Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jess Chow, Founder and CEO of VIEREN, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

VIEREN is a new generation of luxury watchmakers inspiring you to be powerful every day. Make the most of every second of your life with automatic watches powered by you. Inspired by modernist architecture, each limited edition timepiece was designed by acclaimed Canadian fashion designer Sunny Fong and certified Swiss Made to tell time for a lifetime. Meticulously crafted for those looking for a versatile statement timepiece to elevate their look at the next meeting or party.

Tell us about yourself

Growing up, I was immersed in watchmaking. Both my parents made watches, and I remember how cool it was to see hundreds of tiny pieces come together perfectly to create a quality timepiece. After a decade of building my career as a Management Consultant, I decided to start a brand of my own in 2019 when I turned 30. VIEREN is a love letter to my parents, continuing the generational legacy of watchmaking in my family. With the world becoming increasingly digital, we’re bringing back old timekeeping traditions, but in a new way. Handcrafted for over six months by passionate Swiss watchmakers in La-Chaux-de Fonds, Switzerland, our bespoke collections showcase experimental designs that push the boundaries of luxury watchmaking for today’s modern watch collectors.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Collaborating with my business partner Sunny Fong on our first collection, OG Automatic. Each bespoke component was created for us to showcase the craftsmanship required to create a beautifully designed automatic watch.

These luxury timepieces are powered by one of the smallest Swiss automatic movements (ETA-2671) with 25 jewels and a 44-hour power reserve. Specially engineered to be ultra-thin at only 9.2mm, the gender-neutral rectangular case and bracelet universally fit every wrist. The monochromatic design experiments with innovative materials like Diamond-like Carbon (DLC), making the watch both stylish and scratch resistant. A signature 18K gold rehaut ring frames every VIEREN watch to mark this special moment in time. We’re excited to announce that we’re currently working on our next special edition collection -coming in Spring 2023. Sign up to be first in line at vieren.co

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Being able to adapt to change. Launching VIEREN in 2020 at the start of the pandemic wasn’t easy. There were times when we questioned the path forward and whether we should continue or pause our plan. But we always went back to our brand purpose to “power your time.”

Our goal is to share the magic of the automatic watch to inspire them to keep focus and keep moving on, pushing time forward. We decided that, during this time, it was even more important for people to get out there and pursue their dreams. So we pivoted, and pivoted again and again, to bring our vision to life. With time moving faster than ever, we are proud we persevered and hope to continue to inspire today’s generation of changemakers to make time move for you.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My best advice is to just go for it! Give it three months and see where you end up. You won’t know everything at the beginning, but you’ll for sure learn things along the way.

  1. Prioritize your purpose - understand why you do what you do, and remind yourself of it every single day.
  2. Find mentors - get help from your people and connect with your community to learn from other like-minded individuals.
  3. Strike a balance - it’s easy to start putting all your time into the business; remember to take care of yourself, so you can be in the best state of mind to bring your vision to life.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://vieren.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vierentime/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vierentime/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vierentime/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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