Nako Timepieces’ ODC partnership offers big potential
The collaboration between Nako Timepieces and Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) on its latest edition has been seen as a perfect opportunity for growth for the luxury watch designer.
Last December, during ODC’s ten-year anniversary celebrations, Nako unveiled two collections: a blue coloured presidential watch and a white version specifically for ODC staff members.
On Friday (April 26, 2024), the company delivered on its promise, handing over the swanky, limited edition watches to ODC’s employees.
The partnership was inspired by last year’s deal between government and De Beers over a new ten-year sales agreement for Debswana’s rough diamond production through to 2033, and the 25-year extension of the Debswana mining licenses through to 2054.
Nako Timepieces are confident their innovative approach to design can act as an alternative strategy to develop Botswana’s diamond value chain and to increase her global competitiveness.
According to the Founding Director, Principal Researcher and Chief Design Officer at Nako Timepieces, Gabriel Mothibedi, their alliance with ODC opens-up serious potential for entrepreneurial growth and diversity, particularly in the watch-making and jewellery design sectors.
“It offers immense opportunities to create innovation networks, to build business ecologies, collaborations and partnerships to enhance Botswana’s diamond value chain, to develop product and service industries and increase her manufacturing pulse. ODC, as one of Botswana’s main agencies for commercial and industrial development, will help expand Botswana’s commercial and industrial horizons through the support of new and emerging industries: consumer product design, watch-making and manufacturing,” maintained Mothibedi, adding the union would be a gateway to many other cross-company partnerships, with added value to both ODC and the Nako brand.
He is also confident the collaboration will aid Nako’s commercial and industrial development and expressed his thanks to ODC for supporting a local brand and a locally designed product.
“So far all the recipients of the watches are happy and quite impressed with the artistry, craftsmanship and the quality of the watches. It is such a significant product and rich in our cultural heritage, ideal to celebrate their ten years with. We will be sitting soon to discuss further partnerships to drive the Botswana diamond value chain development agenda. Brand Nako envisions to source 100 percent leather, diamonds and glass from Botswana, and to bring manufacturing and assembly to Botswana. All this will be possible through such partnerships and support,” declared Mothibedi, who described BW as ‘a nation brimming with optimism and opportunity’.
The country sits proudly as the second highest producer of diamonds, behind only Russia, and the leader in terms of value.
While these precious stones are highly sought after in the jewellery and watchmaking industries, Botswana remains an exporter of rough diamonds, with minimal efforts on value addition.
As a result, the country does not benefit from these precious stones as finished products.
Mothibedi called for acceleration of vale addition strategies for Botswana’s diamonds, with ideas, knowledge and innovation at the heart of this.
“As a recovery measure, design innovation stands as an alternative development strategy, and many governments are focusing on strengthening their efforts to harness local design capabilities. As both a framework and an artifact — design contributes enormous strategies, services, systems, products and applied research activities, to gain competitive advantage,” he pointed out.
In terms of developing Botswana’s diamond value chain, Mothibedi added, “Design facilitates manufacturing: the development of products: jewellery and watches, and plays a critical role in the development, establishment and communications of brands and retail industries.”
The Nako boss praised De Beers’ decision to move their Auctions Business headquarters from Singapore to Botswana in the coming months, describing it as ‘a historical milestone’.
