Today we have a very particular guest on Retailer Stories. Not exactly a retailer but still in the watch and jewelry business, Katrina Vrakas is someone who comes from a family of jewelers and grew up around the industry. Today she runs a custom jewelry company called Create, where she works with, among other things, watches. We talked to her about her own background with watches and what motivated her to get into the business, as well as some of the challenges she might face – including the current economic climate. Enjoy.
Katrina Vrakas
Andres Ibarguen: How did you first get into the watch and jewelry business? Have you always had an interest in it?
Katrina Vrakas: I have been involved in the jewelry business my entire life. It dates back to my great grandfather who was a goldsmith and watchmaker, to my grandfather who was in diamond sourcing, and finally to my parents who own a jewelry store in a small suburb of Wisconsin. My mom would educate and sell diamonds to clients from the kitchen table of our family home when I was a child, and I remember listening and taking in all of the knowledge that she had to offer. My older brother Justin also started his own vintage watch business, so the entrepreneurial spirit and interest in the industry truly runs in our blood.
AI: And having worked with/customized several vintage timepieces what’s your relationship with them? Would you consider yourself a watch nerd?
KV: I don’t consider myself a born “watch enthusiast” but I have most definitely grown to love and appreciate them - particularly vintage pieces. Before I started my own company, I worked with my brother Justin, who has been a huge influence on my interest in watches. His company, Watchsteez buys and sells vintage timepieces so I really learned an insane amount about watches just from handling them all day. I also do some freelance creative work on the side for Analog/Shift, which has greatly contributed to my knowledge and appreciation for watches. I’m particularly drawn to vintage because of the stories that the pieces carry and because of how uniquely each one ages aesthetically overtime. There could be two watches of the exact same Rolex reference and production year that look entirely different based on how the original owner wore and took care of the piece. For example, a dial that has turned "tropical" brown due to unstable paint mixtures and UV exposure versus a black dial that hasn't changed color at all.
AI: How long does it take to customize a vintage watch? Is it different working with vintage vs. modern timepieces?
KV: It really depends on the type of customization that’s being done and the amount of labor involved. It could take anywhere from a few days to several months. Working with vintage can sometimes be more complex in nature due the fragility of the pieces and the availability of the watch parts.
Black Diamond Pip by Katrina Vrakas / Credit: Phillip Toledano
AI: What’s the relationship like with the customer while you work on their watch? Do you work together in some sense?
KV: I work very closely with my clients during the customization process, whether it be watches or jewelry. This is one of the many reasons why I love what I do. I had a watch enthusiast come to me recently with a vintage Submariner that had a custom, hand-engraved dial. He was looking to add some additional “oomph” to the piece but wasn’t exactly sure what that was. We went back and forth on a few ideas in the beginning of the process, which ultimately led to him letting me use my imagination and creativity. In place of the bezel lume pip, I ended up setting a small black diamond in 14K white gold, aka “subtle bling.” The client definitely had input during the process, including gold color, gold karat, the finish etc. It’s important for me to work closely with the client during the customization process so that we can achieve something beautiful that they will love in perpetuity.
AI: Why did you start Create? How’d you get the idea?
I’ve always been a creative person and since I was little, I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. Entrepreneurialism just runs in my blood and with my family’s extensive history in the jewelry industry it made sense. The whole idea of my company transpired one Christmas after my mom and I had designed a custom pendant for my older brother, Chris. This is something we’d do often as gifts for close family members or friends. I remember posting a video of the finished piece on my social media and was overwhelmed with the responses from my followers asking how they could get their own personalized pieces made. That really sparked the idea in my mind to create a legitimate business out of it.
AI: Do you do more business online or is it mostly in person?
A majority of my business is done online. My selling platforms include my website and my two Instagram accounts - personal and brand. Never underestimate the power of social media! I also do pop-ups occasionally within store or event spaces where I show and sell my pieces in person. I strongly believe that retail is trending away from traditional “brick and mortar” and more towards an online presence, which is why I’ve chosen to operate this way.
AI: Do you think there is a sizable market for customizable watches? Is it something you get requests for often relative to your other offerings like rings and necklaces?
KV: I do think that there is a sizable market for customized watches. I think there’s a lot of room for creativity in the customized watch space and I’m excited to bring that to the industry. You tend to see the same customizations done over and over again - i.e. flooding out the case in diamonds, or setting colored stones as the indices. I just think there’s a lot of creativity that hasn’t been touched on quite yet. Yes, watches definitely play a part in the business.
Credit: Phillip Toledano
AI: What do you think of the market for customizable things in general, how can the logistical/scalability issues related to customization be overcome?
KV: I myself am a very picky consumer. I will shop for a pair of denim for instance and not purchase because I want the buttons on them to be copper instead of silver. This is where the customization comes into play. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the market, you should be able to create it yourself. Everyone has their own taste and creativity. I'm amazed at some of my clients' customization ideas that I would have never dreamt up myself. I think that the demand for custom product will always be there. Regarding the logistical and scalability issues - this is where quality manufacturing and goldsmithing really comes into play. To me, it’s imperative to have a team that’s passionate and experienced in what they’re doing. It’s also imperative that my team understands my creative visions. This leads to greater quality pieces with less logistical issues and a smoother customization process for the client.
AI: What’s your take on the conflict between making something fully customizable and giving people too many options?
KV: I do think that giving a consumer too many options can sometimes result in a negative outcome, but I also believe that the demand for custom jewelry pieces will always be there. I’ve made it a point to offer a small collection of pre-designed pieces on my website while also offering fully-customizable pieces as well. We cater to both types of consumers - the consumer who wants to make their shopping process quick and effortless and the consumer who wants a one-of-a-kind-piece and the ability to control every last design detail throughout the design process.
AI: How do you think a recession could affect a business like yours?
KV: Jewelry and watches are luxury items and are likely not the first thing on people’s minds as we experience this unfortunate epidemic throughout the world. It’s definitely an interesting time for businesses like mine with many manufacturers shut down indefinitely, but it also presents an opportunity to reinvent the way that we operate. I think that there will be a lot of positive changes in the way that we do business in various industries and I don’t foresee a lack of demand for jewelry and watches. There will always be birthdays, holidays, anniversaries etc. As long as the price points are affordable and make sense in direct relation to the quality offered, the products will continue to move. I do believe that the economy will bounce back, the value of gold will increase (invest now!), and the watch prices will level back out.
AI: What do you say to people who think customizing a watch, in particular rare vintage watches, actually makes them lose value?
KV: At the end of the day, my job is to make my clients happy. If a client wants to make a watch their own by adding some beautiful customizations, then by all means I’m about it. On the other hand, if a client asks my opinion on the matter, I’d steer them in the direction that best suits goals. For example, if they’re buying the piece for investment purposes or with an idea of reselling in the future, it’s probably best to keep it in its most original and unpolished form. All in all, it’s truly up to the consumer and what they want to do with their piece.
AI: And finally, do you have any watch, be it vintage or modern, that you’re looking to buy for yourself?
KV: Great question, haha! My current everyday piece is a 1970 Rolex Datejust 1601 with a matte black gilt dial, but I’ve been looking at the Day-Date models more recently. I would love to own a yellow gold Onyx Dial Day-Date in the future. The stone dial Day-Dates are just so minimal and beautiful in my opinion.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Katrina! You can check out her shop here.