Renato history death and rebirth

The history of Renato watches.

First we will go back to the beginning Daniel Minkowitz Sr. started Daniel Mink watches back in the 1970's working all the way to the 1990's till Mr. Minks death.
http://www.danielmink.com/about.html
Timepieces bearing the Daniel Mink name were first seen in the 1970s. The brand has always been dedicated to Swiss watch prowess, outstanding styling and technical excellence. In the late 1990s, the brand was purchased by the Montreux Group. Capitalizing on the strengths of Daniel Mink’s watchmaking design innovation and passion for the art of traditional watchmaking, and forging ahead with new product direction, the Montreux Group redefined Daniel Mink Switzerland and brought it to new heights.
This article appeared in the June 1998 issue of JCK:


Watch Watch



by Keith Flamer, senior New York editor




Daniel Mink Relaunches

Daniel Mink’s marketing hiatus is about to end. The 20-year-old Swiss watch brand has been occupied in recent years with strenuous product development, paying off debts and refinancing. Now it’s on the verge of a worldwide relaunch, with two new flagship watch collections and newfound marketing power, courtesy of its U.S. distributor, the Montreaux Group. The target: jewelry stores and better department stores.
Daniel Mink’s long-term goals are fewer stores, more marketing and retail support. Distribution will be more selective than in the past – not to exceed 100 stores in 1998.
More aggressive marketing includes Daniel Mink billboards, now popping up in large cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Ads will grace buses, phone kiosks and television programs like VH1’s “My Generation.” It is the exclusive watch sponsor of the popular program.
Daniel Mink hadn’t advertised to the consumer in about four years. Now it’s backed by a multimillion-dollar consumer and trade blitz. The ad budget has been increased about fivefold, says Mitchell Caplan, vice president of marketing. “We wanted to be quiet and concentrate on product development rather than sales,” he says. “Without substantial advertising in the U.S., it would have been a choppy effort. We want a full-blown effort.”
That effort includes a generous co-op program, as well as redesigns of the watch line itself, the packaging and displays.
The two new watch collections are called Intrinsic and Pentimento. The Intrinsic line features automatic movements, sapphire crystals on front and back, power reserve meters and date windows. It comes in steel with silver or black dial on a bracelet or genuine alligator strap; an 18k gold bezel is available. The Intrinsic Collection retails from $1,395 to $2,095.
Pentimento, inspired by Daniel Mink’s tradition, derives its name from a painting technique. The line, which debuted at the recent Basel Fair, showcases sapphire crystals, engraved crowns and casebacks, and a crocodile strap, steel bracelet or 18k gold and steel bracelet. A women’s model is distinctive in 18k gold and steel with diamonds. Pentimento retails up to $2,995.
Daniel Mink also plans to relaunch its 1900 collection in 1999 – just in time for the year 2000. The Montreaux Group is looking to acquire other watch brands in the future, according to Caplan

The Daniel Mink we know was a designer of these watches around 2002 he sold one of his designs to Oceanaut the Pacha which became the first offering of the New Renato the Beast from the onset of this new watch company which went on to ShopNBC around 2005 for the first time price point,CS,and QC were top notch for a young company on Shop in the first 30 minutes they had sold out everything with sales of 1.1million in that time. By 2008 Renato was doing 30 million a year in sales.

This led to 2009 times had changed the business model that made it a success also made it vulnerable to failure. Renato left Shopnbc sales slipped cash flow slowed. There was a problem with the grading of diamonds. Around the same time Renato and Daniel Mink got cuaght up in the Rothstein Ponzi Scheme.

2010 back to shop and gone again selling watches on BuyRenato.com at very low prices.
2011 April the 5th Daniel Mink sent out that Renato was going to have a new Tourbillion launch with the 20% off it was going to be 599.00 months of people asking where it was with delay after delay Mink was thrown out of Watchgeeks. Started Renatogeeks and saw the forum crash and burn,Face Book gone twitter gone Email also gone.
2012 Around February it was announced that MZ Berger bought Renato and that Danial Mink would be the head designer and not CEO. This is the company that bought XOSkeleton.
March Avi is brought on as the face of the new Renato.
April Renato was back on ShopNBC for the third or forth stint.
May 6th is the first Todays Top Value on ShopNBC under the MBZ Flag.

If I have missed anything please add to it. I know I don't know everything and might have some dates mixed up.

This was hard to put together. I don't think anybody has ever put one up, just like Invicta what the man in the box says isn't always the truth took alot of time and many of my book marked pages to put this together. Hope everyone enjoys this. If something is wrong please add to this. Thanks Ocean

Thanks for putting that together! One question, where did you get the 30 million in sales in 2008 figure? That seems extraordinarily high, especially in light of the economy beginning it's tanking in 2007.

Sorry it wqas from 2005-08 that it Was doing 30 million a year http://www2.prnewswire.com/mnr/renatowatches/34710/
Forgot to add Ovadia Levy (Daniel Minks brother in-law)co-owner of Renato was bilked out of 16-20 million in the ponzi scheme and one of the major factors in Renatos down fall

I would have to get a pen, paper, and calculator out to do the math. $30 million a year given Renato's limited "runs" and low production still sounds too high.

I agree but it wasn't the only place that I saw it. I will leave it as fact for now till I or anyone else can disprove it.

Just for kicks and rough example, say an individual Renato watch costs $100 to make
then sells for $600, giving $500 per watch gross profit.

$30,000,000 divided by $500 profit each sale means they would have had to sold 60,000 watches in 2008.

The thing is that the were LE's most of the time. 60k watches I don't think they did either, that's 5000 watches a month. I think they truthfully added a 0.

Great job. Here is an example of a post-Mink family Daniel Mink model of mine, the Tempus. Swiss Made, ETA 2836, sapphire, great retro-military looks. An overall very nice timepiece.

Bump, any thoughts now that it has been a year since putting this together.

Dead in the water.............

I never own one, but somehow thought they were better made and like the general outlook better than the other TV brands.

The brand, though still alive, remains stuck in 2007, with persistent 50mm cases. Now adding mineral crystals instead of sapphire. Embossed alligator straps instead of genuine. Cheap quartz movements despite the call for automatics. Prices remain department store silly high.

since it has been awhile