A chat with KRISTIAN HAAGEN SEDUCED BY QUALITY We have met up with world-renowned watch specialist, Kristian Haagen, for his take on high-end products. To us Kristian is a unique character from whom we can learn a lot about being passionate and quality focused. ” It’s true what they say, when you buy real quality, you only cry once." Growing up, Kristian started collecting watches at the age of nine, and the first ones where actually digital, because as he describes it "digital watches were the iPads and iPhones of my youth". In his late teenage years, counterfeit watches from Thailand became the favorites. However, Kristian never tried to fool anybody stating his Rolex watches where not real, as his fascination towards the big Swiss brands, was the real story behind wearing these. In 1989, when Kristian started as marketing intern in London, he decided to quit the replicas and buy his first authentic quality watch: A Rolex Oyster Precision Reference 6694 for £120. Since then Kristian Haagen has collected several iconic timepieces such as the IWC Big Pilot reference 5002. And as he smilingly states: "It’s true what they say, when you buy real quality, you only cry once". With a lifelong passion for wristwatches, Kristian knows a great deal about quality. "Craftsmanship makes a good watch. That’s obvious for me. For instance, it’s hard to look at the big Swiss watch brands and not be seduced by the movement, wheels and the overall mechanisms. It’s so obvious that products like these are made by true artisans. If you mix craftsmanship with passion and top it up with a beautiful design, you’re close to having a perfect watch". For more information, visit kristianhaagen.com
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