This month, upstart watchmaker and PayPal business
Omologato launches its James Hunt Official Chronograph, honouring the famously maverick Formula 1 champion.
It’s a milestone for founder Shami Kalra, who agreed the licence with the James Hunt Foundation, winning it from under the nose of a major Swiss watchmaker.
In just 2 years, Shami has built Omologato Watches from just a few sketches, a Twitter account and a passion for motorsport. Today, it’s a highly regarded brand favoured by racing fans and celebrities alike.
Motorsport legends Damon Hill, Karun Chandhok, Johnny Herbert and Derek Bell are fans and now friends.
That’s quite a journey. As a young petrol-head, Shami had always wanted one of those very expensive, motorsports chronographs that drivers and film-stars where but, as he says, “When you’re broke, with two young kids, there’s no way you can ever afford anything like that. I couldn’t even go to a Grand Prix.”
By contrast, Shami designs Omologato watches with meticulous attention to racing heritage and detail, but sells them at achievable prices and with a sense of community.
The competitive selling price is achieved, in part, through careful purchasing of parts. With an advance from PayPal Working Capital, Shami was able to be proactive, securing stocks of components before the pound dropped in value.
He explains; “PayPal Working Capital gave me the strength to negotiate. I said to my supplier, if you can give me these terms, I’ll send you £10,000 today. We agreed the deal and he had the money within two hours. PayPal Working Capital is a really good tool for negotiation.”
Shami is determined that fans of Omologato should feel included. He is very active on Twitter and Instagram and watch owners are invited to regular #ChronosAndCars events where they can breakfast with their racing heroes in small, but comfortably priced, venues.
“The social engagement is amazing,” says Shami. “We get half a million impressions a month on our Twitter account. Fans have started using #TeamOmologato to stay connected. The social aspect is probably the most endearing part of the business for me.”
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