Reviving a Swiss Watch Icon Across Former Yugoslav Markets

THE CHALLENGE

Does a brand that disappeared decades ago still have a place in consumers’ minds?

Darwil is a Swiss watch brand with a unique heritage dating back to the early 20th century. For decades, it was one of the most recognised watch brands across former Yugoslavia, where owning a Darwil watch represented status, success, and a connection to the Western world.

The brand’s popularity was strongly connected with the famous Darwil Palace in Trieste, Italy — a shopping destination visited by thousands of consumers from across the region every weekend. Over time, Darwil became more than a watch brand: it became part of the collective memory of several generations.

Following the political and economic changes of the 1990s, Darwil gradually disappeared from the market. However, the brand’s legacy remained alive. Many original owners continued to wear their watches, while others passed them on to younger family members.

In 2020, Darwil’s advisors approached Inquiry with a key business question:

Could a brand absent from the market for decades successfully return — and what role could its heritage play in this relaunch?

To answer this, the company needed to understand:

1. How should Darwil position itself to connect with both existing fans and younger consumers?
2. How strong is Darwil’s current brand awareness among consumers?
3. What emotions, memories and associations does the brand still evoke?
4. Does its heritage represent a meaningful competitive advantage?

Our Proposal

Discover the real value behind the brand legacy

A successful brand relaunch requires more than measuring awareness. It requires understanding the emotional connection consumers have with the brand, the memories it creates, and the role it can play in today’s market.

We designed a comprehensive research programme combining qualitative exploration with quantitative measurement. This approach allowed us to connect the emotional power of Darwil’s heritage with concrete market opportunities.

OUR SOLUTION

How we worked — and why we did it this way

Inquiry helped to design a comprehensive multi-country research programme combining qualitative and quantitative approaches across four former Yugoslav markets.

The research included:

• In-depth qualitative interviews exploring personal memories, emotional associations, and perceptions of the brand.
• Quantitative consumer surveys measuring brand awareness, image, brand equity, and purchase potential.
• Cross-market comparisons to identify common themes and market-specific differences.
• Segmentation analysis to understand reactions among different age groups and consumer profiles.

This integrated methodology enabled us to connect historical brand perceptions with current consumer attitudes and future market opportunities.

Cross-market analysis across Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina helped identify both shared regional patterns and local differences.

The research went beyond a traditional brand equity study.

Consumers shared stories about family traditions, shopping trips to Trieste, and the emotional meaning attached to owning a Darwil watch. The research showed that the brand had become part of personal and regional history.

By combining emotional insights with robust market data, Inquiry provided a complete picture of Darwil’s current position and identified the opportunities and challenges connected with a potential relaunch.

EFFECTS

A clear roadmap for bringing a heritage brand back to life

The study revealed that Darwil still enjoys remarkably strong emotional resonance across former Yugoslav markets, despite decades of absence from retail shelves.

Key findings included:

• Significant heritage-driven brand awareness, particularly among older generations.
• Strong positive associations related to quality, reliability, prestige, and Swiss craftsmanship.
• Evidence that Darwil remains part of the cultural memory of many consumers.
• A valuable opportunity to leverage the brand’s authentic heritage as a differentiating asset.
• Clear strategic guidance for positioning the brand for a new generation of consumers.

The research provided Darwil with the evidence and strategic direction needed to evaluate and plan its market relaunch, demonstrating how historical brand equity can continue to create commercial value decades later.

The research confirmed that Darwil remains a powerful symbol of quality and heritage, while providing a roadmap for future growth.

Insights from the study directly informed Darwil’s brand positioning, communication strategy and product portfolio decisions.”