Starting out as an intern for a distributor selling Frederique Constant among other brands. Today with over 17 years of working in the watch industry, Dutch national Niels Eggerding finds himself as Managing Director at Frederique Constant.

1. Describe briefly your childhood.

I grew up in a warm Dutch family in the south part of the Netherlands, with a strong and disciplined father, liberal “educational” mother and a challenging older sister that resulted in respect for values in life and shaped me with an entrepreneurial mind.

2. As a child, did you have any driving ambition?

I struggled as a kid what I wanted to be in the future but I always had a weakness and interest for being a kitchen chef, when I became older my strength was clearly not in cooking but I developed my skills in sales and business development when being a teenager.

3. What is your first significant memory as a child?

My grandparents lived near Amsterdam in a small town called Weesp and had their own canal boat, every summer my parents dropped me for a few weeks to stay with my grandparents and I had a great time with my cousins playing and boating with them. When I dive deep into my memory this is what I always remember, me being on the canal boat with my grandparents and playing with my cousins, I even remember the look of the sun every morning and the smell of the fresh grass and water.

4. Have you ever had another profession?

I started as an intern, at a watch distributor in the Netherlands that was selling, crazily enough; Zenith, Camel Trophy Watches and Frederique Constant. I remember back, I was in my late teens, seeing Peter Stas visiting us and showing the latest additions to the Frederique Constant collection.

5. What made you decide to go in the direction you are currently in?

During this internship, my passion was born for fine watchmaking, the craftsmanship involved in creating small components, combined, a ticking watch, this was stunning for me. I have tried leaving the industry for a few years to explore different avenues but I was pulled back into it due to the attraction and passion I have for fine watchmaking.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve had to do?

When being a student I had to work as my parents didn’t have a lot of money, it was in that time not easy to get a good job, and I ended it up washing trains in the middle of the night during weekends. This, I have to say, was the worst job I ever had. Very tough work, physically, and exhausting working in the night on Friday and Saturday while your friends were going out and have fun.

7. What’s been the hardest moment in your life so far, and how did you overcome it?

My sister in law, mother in law and mother suffered, all in the past 10 years, of cancer. I probably do not have to explain more details on this disease as most people around the world have had to deal with it, but especially a young woman that is close to you, with her family suffers from this disease is horrible and devastating. We still deal with this, unfortunately, and especially seeing my wife dealing with this is very difficult for me.

8. Who has had the strongest influence on you?

Certainly, my wife and kids, every day I wake up with the responsibility for them and securing them with daily life needs and future perspective. My parents who educated me with love and hard work to get things done, big inspiration what still motivates me today when facing a tough day.

9. What are you most proud of?

My wife, 8 years back we took the decision(my wife and me) to move over to Switzerland and work for Frederique Constant, my wife choose to leave her family, friends and work behind and support me on this journey as where I am today, without having her and my kids on my side I would never be able to achieve what I have been achieving.

10. What advice would you give to a 20 something someone thinking of taking a similar path as you?

Stay close to yourself, work hard, accept failures, keep on trying, focus on the positive things in life and have respect for people around you.

11. Name three things on your bucket list.

- Within 10 years from now starting a small hotel together with my wife

- Round trip with my family through Canada

- Seeing and experiencing the Northern lights!

12. Where do you think the watch industry is going to be in 10 years time.

I believe that Swiss watches keep their place in the coming 10 years but it will be reshaped, some brands will not be able to keep up and will fail or fall of, smartwatches will create their own space and place in the industry and mostly, it will take over quartz watches. Retail will go through a strong change, fewer retailers but retailers are creating more of an experience for the consumer that differentiates them from online sales, leasing’s of commercial properties will decrease and will reshape the retail landscape positively what will have a positive impact towards the watch industry. 

To learn more about Niels Eggerding