American watch brand Steelio launches in Singapore

Steelio timepieces will be sold through an exclusive master distribution agreement with Metallurgy and will be available at its chain of company-owned boutique stores and through its authorised dealer network in the country.

Founded in 2005, Metallurgy is a jewellery designer, distributor and retailer based in Singapore. Its in-house brand, M+Y STEEL, is distributed in over 13 countries and at more than 240 authorised dealer locations worldwide.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Steelio was launched in 2012, with offices in Europe and Asia. The timepieces are marketed in more than 12 countries.

“We believe that Singapore is a natural market for the watch industry,” Henry Horn, president and CEO at Steelio, told Campaign Asia-Pacific. “Based on our studies, there are over 300 stores in Singapore that sell watches. This is very exceptional product penetration for a city-state of this size and with a population of only 5 million people.”

He added that another factor is that the additional company research has shown that Singapore is also well positioned to be Asia’s fashion and lifestyle brand hub for emerging designers.

“Singapore’s consumers are some of the most fashion- and brand-savvy in Asia. We believe that all these factors make Singapore an excellent choice for our watch brand launch into Asia. We plan to leverage the brand recognition that we achieve in Singapore to other Asian countries, such as Japan and China,” he said.

Steelio’s next target market is Australia. “We believe that the Australian market will be a very good fit for the Steelio brand, as our research shows that the rising popularity and continued demand for fashion jewellery and growth among the male watch and jewellery segment will continue.”

Steelio hopes to develop a distribution partnership with an Australian distributor by 2014 and launch some exciting brand awareness campaigns and advertising once this has been established.

Among its initial marketing strategies include print and online advertising; target-market penetration through exclusive distribution partnerships; merchant relationships; events and brand ambassadors.

Its in-house marketing department is responsible for the roll-out of all press releases, domestic and global advertising and brand marketing campaigns.