It will probably come as a surprise to learn that one of the Dragons from the BBC series ‘Dragon’s Den’, Duncan Bannatyne, is comfortable displaying his femine side. Being the tough Scot with his habit of glaring at the contestants, you would think he would be the last to offer such insight. But inside his smartly understated flat in London’s Covent Garden, something stands out. In between the elegance of the cream sofas in the lounge and the minimilistic style of the kitchen, sits a chair dear to his heart - a garishly loud pink sofa!
Looking a little deeper, the man himself appears quite dapper possibly even chic- the pinstripe suit more engagiing than than the ’stiffer’ Theo Paphitis or the slightly dull Peter Jones. You also get the sense that he is aware of it!
Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that his latest venture is into the world of style, with the launch of a snappy line of designer watches marketed under the name ‘Kurt Zeiss’. Design of the range is modern and comtemporary, with clear open faces in designs combining elegance with futuristic sleekness. With this range of mens designer watches and ladies designer watches, Bannatyne and new business partner Grant Morgan, clearly aren’t messing around. Or maybe not? They don’t seem to be in much of a hurry to sell the products, as they are mainly sold on eBay and by Bannatynes wife in their boutique in Yarm, Yorkshire. Since Morgan’s arrival, a new ecommerce website has been produced providing a platform for the range.
Bannatyne met Morgan at a charity event, and both realised that they had a common interest in watches, and Bannatyne admitted that he felt the business was no great risk.
From a slow start, they have seen an increase in sales and the outlook for the next quarter is positive. Christmas being the busiest time of the year, with the company taking measures to cope with the increasing in expected sales interest.
If the business is purely an ego trip for Bannatyne, it is certainly a good move, for a business man who can recognise a good thing when it comes along. Easily the richest of the TV Dragons, with £320 million in the bank, his business empire began with the purchase of a single ice cream van back in the eighties.
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