Time To Watches: Herbelin

Summary

The Real Time Show: Episode Summary – "Time To Watches: Herbelin"

Release Date: June 19, 2025
Hosts: Rob Nudds & Alon Ben Joseph
Guest: Benjamin Arbalin, Herbelin Representative

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Introduction to Herbelin

In this episode of The Real Time Show, hosts Rob Nudds and Alon Ben Joseph sit down with Benjamin Arbalin from Herbelin, a renowned French watchmaker. Filmed live at the Time To Watches Fair held at Villa Saracen in Geneva, the discussion delves into Herbelin's rich heritage, product offerings, and strategic outlook in the global watchmaking industry.

Brand Background and Heritage

Benjamin Arbalin provides an insightful overview of Herbelin's history and current standing:

"Herballin is a French watchmaker established in 1947 by Michel Arbalin. This is a family-owned company now in its third generation, with four shareholders, including myself and Michel's grandsons, Maxime and Mathieu Herballin." (00:38)

Located near the Swiss border in Charquemont, Herbelin leverages its proximity to La Chaux-de-Fonds, a pivotal region in the Jura Montaigne watchmaking hub. The brand prides itself on producing French-made watches equipped with exclusively Swiss movements—Ronda for quartz timepieces and Sellita for automatic models.

Herbelin boasts a significant global presence, with distribution in approximately 50 countries. The French market remains its strongest, moving around 40,000 watches annually across 600 retail outlets. Notably, Herbelin commands nearly 50% market share in the French ladies' watch segment within the €300 to €1,000 price range.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Design and Innovation

When discussing Herbelin's USP, Benjamin emphasizes the brand's commitment to design excellence and adaptability:

"We design our own watches, we have our own designer in the house, and Michel Arbalin is clearly well recognized in the watch industry for its ladies' watches." (02:38)

Herbelin adeptly navigated the quartz crisis of the 1970s by innovating specifically for the ladies' market, a strategic move that solidified its position and continues to influence its reputation today. The brand remains a leader in designing elegant and functional timepieces tailored for women, alongside a robust collection for gentlemen.

Diverse Collections and New Model Showcase

Herbelin's extensive catalog encompasses nearly 400 SKUs, categorized primarily into three segments:

1. Sport Chic: Featuring the Newport and Cap Camara ranges, these watches blend sporty aesthetics with elegance, catering to both men and women, with a slight emphasis on male models.
2. Timeless: A collection of classical watches that exude sophistication and enduring style.
3. Ladies-Specific: Dedicated exclusively to women, these watches are designed from the ground up to suit a female wrist, avoiding the common industry practice of downsizing men's models.

During the fair, Benjamin introduces two new products, highlighting the Newport gents’ model:

"This product that we celebrate this year is an automatic chronograph equipped with a Sellita SW510, 62 hours power reserve. The case is made in stainless steel covered with 5N PVD rose gold." (05:01)

Rob and Alon provide a detailed analysis of the Newport gents’ watch, noting its blend of heritage and modernity:

"It's an interesting mixture of old and new, with heritage aspects in the case and central lugs, combined with a contemporary black ceramic bezel." (06:07)

The Newport gents’ model stands out as a flagship piece, celebrating its anniversary with a limited edition of 300 pieces. The design trend for this year emphasizes the pairing of rose gold elements with black materials, including a soft-touch leather strap and matching butterfly buckle.

Strategic Goals: Expansion and Boutique Development

When questioned about Herbelin's future objectives, Benjamin outlines the brand's focus on worldwide expansion and enhancing direct consumer engagement through boutique openings:

"Last year we've been able to open a very good market that is India... we opened our own boutique, the first one three years ago in Paris, and we are thinking of opening another one." (08:05)

Herbelin aims to initially expand within the French market, with plans to potentially open boutiques in key global cities like London and Tokyo. The strategy includes leveraging existing subsidiaries in Germany and the UK to facilitate broader international growth.

Importance of Industry Events

Rob inquires about the significance of international events for a brand like Herbelin. Benjamin underscores the crucial role such gatherings play in brand visibility and networking:

"It's a great opportunity to see many people, media, our customers, prospects, but also our other brands to see what they do, discuss with everybody, our neighbors. It's the best way to move forward, to go straight." (10:03)

Having participated in Baselworld for nearly four decades, Herbelin has adapted to changes by finding alternative platforms like Inorganta in Germany. These events are vital for fostering relationships, gaining feedback, and staying abreast of industry trends.

Challenges in International Markets and Product Portfolio Management

With a vast and diverse product portfolio, Herbelin faces the challenge of market-specific focus. Benjamin explains:

"Nobody, no retailer or distributor can take the whole catalog. It's impossible. They have to choose several families, maybe six, seven, eight maximum." (11:31)

Herbelin works closely with retailers to curate collections that best fit each market's tastes and trends, ensuring that flagship models like Newport and Cap Camara are prominently featured. This selective approach helps mitigate the complexity of managing 400 SKUs across diverse international markets.

Rob suggests a potential strategy of tailoring the brand's presentation to different regions, akin to how Omega customizes its collections for the Asian market. Benjamin acknowledges the possibility but highlights the complexities involved:

"It's a very complicated and challenging work... we need to make sure that we found the best ranges." (14:24)

Conclusion: Discovering Herbelin Watches

As the conversation winds down, Benjamin provides guidance for listeners interested in exploring Herbelin's offerings:

"The best way to discover the brand is in the boutique in Paris... but then we sell on our website worldwide. Any retailer worldwide would be the best way to see the brand." (15:29)

Herbelin's price range is accessible, with most of the collection priced between €300 and €1,000, and select models reaching up to €3,500. The brand emphasizes quality and craftsmanship, making it an attractive option for both new enthusiasts and seasoned collectors.

Rob aptly summarizes:

"If you want a new luxury watch in your collection and you can go without lunch at Watches and Wonders, you can buy one for €300. It's an entry-level price like few others, and the products are exceptionally well made. Go check them out." (16:52)

Final Remarks from Hosts and Guest

Concluding the episode, Alon and Michel provide their personal takeaways on Herbelin and its positioning within the broader watch industry. They recognize Herbelin as a prominent figure in the French market, noting its extensive distribution and accessible pricing. While acknowledging the brand's wide appeal and volume, they also touch upon the challenges of differentiating in a crowded market.

Listeners’ Invitation:
The episode wraps up with an invitation for listeners to share their thoughts on Herbelin and other watch brands via the podcast’s official channels, including email and Instagram.

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Key Takeaways:

• Herbelin's Strengths: Strong heritage, specialized design for ladies' watches, extensive global distribution.
• Product Range: Diverse collections catering to various tastes, with a significant focus on sport chic and ladies' segments.
• Market Strategy: Focused expansion through boutiques and selective portfolio curation tailored to regional markets.
• Industry Presence: Active participation in international watch fairs enhances brand visibility and networking opportunities.
• Accessibility: Competitive pricing with a commitment to quality makes Herbelin an attractive option in the mid-tier watch market.

For listeners interested in exploring Herbelin’s offerings, visiting their Paris boutique or exploring their online store provides the best avenues to experience their craftsmanship firsthand.

Transcript

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Foreign.

[Rob]

Watch fans and welcome to another on site recording from the time to watches fair at Villa Saracen in Geneva. I am joined today by Benjamin from Erban. I almost, almost pronounced it correctly. I was close.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

That's perfect. Benjamin from Erbalan is perfect. Oh, hello everyone.

[Rob]

Sounded almost convincing. So for all of our English listeners who may not have understood what I just said, we'd probably call it Herbalin, all right, which obviously is devoid of any romance whatsoever, but that's what we're good at. Tell us about the brand, tell us about the background. What do we need to know?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, Herballin is a French watchmaker established in 1947 by Michel Arbalin. This is a family owned company owned by the third generation. We are now four shareholders. I'm a part of those four people and two, Maxime and Mathieu Herballin are the grandsons of the founder. We are a French watchmaker close to the Swiss border, close to La Chaux de Fonds, where in a small village called Charquemont, where this is, I would say, the heart of the watchmaking industry in the Jura Montaigne on the French side. But we are very close to the Swiss. The brand is making French made watches, but using exclusively Swiss made movements. We use Ronda for the quartz. The quartz represent, I would say 80, 85% of the collection and the other 15% are using Sellita movements from La Chaudfond. The brand is established in about 50 countries worldwide. The the French market being our main market, where we sell about 40,000 watches a year through 600 shops. 600 shops, 600 shops. That's right. In France the brand is really well established. We have in France 50, close to 50% market shares in ladies in our price range from 300 to €1,000. And worldwide we have 1,500 shops spread in 50 countries where we have a good distribution in most of them.

[Rob]

So what would you say the brand's USP is, as it were? Is it purely design or is there some innovation within the brand or its history?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, we design our own watches, we have our own designer in the house, and Michel Arbalin is clearly well recognized in the watch industry for its ladies watches. When the quartz arrived in the 70s, it's been complicated for a lot of watch brands. While Michel Arbalin used this small movement to create specific watches for ladies. And it was a big strength for the brand at the time. And we are still recognized as a very, very good designer for ladies watches. Also gents, of course, but as I said, we have up to 50% market share in ladies, which is really incredible.

[Rob]

It actually is incredible. But it probably shows just how much opportunity there is in that segment of the market that the rest of the industry is, for whatever reason, probably some of them quite unsavory. Ignoring. But I'm glad that you're taking care of it. And you have a huge number of models, I've noticed. I remember seeing a display at one of the recent fairs in Britain and being fascinated by the diversity of your collection. What's the goal there?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yeah, exactly. We have. Well, we have close to 400 SKUs in our catalog. But the catalog is mainly spread in three categories. I would say sport chic, where we have Newport and Cap Camara, which are our main ranges for the sporty, elegant watches for both gents and ladies. We have a little bit more gents than ladies in this category. Then we have a big category of more classical watches. Timeless. And a huge one for ladies specific ladies. What I mean is that for this category we really create watches that are thought for ladies. They are not, you know, gent size and then you make it a little bit smaller and it goes on the lady's wrist. They are thought from the beginning to be worn by ladies.

[Rob]

That's what everyone always says that they want to see. So that's just that we don't see it very often, unfortunately. So what have you got to show us today that's new to the collection?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, today I brought with me two products. The first one is a Newport gents. So the Newport family has been introduced in 1988. It's been inspired from the hublot of the transatlantic boats. This is why we have a central attachment here on it. And this product that we celebrate this year is an automatic chronograph equipped with a Sellita SW510 62 hours power reserve. The case is made in stainless steel covered with 5N so rose gold PVD. There is a glass box, sapphire crystal on it, black ceramic bezel. What else can I tell you about it?

[Rob]

May I have a look at it, please?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yeah, you have a look.

[Rob]

And let's see what I see when.

[Alon]

I look at this.

[Rob]

So it's an interesting mixture of old and new. Really has like some very heritage aspects to the design, especially in the case, middle, the flanks and also those central lugs that attach with, yeah, slotted screws. But it has this ceramic bezel which really pulls it into the 21st century. Quite stout and wide sub register hands which is nice for legibility and yeah, very clean look to it. I mean it's a chronograph with a tachymeter but with this like. Like I say, strange but very attractive character. It looks like something that Jules Verne would wear to me.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, thank you very much. Yeah, this, this is one of our flagship model. Newport is really something that is recognizable easily thanks to the, the central attachment. And we are, yes, celebrating you know, one of the anniversary of Newport. And yeah, this model has been three years ago and every year we developed new colors and this year there is a trend for, you know, matching rose gold with black colors including the leather strap, the soft touch leather strap matching with a rose gold butterfly buckle. And it's limited to 300 pieces.

[Rob]

Oh, very good. Is it available worldwide as well or is it restricted?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yes, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no, it's available. Will probably sell half of it in, on. On the French market.

[Rob]

Well, I'm, I'm sure you'd be happy to sell them like in whatever market would buy them because.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. While usually limited edition are sold in few weeks or months.

[Rob]

Just a good feel brand.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Rob]

A lot of dedicated collectors, I'm sure. So what would you say right now is the prime goal of the brand? Do you want to grow sales? Do you want to grow distribution? Do you want to grow geographically?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, of course, yeah, we always want to develop the brand worldwide. Last year we've been able to open a very good market that is India and the distribution is. Yeah, there is a lot of different shops, you know, online, offline. But we are, we opened our own boutique, first boutique three years ago in Paris and we are thinking of opening another one. So this is also a way that we want to go which is opening our own boutiques.

[Rob]

Okay, okay. Would you do that globally or you try it first in France?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, we start with the French market. We started with Paris. We are thinking of doing another one in France. Cannot tell you so much about it because this is a, a project that will, that will be able to talk about it in few weeks. But then yeah, of course we have our own subsidiary in distribution subsidiary in Germany, in the uk so this is of course something that we can do in the near future. Opening a boutique in London would be wonderful. And then why not cities like Tokyo or. I don't know yet. But this is. Yeah, this is. We are trying our best, you know, on the French market that we know well. But if it works, why not expanding it worldwide?

[Rob]

How important are events like this one to a brand like yours in terms of getting out There and meeting people that maybe haven't encountered the brand in their home countries. Because a lot of people travel to these events and getting feedback from them and also your existing friends and partners.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Oh, sorry, can you repeat? Sorry.

[Rob]

Yeah. How important are events like this, international events, when you have the whole watch industry descending in one place?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

It's really, really important. We've been in Baselworld since the beginning, I think close to 40 years. So when this fair disappeared, we found a way to replace it. It's not that easy at the beginning. We went to Inorganta in Germany and being back in Switzerland, in Geneva is really great. It's a great opportunity to see many people, you know, of course, media, our customers, prospects, but also our other brands to see what they do, discuss with everybody, our neighbors. It's the best way to move forward, to go straight. Yes.

[Rob]

Yeah, yeah. Do you find sometimes that having such a vast and diverse product portfolio, 400 SKUs, you said, or 400 ish. Makes it harder for new markets who aren't as familiar with the name as the French market is and who haven't seen the brand be so opportunistic in the quartz crisis, to really focus on ladies watches and making watches. Four ladies. Do you think it's harder to communicate what the brand is to a new international market? Like maybe the UK or maybe the US I'm not sure which markets you're trying to break into where it's slower than you'd like it to be. But is that difficult?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, yeah, in a way. Nobody, no retailer or distributor can take the whole catalog. It's impossible. They have, every market has to focus on, on some ranges.

[Rob]

You know, you offer the entire catalog to every market. Yes, interesting.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

But we don't. Yeah, but we, we make sure we make the selection with them. Yeah, they have to choose several families, you know, maybe six, seven, eight maximum. And we need to make sure.

[Rob]

How many families do you have in total?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

I would say close to 15 to 20.

[Rob]

Well, that's, I mean it's one thing to have like so many models. It's another thing to. Yeah, like distinct families. That's.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, when you have a boutique like we do have in, in Paris with more than 100 square meter, it's easy to put everything in the, in, in, in the shop. But of course we have sometimes 50 centimeter 1 meter windows. And on those we have to make a specific selection. And then from one country to another, there are worldwide, there are some ranges that are not appropriate for the country because of the size, because of the trend. So in that case, we need to make sure that we found the best ranges. But you are right. From one country to another, the spirit of the brand might be a little bit different.

[Rob]

It is interesting because in a sense, although you may not want to do this and it doesn't sound like you've done it already, you could present yourselves as a completely different, much more concise brand to every single continental market. For example, you could. You could have four or five, six different versions of what the brand is by just curating a corner of it for one, you know, part of the world, for example, I believe Omega, I believe this is still the case. I'm sure it was at one point. They only have models that they release to the Asian market because they're basically designed for them. Many analysts said for years. Why does the Constellation line still exist? Nobody buys it in the West. Meanwhile, it is the number one driver in the East. So, you know, the brand is the same brand with this, with a slightly different catalog, should we say a sort of curtailed catalog in both directions. And it has a completely different character, one part of the world than it does to the other. But you have so many families, you could legitimately break it down when you've identified, oh, that sells in North America, that sells in Central Europe, that sells in Southern Europe. You could present it in a different way. Do you think if you were to try that, just to trial it, it might result in more. More new retailers rushing towards a brand because they don't suffer from what we call analysis paralysis, where there's too much to take in. Is it something you've ever thought about trying?

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Yeah, of course we tried, but it's a very complicated and challenging work. Some models really work well in one country or another. And if we stop it, that would be really a problem for this or those markets. But what we do, every time we open a new market, we make sure that the flagship models are selected. At least they have to try them like Newport Cap Camera Antares, which is a patented interchangeable system for ladies. And then they can take other ranges. But, yeah, we try to make sure that at least the core range are there.

[Rob]

So just to wrap up, where can our listeners. Because we have listeners all over the world, mostly in Europe and America, but also in other parts of the world. Where can our listeners, if they haven't seen you already, if they haven't got your watches in hand, where can they find. Find them? Where can they go? Is it best to go to events or is it best to go to.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Retailers, you mean for end consumer. Sorry.

[Rob]

Or consumers. Yeah.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Well, and consumers. The best. The best way to discover the brand is. Is in the boutique in Paris. In Paris, if they have the opportunity to travel in the most beautiful city.

[Rob]

No kidding. Very stark agreement. And they go sickly. Everyone's cheering me.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

But then we sell on our website worldwide.

[Rob]

Okay.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

And then, yeah, any retailer worldwide would be the best way to see the brand, you know, to touch the product. Herbalin is really well recognized for the quality of its products. It's very important to see. But touch, you know, a metal bracelet to see the finishing of the case. We pay a lot of attention on this. Yeah. But once again, the boutique is the.

[Rob]

Best to discover the brand price points.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

What's the entry level price point and what's the €300?

[Rob]

Okay.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

The average price is 550, €600, the core range. So I would say 90% of the collection is €301,000. And then we go up to 3,500 with. Not ceramic, sorry, carbon and titanium case.

[Michel]

Oh, brilliant.

[Rob]

Okay.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

And most of the product above 1000 are of course, automatic.

[Rob]

Okay. Well, if you want a new luxury watch in your collection and you can go without lunch at Watches and Wonders, you can buy one. €300. It's a hot dog or it's a new watch. You know, it's incredible. It's an entry level price like few other. And the products are exceptionally well made. Go check them out. Whether you're near a retailer or near an event where Ebalon will be showing. Please go along and have a look at it. Thanks for your time, guys. It's been a real pleasure to talk.

[Benjamin Arbalin]

Thank you very much. Thank you. And thank you for everybody who listens.

[Michel]

So Herbalin watches, a brand that is engraved vividly in my mind is because the Dutch distributor of Breitling was also the distributor of Herballin. Not that popular in Holland, but. But whenever I would visit Belgium, it seemed that it was a top three brand there. So much so that I thought it was a Belgian brand. So, Rob, tell me more about Habelen and where they are today.

[Alon]

Well, they're French and they're very French and they are humongous in France. They are another one of these brands.

[Rob]

That basically cherry picks whatever style they.

[Alon]

Like and it's kind of become their. Their not usp, their central characteristic, you know, that what they're known for. There are watches in this catalog that look like the watches of 10, 15, 20 other brands. Is there much originality? Not a huge amount, but everything is as usual with brands like this that found success, quite well done. And as a result of them not really having to design anything or develop much of complexity, the watches are very well priced for what they provide materially, and there's a lot of impact as well. They're not shrinking violets, that's for sure. There's some really striking pieces, a lot of nice, basic stuff, especially in the ladies line. I think urban is a superb line for women, actually. I must say. Diversity of styles available, the prices, the materials, the colors, very, very good for guys if you're a watch guy. The only one that I really like is the cap camera app, the square one, which, you know, jokingly we could say the Patek Philippe actually ripped off. Like, that's. That's where the cupid has came from. But I like that one. Beyond that, it's difficult for me to not see another watch brand in the watches that they produce. But what are your takeaways about Erbalan, the brand that you can find basically every street corner in France.

[Michel]

So I remember it as Michel Herballin, and as you said, rightfully so, it's a bit of a 12 in a dozen brand, very generic, and it's French, and obviously half of Belgium is semi French. Is it still an independent brand, Rob? I have no idea who's behind it.

[Alon]

As I remember it is. Yeah. I mean, they are big. This is the thing that you got to remember, like, this is the kind of brand that's making watches that can sell in a regular watch boutique, but also in the department store in the States. There are price points all over the shop. So you can, you can have hundreds of these pieces sitting in every, every Sears, every whatever you want. Every Target. I don't know, maybe not Target, but you know what I'm saying? Like, the watches can be sold in multi channels and they do volume, serious volume. Like, it's a brand that even though I don't have it ranked up with like Omega or Rolex or Tudor or Longines or even Hamilton or something like that, it's right next to that sort bracket in the minds of people. For me, it's kind of like a meadow is that kind of thing. And there's nothing wrong with a me, though. There's nothing wrong with an airball. And, And I think that there's, yeah, a lot to be had for your money in this brand. If you like the watches, and that's. That's the only thing. If you like them, buy them with confidence. There's a huge network of support behind it. And there's a. There's a few real stunning watches within this collection, in my opinion.

[Michel]

It's interesting because we've had several brands and more to come that are not so much in the mainstream of things either for the majority of consumers or even the hardcore collectors. And we dedicated ourselves to highlight everything in the watchmaking ecosystem. So I'm very happy to do this. I've actually written a article about French watchmaking as an independent journalist for a Dutch consumer magazine about watches. I summed up all the French brands, so probably Michel Herberin or Herbalin as they're called today, were in there. They didn't make my top 10. And it's funny that you've referred to Patek Philippe with the cubitus because while you were talking I was browsing the website and the one that spoke to me was the inspiration model, which is a three hander, 1950s vibe, €900 for an automatic watch. The pricing seems very decent and it's interesting that that they exist since 1947. They are apparently super popular in France and Belgium and they can live off of that, I guess. And you know, it's another brand that comes to mind is Chariole. And it seems that they're local heroes in particular markets and in this globalizing world and with social media and everything, that everything becomes smaller. I wonder where are these brands going to and how do they need to differentiate themselves And I wonder how they resonate with our listeners. So I want to wrap up this analysis of this episode by hearing from our dear TRTS community what you think of Herbalin and several of these other brands that you might have never heard of.

[Alon]

Yeah, so drop us a line at any of the usual channels, either rob or alonherealtime show via email on the official website www.therealtime.show or via the dedicated Instagram handle herealtime show.

[Rob]

It.