Marzooq al-Shamlan & Sons (MSS) managing director Mohamed Marzooq al-Shamlan, general manager Ravi, Nautica vice-president Silvio Leonardi and regional sales manager Ricardo Martins, MSS officials Sunil Paul and Sreeram at the formal launch of Nautica watches in Qatar yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam
The formal Qatar launch of the premium watches, designed and manufactured by global luxury retailers Nautica took place yesterday at Ramada Plaza Hotel in the presence of Timex Corporation vice president Silvio Leonardi.
Globally acclaimed Timex manages Nautica, which made a foray into the global watch industry close to two decades ago.
Qatar distributors of the brand, Marzooq al-Shamlan & Sons (MSS), started this brand’s retailing more than eight months ago on a trial basis and the company has found the response from customers to be “very encouraging”, said managing director Mohamed Marzooq al-Shamlan.
“We took to retailing Nautica models since the brand offered sleek, elegant and trendy looking watches at prices highly affordable to our growing clientele. Watch-lovers have liked the Nautica range and designs on offer and our company will lay a lot of thrust on brand marketing and visibility,” said al-Shamlan.
The collection caters to a wide array of customers, he added.
Leonardi pointed out that the brand had a significant presence worldwide and Nautica is retailed in more than 60 countries in North and South Americas, western Europe, South Africa, Middle East and many Asian countries.
Nautica watches combine distinctive styling, bold colours and unique design. The brand is inspired by sailing and reflects an energetic lifestyle that appeals to customers globally, he said. The Nautica watches fuse the best of classic American style with the latest in technical innovation, said the Timex vice-president.
At a presentation earlier, Timex regional manager, Ricardo Martin, said global retail sales of Nautica watches crossed approximately $100mn a year and the company’s luxury brands contributed as much as $2bn to annual sales.
Nautica watches, he said, have got considerable visibility from the company’s long association with high level yachting competitions like Key West.  
MSS general manager K V Ramakrishnan (Ravi) said the company’s insistence on maintaining the highest standards in quality for its timepieces has ensured that customers remained more than happy with the range that Nautica offered.
Nautica watches, which are priced between QR400 to QR1500, are retailed exclusively in Qatar through Crono and Crono fashion, a division of MSS and also available at the Qatar Duty Free.