Probably The Best Watch Straps In The World
Does your watch tells people who you are? Probably yes in the case of Sidney Grzclaczk, co-founder and product designer of Molequin – men’s favourite watch strap company, no matter what he wears.
Sidney was born and raised in the South of France and eventually arrived in Brussels via Paris and London. As an Art School Graduate, he found his place in a fast moving creative environment after forming Molequin in 2016 with his partner Michael Luther. Responsible for the creative flow of the brand from visuals to product development, Sidney guides us through the history, the present and the future of what we believe is probably the best watch strap maker in the world.
What is the story behind Molequin brand and where did you find inspiration?
Molequin started with two passionates, one watch guy (Michael Luther) and one leather guy (myself). Different experiences but same energies. Inspiration is coming from everywhere – mainly from experiences, meetings with people, things around us, art, design, music... the list can be long. Molequin is a name but more important, it has to be the very best experience for our customers, with uncompromising quality and unparalleled service to people that demand the same as we do.
You work with some of the most exotic leathers such as alligator and your buckles seem very well thought out. Tell us about your production process and design details?
One of the most exiting part of my job is the development process. We are really proud to be able to work with the best tanneries in the world. On the exotic ones as on the other leathers, the opportunity of producing, hand in hand with experts from different domains, is really incredible. It allows us to make something different than just buying from stocks and different sources.
We always start with prototypes and produce a capsule collection, then we test strap longevity, softness and other features. Finally we turn these efforts into the appropriate product that we present to our customers. We repeat the same process with our buckles as well to ensure they match our straps.
What are your own three favourite watch straps from the recent collection and why?
That's a tough one, thank you for asking! (Laugh) To me, It depends on three different points: the watch, the outfit and the mood. Not everything works with every single watch, nor it works with every outfit. Also, mood depends on so many different factors... But, to respond your question, I'm personally a sober person. I wear simple, plain colors such as black, grey, green and beige... so my actual top three would be: Granite Nubuck, Black Alligator and Bourbon Horween Cordovan.
You started with watch straps and then expanded into watch boxes and spring bar tools. What can we expect from Molequin in terms of new product lines?
We are actually working on some really cool projects that will be launched in 2021. The idea is to expand our researches into watch-related items but also we will be leaving our comfort zone a bit... I can't really tell you more at the moment but it will certainly be a nice surprise – stay tuned and visit our site often!
It seems that you've chosen a direct-to-consumer approach with no retailers. Which markets are you looking into now and where can we expect to find Molequin in the future?
It is actually not entirely true :) Lets just say that we don't really communicate on that as we respect our partners and what they are trying to achieve. We are working with retailers and producing for other brands too, yet with promotion we only focus on Molequin brand. Hence we do both Business-to-business and Business-to-consumer.
Finally, what's your personal philosophy on men's style?
As with everything, I strongly promote and recommend quality first, investing your time and your money into the right items, those things that fits your desire and your philosophy in life. I have huge faith in small, independent brands, specified in what they believe is the most important. Simplicity would certainly be the single word to define my personal approach to of men's style.