April 26, 2022

Taking Antiques into the Future

Taking Antiques into the Future

In episode 154 of the Futurized podcast, the topic is: Taking Antiques into the Future. Our guest is R.T. Custer, CEO & co-founder of The Vortic Watch Company. 
In this conversation, they talk about the rich history of manufacturing in the US, combining ...

In episode 154 of the Futurized podcast, the topic is: Taking Antiques into the Future. Our guest is R.T. Custer, CEO & co-founder of The Vortic Watch Company. 

In this conversation, they talk about the rich history of manufacturing in the US, combining traditional and cutting edge technology to create unique, quality, functional products, and what learning to derive from building a successful business.

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Trond's takeaway:

If you create something unique, evoking historical significance you don't really need a brand strategy. Perhaps, but Vortic Watch company has all that and still used influencer marketing to tap into new audiences for the fraction of the cost of traditional marketing options. What's for certain is that deep artisanal skills are as much in demand as always, if you give a twist to it. Watches - and marketing - remain timeless, each in different ways.

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If you like this topic, you may enjoy other episodes of Futurized, such as episode 134, [Articulating the Future], episode 111, [How to Demystify Technology], or episode 121, [The Future of MarTech]. Hopefully, you'll find something awesome in these or other episodes. If so, do let us know by messaging us, we would love to share your thoughts with other listeners.

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R.T. CusterProfile Photo

R.T. Custer

Founder

R.T. Custer is founder of Vortic Watch, one of the only American-made watch company that helps resurrect antique watches by combining vintage internals with modern wrist watch cases.
Within just 8 years, he has been able to take it from scratch to 7 figures in revenue.
The journey here wasn’t easy. For 5-years, R.T. had a legal battle against the Swatch Group after they accused Vortic of trademark infringement and counterfeiting in 2015. Federal Judge Alison Nathan ruled in favour of Vortic, stating they have the right to salvage and restore antique pocket watches and turn them into wristwatches; even those that carry the Hamilton trademark.
This legal battle was monumental for Americans as it protected thousands of American small businesses that preserve history, and also signified that small businesses can survive legal battles against larger conglomerates.