Nixon Watches
| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Encinitas, United States |
| Products | Wristwatches, accessories, clothing |
| Parent | Billabong International |
| Website | http://www.nixonnow.com/ |
Nixon is an accessories company for the youth lifestyle market founded in 1997 by Andy Laats & Chad DiNenna in Encinitas, California. Nixon began with a small line of custom built, team designed watches with focused distribution in specialty surf, skate, snow, and fashion stores. Expanding into accessories and limited softgoods in 2000, Nixon has continued its growth into over 25 countries and is now part of Billabong International.
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[edit] History
Nixon was founded by Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna after DiNenna's unsuccessful attempt to find a watch that reflected his surfing lifestyle. Laats was a mechanical engineer with a bachelor's degree from Cornell University who had worked at Burton, a snowboard company in Vermont for six years, and who was getting his MBA from Stanford.[1] DiNenna studied communications at Long Beach State and worked for publishing company Transworld for five years.[2] The two raised nearly $1 million from venture capitalists to start Nixon and in 1997, Nixon's catalog debuted with seven models that were available at 200 retailers.[3] Nixon opened a subsidiary in France in 2000, and by 2005 had 90 models and 60 employees, with sales growing by 55 percent annually.
[edit] Purchase
In January 2006 Nixon was purchased by Billabong International for $54.6 million and was expected to contribute around 5%-6% in the 2006-2007 financial year.[4]
“The Billabong group has a lot to offer; the character of their leadership, our shared vision of Nixon’s future and their expertise in the specialty markets make them the perfect choice.” - Nixon co-founder Andy Laats.[5]
[edit] Nixon Surf Challenge
Since 2000 Nixon has hosted a surf challenge in San Sebastián, Spain near the Spanish/French border. With a diverse history and natural beaches, it was considered a favorite surfing spot in Europe by invited riders. Though the contest has a €10,000 purse, the surfing is peer-judged - something that Transworld Surf has called a "refreshing change".[6]
[edit] Watch models
Nixon offers a variety of analog and digital watches for both Men and Women with Japanese and Swiss movements in both quartz and automatic.
[edit] Headphones
In Q1 2009, Nixon released a line of fashion-conscious headphones.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Watch company skates through cultural boundaries
- ^ Watch company targets action-sports athletes, teams with Billabong
- ^ Local watch company with funny name, Nixon, makes itself a part of the action-sports lifestyle
- ^ Nixon Watches Sold to Billabong
- ^ Transworld
- ^ http://www.transworldsurf.com/surf/pressrelease/article/0,19929,1217035,00.html
