durion. I can't wait to meet him actually. And I'm going to enjoy this episode because every interview I didn't sit in on I'm going to listen. So I'm very curious to hear from you guys, the TRTS community, what you think of this brand. If you're not part of the TRTS community, please send us a DM and we'll add you to our WhatsApp community.

Yeah, this is one that I think there'll be a broad gamut of opinions on and I think a lot of diversity within positive opinions as well. People will like different things about the brand. It's tough to not like something about what they're doing. I still find it a bit unnerving, a bit perplexing, and I think that it puts the marker down for the rest of the industry in a way that it's hard to ignore. So let's keep our eyes on Bale and keep our eyes and ears on Thomas and everything he has to say, and appreciate this as a case study as well as an incredible brand.

Sam.