Episode summary
The Joy of a Mechanical Watch with Oris CEO VJ Geronimo | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 12 min · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec · Guests: VJ Geronimo, Chris Rovzar
Summary
Oris is leaning into playful branding without giving up its serious watchmaking credentials. The company, which says it is one of the last independent Swiss brands and makes only mechanical watches, used Geneva Watch Days to unveil a Gonzo the Great edition tied to Disney’s The Muppets. The guests said the goal is to make people smile while showing off technical craft, including an in-house movement, a 10-day power reserve, and a skeletonized design built specifically around the case and movement together.
The guests said the Gonzo model is limited to 250 pieces and is priced at $10,500, which puts it well above Oris’s more typical entry-level watches in the $2,000 to $5,000 range. They also pointed to the brand’s broader appeal: earlier Muppet collaborations, especially Kermit, were described as among the company’s most popular watches.
Beyond the novelty, the conversation centered on the watch market’s recovery. The guests said demand rose during COVID, normalized afterward, and is now improving again, especially in the U.S. They argued that Oris has benefited from offering classic designs, strong value, and limited editions with meaning, including charity and sports tie-ins.
Key takeaways
- Oris says it is one of the last independent Swiss watch brands and makes only mechanical watches.
- The Gonzo the Great edition is limited to 250 pieces and priced at $10,500.
- The guest said the watch uses Oris’s caliber 115, has a 10-day power reserve, and is skeletonized to show the movement.
- The guests said Oris’s earlier Muppet watch, Kermit, was among the company’s most popular models.
- The guest said the U.S. market is leading a broader watch recovery after the post-pandemic cooling.
- The host and guests framed Oris’s appeal as strong value, heritage, and playful collaborations rather than pure luxury status.
Notable quotes
“So, if uh Orus, as you said, we're 122 years old. Actually, we're one of the last independent Swiss brands. So, we only make mechanical watches”
“So, we like to say we like to make people smile with our product. So, this is our third watch with the Muppets”
“Gonzo is $10,500 actually”
“So, it's based on our caliber 115, which is our in-house movement. Um, 10day power reserve”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts, radio, news. — You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio. — We are very excited because Carol, whether you call them time pieces or wristwatches, — Yes, — There's nobody we'd rather talk about them with than Chris Rouseer. He's the editor at large for Bloomberg Pursuits. And today he brought a special guest with him. That's VJ Dono, the US CEO of Orus. It's the more than 100-year-old Swiss watch maker. Chris and VJ both join us here in the Bloomberg Interactive Broker Studio. Welcome to both of you.
Thank you. — Um VJ on any other day, I'd start with with you, but I want to start with Chris because Chris, you brought VJ to us. — I did. — And you brought him to us for a reason. And you know our show, our program very well. You know what we love. We know what our audience loves. What did you think res would resonate so well with our team?
Gonzo the Muppets. — I knew you were going to say the Muppets. — Totally. — You have no idea the conversation we've had in the news about Muppets and — Disney — Versus Sesame Street versus like we like — Are they different? Are they the same?
There was a there was a there was a diagram drawn for me or — Well, Gonzo is where is where I want to start. VJ, I want to bring you in because you are the US CEO of of Orus. It's more than 100 years old. Typically, if we think about an an oldish Swiss watch brand, we wouldn't necessarily be thinking of the Muppets, but why does Gonzo have people so excited?
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- mechanical watches
- watchmaking brands
- consumer luxury
- disney partnerships
- pricing of collectibles
Companies and tickers mentioned
- DIS
- Oris
- Disney
Watch the episode
Watch “The Joy of a Mechanical Watch with Oris CEO VJ Geronimo | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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