Johannesburg: Titan Industries (Titan), manufacturers of the Titan watch brand, will unveil its new range at the upcoming Jewellex on July 24, 2010.

Titan is a subsidiary of the global Tata group, a US$70 billion global organisation known for its forays in steel, hospitality, retail, automobiles, FMCG and energy. In South Africa, the Tata group is present across a wide range of businesses, including automobiles, hospitality, telecommunications, IT and steel. Taj Hotels has opened a hotel in central Cape Town and a second hotel is underway in Johannesburg. Tata passenger cars and commercial vehicles are widely distributed in South Africa, including a bus body building and assembly unit. Neotel, the fixed line operator in South Africa, is a venture of Tata Telecommunications and has been present since 2005.

“With our focus on emerging global markets and the vision to be a leading international player, South Africa has become a very high priority for us. We would like to be among the top five brands in the market and believe that ten per cent of our international revenues will come from South Africa in five years’ time. We believe that with our strengths in design, manufacturing, marketing and retail, combined with the strong partnerships we have built in South Africa, we will be able to build a powerful brand in the South African market,” says Bhaskar Bhat, managing director, Titan.

Mr Bhat explains that Titan sees an opportunity in South Africa to be a leading player in the mid-premium category for both men and women who are upwardly-mobile and fashion-conscious in the emerging middle-class consumer segment. Titan will operate in the R800 to R2000 price band and believes the range of watches it offers at those price points will be aspirational, design differentiated and of exceptional quality, which also makes it great value for money for the consumer. The range Titan is launching in South Africa is contemporary, bold and of international styling that will appeal to the target consumer market. The Titan Design Studio and Titan's in-house integrated manufacturing facility has paid great attention to detail to enhance the finer aspects of each and every watch.

Titan will launch in South Africa this year, with substantial investments in marketing. The media spend for the brand in year one will be higher than any other player in the mass and mid-premium category. With the expertise of building powerful brands and the scale of investments in marketing, Titan is confident it will be able to firmly establish itself as an aspirational brand for South African consumers.

Titan watches will be distributed exclusively by Luxco Importers in South Africa. The reputation and relationships the company enjoys with the trade and retail partners in the market today, is a huge asset for Titan and will help establish Titan as a leading player in the South African market. Titan will be present across leading national fashion retailers and jewellery and watch stores across the country