LuxeFoil Luxury Watches and Interview with Travis Ayers
Imagine a watch or piece of jewelry with an innovative design that includes metals so precise that NASA uses them in satellites. Or, an accessory adorned with metals in remarkable hues that are 500 times thinner than a human hair. These are just a few of the cutting-edge innovations LuxeFoil™ will debut this month at BASELWORLD, the world’s largest watch and jewelry show.
“LuxeFoil™ offers luxury brands a powerful combination of technologically advanced and breathtakingly beautiful materials that differentiate them from the competition and deliver up a competitive advantage, says Travis Ayers, LuxeFoil™ President. “The luxury watch and jewelry market already values precision, rarity and unique items. They also value craftsmanship and reliability. Those are all the things that are the heart of Luxel’s corporate culture and have been for 40 years. So it seemed like a natural place to start with LuxeFoil and take that into new markets. We look forward to launching the collection to the world’s pinnacle brands at BASELWORLD in a few weeks.”
For more information about LuxeFoil™ please visit:
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INTERVIEW WITH LUXEFOIL DESIGNER/COMPANY PRESIDENT
TRAVIS AYERS
What inspired you to enter the luxury watch industry?
I love watches but most of all I love innovation. One day I was flipping through a catalogue, I think it was Nordstrom, and was immediately drawn to the accessories and watches. Around the same time, back in the lab, I was examining a foil through a microscope and realized it wasn’t just functional, it was beautiful. The shine, color and reflection it produced, along with the quality that I know we’re able to achieve seemed the perfect fit for the watch industry.
How long have you been working in this?
We have been producing material for the aerospace industry for nearly 40 years but are very new to the watch and luxury goods industry. It’s quite a different world and we’re learning so much as we prepare for Baselworld.
In your opinion, what makes your materials unique? How can they help watch brands?
LuxeFoil™ materials are produced with a patent-pending process that involves the latest nano fabrication techniques, similar to those in semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, can are used as a design element to enhance the face of a watch. We makes foils 500x thinner than a human hair, in approximately 20 different materials. For example: Gold, Platinum, Titanium. We even offer more exotic materials such as Zirconium, Niobium, Boron, Palladium, Silicon, Rhodium, that routinely survive rocket shots launching them into space.
What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
We have been tasked by major space agencies around the world, including NASA, The European Space Agency (ESA)and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. In fact, our materials will be launched on ESA’s first mission to Mercury in 2015. Our biggest fashion-related accomplishment at this point is showing at Baselworld, the largest watch and jewelry show in the world which takes place this week in Basel, Switzerland. We’ve received great response from our initial outreach and are looking forward to the many meetings we have scheduled with some of the top watchmakers in the world.
What’s your favorite watch or watch companies?
I have a Rolex Submariner that my wife bought me when I finished my MBA but I am also drawn to several IWC designs.
What other experience do you want to share about working in the fashion industry (stylist, retail, marketing, etc.)?
The outreach and brand positioning in the luxury market is entirely different from dealing with Space Agencies. It is such a vast market and branding is much more intentional. It is very exciting to learn.
What’s in the future for LuxeFoil?
We expect to offer our stunning materials to watch companies from around the world.
A few weeks ago, I received product samples in the mail from Color Secrets Professional. I was very excited to open the package. Not only did I receive a hot, new shade (Titanic) but enclosed I also received a Glitter Top Coat and LashFood.