From Soviet-Era Sketches To A Georgian Design House with Zviad Tsikolia

A designer’s origin story can smell like acetone, sound like ticking, and feel like a country waking up to its own potential. That’s where we go with Zviad Tsikolia—a friend, an industrial designer, and the creative force turning Georgian identity into watches, jewelry, eyewear and more. He walks us from a Soviet-era workshop stacked with model planes to a modern boutique in Tbilisi, explaining why design isn’t “pretty things,” but a hard marriage of function, engineering, safety and logistics. Then he adds the missing ingredient: emotion. A wristwatch, he says, must carry feeling first or it’s just hardware.

We dig into the aviation roots behind specific Tsikolia pieces—how cockpit altimetry inspired a tilted subdial that Swiss assemblers tried to “correct,” and why references must be lived-in, not pasted on. The brand’s arc stretches from a Red Dot–winning concept to building a design house that celebrates Georgia’s culture: quivery-inspired jewelry honoring ancient wine craft, award-winning eyewear, and a fragrance with surprising staying power. Recognition found its way to unusual wrists too: a CIA officer, Pentagon corridors, and UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili, who wears a custom Seven built to his specs and spirit. These aren’t placements; they’re relationships that turn objects into stories.

We also face the grind behind the glow. Georgia’s limited supply base makes every tool, part and lead time a test. That scarcity shapes a discipline: treat each decision like a precious frame of film, lead with quality, accept slimmer margins and aim for impact that lasts a decade on the wrist. Zviad shares the long game—a first Georgian movement is in motion, with parts manufacturing and caliber modifications building toward independence. And yes, there’s a secret non-watch project slated for next year, a fresh chapter in a design house that refuses to stand still.

If you love watches with meaning, craft with backbone, and design that carries a country’s story, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves thoughtful design, and leave a review to help more curious listeners find us.

Check out Tsikolia:

https://www.instagram.com/tsikoliawatches/

https://tsikolia.com/home/en/usd

Transcript

Warm Welcome And Tbilisi Roots

Blake Rea 0:00

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the Lonely Wrist Podcast. I am your host, as always, Blake Ray. And today, not only do we have a guest, but somebody who I can call a friend, a personal friend, somebody who I've gotten a chance to spend quite a good amount of time with, has met my family, and we've had many a beer together. Babing in from Tbilisi, Georgia, a place that I once called home for nearly a year. We have an industrial designer who not only designs watches, but cars, tanks, airplanes, and anything else this man can draw on paper. Please welcome Sfiad Sikolia. Welcome to the Lonely Wrist Podcast, buddy.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Hi, hi Blake. Thank you very much for such an introduction and thank you inviting me.

Blake Rea 0:56

Thank you. I'm glad that you're you're here. We've been planning this for probably about a year now, maybe, right? Wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Yeah, correct. Yeah, that's uh when we since we started the uh communication, yeah.

Blake Rea 1:09

Yeah, it's been it's been about a year, and and I I was it was funny because I I told you this story, but you know, when I lived in Tbilisi, you know, I was just going around to all the watch shops, you know, and and at the time you were at I think you were at either your watches were sold at time there in Freedom Square or maybe Art Time or one of one of those shops or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Time was art time, yeah. Correct.

Blake Rea 1:43

And and man, I just I saw I saw your GDF. And I think you know, like that watch is such a such a cool watch. I love it. Thank you. Um and I was trying to buy one, but then uh the shopkeeper, obviously it was somebody from art time, like they were giving me like a really hard time about it, you know, like buying it. Yeah, because of course I wanted like a nice discount, like a nice price, and they like they wouldn't do it. So I was like, okay. So and then after that, I uh I like googled, you know, your shop, and that was when you were like right outside like the old town. I think maybe you've moved since then. I could be wrong.

Finding The GDF And First Impressions

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Yeah, it's yeah, yeah, correct. Because then we uh opened the our own the company boutique, you know, the time we had no boutique, and after we grow up, and so then we opened the our boutique.

Blake Rea 2:44

Yeah, and and I think I don't remember we talked about this in Vegas, but uh I think I came on like a Sunday or something, or when you guys were closed, or that's a quite strange story, man, because the usually the I don't know which time it was the I mean the summer, the springtime, or what period it was.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Because usually the boutique starts there from 10 a.m. till the 8 p.m. something like that. Even in the summertime, it's 9 p.m.

unknown 3:18

you know.

Blake Rea 3:18

It could have been that I was like really because I I usually like rise pretty early, so it could have been that I went too early, or that again, I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Seems by Las Vegas time you came.

Blake Rea 3:34

Yeah, I I was yeah, exactly. And and so yeah, because I was I was hoping to to just see more about your brand. And then now as I've learned more about you and we've spent quite some good time together, yeah. You know, I think I think now it it means more to me, like your brand and your story than it did back then when I was trying to to buy one, you know. So curious, you know, to jump into things like tell us about like you know your career before you started, you know, Sikolia and you know your design background, you know, because you know, we talked briefly about it that you started unique, right? And then and then you kind of transitioned into Sikolia. Like, tell me about you know how you got here.

Childhood Lab And The Sensei Mentor

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Oh, it's quite a long story, you know, because the I was born in Soviet Georgia, you know, and at that period we had the we had this some kind of clubs, it's called the junior techniques, you know, and the club was the uh for the people they like the um to be involved to the some uh like modeling affairs, so the maybe some astrology, some radio techniques, and etc. etc. You know, so the aviation, the marines, and the some kind of uh this affairs. So and I was uh just uh uh seven years old. I remember that when my mom took me to that club, you know, so and I was the kid, so and that's uh I my teacher was the it was the transportation design laboratory, and uh so the uh I entered to this laboratory, and since that time, so I started the studying the design, you know. So I had the great crazy, he was the crazy teacher. I call him the the sensei, you know, this notaryngia. So and I remember that the time it was uh uh quite impressive for me. Even today it seems to be a most emotional day, one of the most emotional days in my life because I I remember the all miners, you know, so the old seconds, so that what happened there, the smells, absolutely all emotion. So it was uh great. When you look all around, there's some scale models, you know, the of the cars, the planes, and things like that, the the acetone smell, the you know, so that's the aroma of the acetone, so the some paints, so the glues and things like that, the materials to build the model, you know. Imagine so the how how impressive it was. So you are just seven years old. You look all around and you see the many, many designer sketches, the original sketches, you know. And because it was the like the uh factory of the designers, you know. The uh I was the I remember he told me once that I was 14th designer. Uh he released, you know, so this day who who after became a professional designer, so that's it was a really factory for designers. So that's what was it something that like you had expressed interest with like your mother that you wanted to get into design, or is it just something that no no no no, it was just uh like you know, the usually in uh uh some uh childhood years and uh and when you are the young you just go to some the to dance or the singing or something like that, you know, to spend some time so that's outside of the house or the doing something, you know, it's like the exercise or to and um how to say to express your the talents, you know, to find yourself or things like somebody likes the playing football, uh the playing to do the something in a sport, or I don't know. So the many interests usually the kids have there. My one was the I I tried the I I uh would love to be uh uh aviation designer, you know. And uh the uh the first was the uh aviation laboratory. Uh you know, the when I entered, so the the teacher said that uh it's already uh booked the pool, you know, so it's already booked. It's there's no any place for me, and he advised my mother to go upstairs and uh try to go to transportation laboratory because it was like uh for any kind of transportation, you know. So it's cars or the boats and etc. etc. But I guess that was the best decision. This decision because that after the uh that teacher uh told me that you should to follow this way, you should to become a designer, and he advised to my parents to say they go to that way. So let's continue. Yes, continue this way. So because that he he played the big role in my life, uh also the my brother, because he was also before me, he was the technician, the he was in the same club, you know. They everybody knew him, and they usually the family was the like this, you know. The everybody, my father also they could make the anything, so the it was the just the ordinary thing in our house, so then make something.

Blake Rea 9:45

It's crazy that you uh that you find your passion at such a young age. I I I know this about you, but not sure about my listeners. But you know, you have done some amazing things in your career. I mean, you know, we sh we talked about some of your cars that you've done, like we talked about some of your your military equipment, like your tanks, like you made the first ever, was it the first ever motorized tank for Georgia? Did I understand that correctly?

SPEAKER_01 10:18

First personal armored personnel vehicle. It was the first personal armored vehicle, and uh also the uh the for infantry, so and but many many kind of things. They can I can show you the some of please, yeah. Some some of uh you can see the also the yeah, yeah, yeah. The airplanes, yeah.

Blake Rea 10:46

You oh yeah, you we we talked about your airplane, yes, yes, yes. Curious because now I I don't I don't want to call you a watch designer because you do have not you do you do so much more, but yeah, I have not agree. When when you design a watch, like do you look at it as as just a timekeeping instrument, or do you look at it as like an emotional object?

Tanks, Planes, Cars And Design Purpose

SPEAKER_01 11:20

The first of all, the emotional, of course. You know, it you cannot the separate. When you make the design, the what what the design uh means, you know. Usually the uh most of humans they think the design is the some beautiful thing, you know, it's not beautiful, it's a very complicated uh project, you know, because the it unions the many aspects. The first of all, it's a functionality, the technology, the safety, and the many, many other aspects, you know, the uh how to say the the cost, the logistic, and the many other things, and uh how long it should how to be in the uh center of the attention and etc. etc. how how you know how long it takes to be replaced and things like that. So therefore, you know, the uh the but of course the emotional part is the one of the major parts because the it's uh the piece uh for the everyday use, you know, it's not a tool which is hidden, so that you put the somewhere, you know, so and uh you can see this the maybe a week, the months, and the you take just when you need it, yeah. You know, the and it it is uh to say the very uh dry looking, the very simple, very functional thing, you know. But for example, they take the screwdriver, you know, the the people it's it's a very simple tool, you know. What can you do is just make this some uh more or less the make this some kind of interesting the handle, you know, the nothing more. So but the watch is the very complicated piece. You you you know this the better me because the the many many kind of small pieces, you know, the indexes, the hands, the dial, and the etc. etc. So and therefore the emotional part is the one of the most because uh uh in the case of the mechanical part, you know, so the usually the many companies, and we as well, so using the some existing movement, and the project is based on the existing movement, and and uh you you you you are the limited, you know, so in uh imagination, but uh these limitations also they're pushing you, they squeeze your brain, squeeze your mind, and make this something new and fresh, you know. So notwithstanding that, so we're using the same movement as there are many other brands using so yeah. Yeah, our watch is the my one that is the different here. When you look on it, you you can say this is a Ticolia 7, for example, or this is a Ticolia GDF, or something like that. So the emotional part is the of course the one of the most important parts for designers.

Blake Rea 14:40

Some something that like kind of resonated with me, you know, and we we have we haven't talked about this, like you and I, but you know, after you had came back and we spent like probably uh well, we've probably spent like a whole week together, it seemed like in basic. And and you know, obviously, like I started, you know, I've been following you for a while, and then I don't know if I was following your your brand before, I can't remember, but you had like reposted or shared something that like really was really powerful to me. And I think it was like this past Christmas or something, you know, it was like it wasn't that long ago, but you know, somebody had I think they had gifted their wife like maybe uh one of your watches or something, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Yeah, it was the Marina Gai.

Emotion First: What A Watch Must Do

Blake Rea 15:36

And and just to see like her reaction, man, like she started crying and she started like freaking out and like you know, just hugging her husband, like and and I think after seeing that, you know, like to me, like it it like like fully clicked that like your brand and your products like mean something to Georgian people, yeah. Sure, yeah. And I was like, man, that's so freaking cool, just to even like put that perspective on. And yeah, and so from industrial design, you know, like what elements would you say translate into like wristwatch design, you know? Like, I mean tanks and airplanes and cars, and like I mean, these things are so far away from wristwatches.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

Um I cannot say that's okay, you know, you because the usually for designers, the it's a common thing to be inspired by something, you know. And uh for example, if you take the uh 50s, right? So the the every car was inspired by the aviation. So it's it's okay, you know, the to be inspired by the animal or the by the uh some bugs or the some butterflies or the dolphins or the etc. etc. It's okay, you know. But uh in that case, so you can uh play with the some kind of parts, uh some some styling, you know, so that's try to bring the some military uh piece and transform it and use it on the watch. For example, you know that's the many watches are inspired by aviation, and it is the for the aviators, you know, and so therefore uh in my case it happened as well. But they I always try to combine uh, you know, it's not not not like the some some of very famous brands what they are doing is uh usually they just they put the some graphic, you know, the put the some name and say that it's dedicated to this or uh something like that. In my case, so it is usually not only the call by name or they use the some artwork. No, it is the really bring the some piece of that field, you know, into the watches. So, for example, I say you the P47 Sunderbolt, for example, right? So it was the design, the real fighter was designed by the Georgian immigrant Alexander Kartwelli. So, and then this is uh how to say it's his symbol of Georgians, and it's uh we're proud of that, you know. And uh when I decided to make the dedicated sound watch, so then I said, okay, let's study the P47 in details, what's going on in the cockpit, what's going on in details, you know. So and the and uh what what I did, so the this is the first time when it happened. We have the subdials, correct? So, and uh one of the hand so of the subdial is the tilted. Why? Because they usually, if you are the aviator, you know that when you set the zero, I mean the ground zero, it can be uh it uh differs from the sea level zero, you know, and it can be tilted, you know. So and that's why the uh and uh when the uh Swiss supplier started the assembling, they told me Zvia, this is a wrong, and they tried to correct this and put the hands the vertically, but the artwork on the dial is also the tilted, you know, the zero is tilted. I said, no, no, no, don't do it this because they they they thought they it was the wrong, you know, and they told me Zvia, the dial is the wrongly printed, and there is some mistake. So that's why. That's why. So that's each part can play the really, really important role, you know. So the role. I mean, so it's it depends from the design. And here's my dog, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_05 20:34

No, the dog dogs need to be in the podcast too. Yeah, look at this. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Dog dogs need to be in the podcast too.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Yeah, the there's three of them.

Blake Rea 20:46

When when you started your brand, it was 2011. Correct. Uh you started unique.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Yes, correct.

Aviation References Done With Substance

Blake Rea 20:56

Right, and now you kind of rebranded into Sicolia. And you know, what did you what was the concept? You know, like did you just did you just feel like you needed to bring a Georgian brand to the market, or did you just feel like it was under an underserved market? Because I personally feel like Georgian is like Geor the Georgian market is it's not a very mature market for luxury goods, you know, and and and fashion fashion brands and things like that. So, like, is that was that the mentality back then, or like what did you see and what why, you know, why why Sicolia?

From Unique To Tikolia: The Leap

Building A Georgian Design House

SPEAKER_01 21:39

It's quite interesting, you know. So, okay, they again do we go to back to my childhood years, you know. The usually the watches, what what what what feeling uh do I have to the watches? So I was just I remember the very clear, so that's even the weather or the what weather was. I was uh just say three years old and i was sitting on the table my dad took me and uh put me on the table you know then he had uh some uh Soviet watch and uh I I asked him the way the sound of the tic-tac tic tac tic tac tick was was very magical you know imagine you are just uh three years old so I asked it to him to let me uh take this piece of art and uh he said no no no you break it and my mom pushing him so the so you can give the just uh he will not break and uh right in that time he passed me the watch it was broke oh yeah so the i i remember that i was crying because the i was scared so that's some some some uncomfortable situation but the after in 1992 i tried to make the my own watches because they i have the access to the lace matching the mailing matchings you know so they uh i tried to make the my own but because they have i had the no experience you know so they i really could not imagine the clearly how to make the watch that even today i can show this it was based on the soviet movement i guess the it was the uh vostok movement so uh and even today i have the case which has the no laps you know to you cannot uh you cannot install the the straps and you cannot uh wear but in any case it was a good inspiration and after the many years it was already 2006 and i received the invitation from the um uh very well known the war the red dot the red dot is the for designers like the Oscary also that was that was the year you you won a fashion watch in 2006 yeah yeah yeah that's it was it was in 2006 and uh i said okay so let's make the um some concept design of the fashion watch you know and in a few months i uh got the response from that the my watch that won the red dot award it was a very big impression for me it made the big impression you know that i said wow so that's i can make this some uh very good product uh internationally known and things like that so it gave me big impression the passion as well the power and the so self-confident you know and after when i was there in japan i was working there in japan so they i i tried to um get in touch with the company they produced very unique watches and we signed the contract to produce this watch you know but the what happened happened that they they uh start to using the my ideas and don't produce this watch you know so the the uh part of uh the one by one they using the some ideas so then they they they start the making the new models and i was a lot like a you know that's forgotten you know so and i said okay so we we re signed the contract so and after i became okay came to the came back to georgia you know and that time was the like hard period because the it was not stable anymore and it happened after 2008 you remember yeah the war and all that yeah and it was the not stable anymore i mean the not stable for the design service you know the uh usually i had the customers the uh manufacturers and uh i was making the product for them so but uh what i saw that uh they not anymore want to have the some innovation you know the some new product they usually using the some existing one and the uh uh the payless and things like that and i said so okay in some day it will finish it will be finished you know i need the some permanent income you know that what is the permanent income and moreover i i tired every time to prove the customers what is a good and what is a bad and notwithstanding the in few years they they the many of them they usually mentioned that the I was the right you know but the time is already uh lost you know I said okay I do not want anymore the proof the to my customers the what is good what is a bad just approve yourself is it really good or not and I said okay the uh what what what what uh kind of good is for me which is uh very close to my soul you know and uh to my mind I said watches okay and then let's start the making watches and also you have the some uh successful step you know you got the red dot and uh uh when the reddit book uh was released the um uh the jury uh mentioned this watch as the unique design and I said okay let's go and call this watch brand the unique you know because you already mentioned the like the unique design yeah right right right so and uh I said okay let's do it and uh I remember the I made the logo very quickly and when I was in Japan the my very first car was the classic mini and I was the fallen in love that that time was the when the the new mini was released you know yeah yeah yeah so and the uh I saw that's the new mini has the uh lots of merchandise you know yeah yeah and not the classic the classic mini had the just some uh key fobs and things like that maybe t-shirts with the some kind of logo but the nothing special you know we we which can be wearable so I said okay let's make the watches for the classic and uh I asked it to my friend uh he's living in he's a very famous journalist so in Russia so then I asked asked him so the to support me to communicate with the Russian mini club you know so because it's uh bigger than the Georgian one for example because in Georgia we we we we had just a three kind of three three of these cars and everybody knows each other and the three three customers is nothing you know yeah for sure and uh he told me that Zviat the stop think about the meaning let's make this some watch inspired by Soviet car Gaz M to anyone Volga yeah and uh he said that if uh this design will be good so I promise you I can find the investor and I said okay right in one week I sent to him the first proposal the renderings right and right next day he brought the investor and he invested money and we started making watches that was the my very first step into watch business the very first watch was the I I didn't pay nothing I mean the as a as a as money you know of course it was the uh my time my talent my experience the my work and things like that but there is a money so it will I I was just uh my my play role was then zero wow now look at you and I mean I it's I I think I mean you have an an amazing portfolio of of of like a watch collection that you've designed and I don't know when you started kind of shifting into kind of you kind of have started to rebrand in in a sense and you're starting to kind of take the the name of like the design house of georgia right oh yeah yeah yeah yeah because uh yeah and what what what does that mean to you like to be the design house of georgia well okay again so that's Blake you just mentioned that the people crying you know when they get into our product so you know this is very emotional not only for them but it is uh more it's very emotional for me as well because when you make this a product which is the like the piece of dream and you cannot just uh ignore this you know and therefore therefore so the uh when the I had the quite good collection of the watches I said okay the my my dream was not making watches or designing the all kind of stuff yeah and uh right next step was the to make the jewelry yeah yeah because the I had the uh idea uh how to use the because the you you know the Georgia is the cradle of the wine yeah yeah for sure so and uh yeah and uh we had uh this design piece which is the historical it's a wine jar called the Query this is the amphora like the ampore you know so which can be the put it in the uh ground into the ground you know and the wine after the the you you have to say that's uh like ferments you fill it by the grape juice and after it becomes the wine yeah ferments ferments yeah ferments yeah and uh in the world it's just uh two technologies are the just technologies winemaking it's a Georgian the which is made in Quivery and it's a European you know yeah yeah yeah just the two technologies so and therefore so I said okay the let's take this some historical piece what we have and uh this is a treasure of the Georgian design and innovation and uh transform it to this some jewelry piece you know and that time I started the making the many kind of things inspired by quiver and uh one of the most uh interesting uh product became a quivery the the rings the earrings or the you know the necklace and uh many of the bracelets and many of these things so it's and after after after I started the the make the more and more things like the handbags the belts and the even the parcels yeah yeah wallets and the many things yeah yeah I uh that's why I call it the design house of Georgia it's not the like only the watches the we make everything you know the I guess the spectrum will be bigger and bigger so that's uh it just uh how to say the takes the just some time but uh it it will happen for sure because we we we would like to be uh as a global brand you know it's not just for the domain domestic market so yeah yeah and I mean I see you're wearing your glasses and of course I forgot to mention these glasses glasses which won the in one year the two very I'll say the emotional prizes one is the German design award and second one is the French design award amazing yeah yeah I was it was let me show you the trophy it's a sorry no this is this is exclusive look right here man yeah look this though oh yeah oh wow this is a French design and so beautiful lady oh yeah and she's inspiring me every time oh yeah I was I was actually just yesterday and you've met my wife my wife does not like cologne at all I don't know if if if if you if she told you this or whatever but when you were flying like after we did dinner and you went to the airport and you know you gifted me the fragrance you know I I haven't been been going out too much and I I actually dressed wore yesterday and my wife is like oh what like what what are you wearing like like I like that and and so I was like thank you I'm thank you thank you Sfiola that was you yeah no I was I was it's it's it's an impressive in in the performance I was surprised by by how thank you how long it lasted you know that's that's very important thank you very much thank you thank you Billy so I appreciate it really so that it's uh very cool to communicate with you and the keeping touch with you and uh it's quite how to say the it's it's really treasure I know and and and I'm I'm gonna come see you in Georgia soon and we're gonna we're gonna do some do some more content welcome I'm looking forward to so I I just I just shot a short film and it's a short documentary is it's about the watch industry and I submitted it to a Georgian film festival.

Awards, Fragrance, And Expanding Craft

Small Nation, Big Recognition

Blake Rea 37:48

Wow so we we just got selected for a film festival here in LA wow and so hopefully we'll get selected in Georgia but it's done right outside Tbilisi and I think it's like in like like Machetta or something and it's it's called yeah I think I think they it's called the Tbilisi wine and film festival oh great great union you know so so when I come to Tbilisi and hopefully I get into that festival I'm bringing you with me thank you tell me to so I saw when you know you you lifted up your your hand there you're wearing your super veli right which I think that was your first that the what the one that you wear today is that was your pro was I did I understand that correctly that that was your prototype watch which one you mean yeah that was the first that that that was the prototype yes the very first uh Georgian watch the made in Georgia watch so that's uh for his watch oh yeah there she is it's called the super valley super valley means the very first I was about to ask that I was about to ask that because I didn't know what that means but and I I just saw breaking news that you did a super valley with dinamo yeah of course uh the the football club there uh yeah yeah just the 14 pieces it's based on this watch on this design but the we changed the some kind of parts of course they made uh make it more exclusive so the dials are the golden plated of course the dial artwork also they changed you know the using the some dynamo symbols because there's hundred years the since uh the FC Club was established in 1925 you know so wow and uh they asked me they make some exclusive watch and I said okay so they we produced just 14 pieces and the three of them were gifted to the club and the 11 we keeping this the sum of them so the 11 was the for the commercial selling for the uh collectors and the right I have to say the right yester yesterday I had the very emotional meeting with the one of the famous the Georgian all-time the best captain of the FC you know FC Dinamo yes and uh Alexandr Chivade he was uh number three so the he was also the captain of the Soviet Union uh uh team you know so the the football team and they this is a very remarkable you know I was quite impressive then the and one one one watch was the gifted to him uh as they have to say it's uh it's just uh like the thanks gift to them and it's uh for that emotions they gifted to Georgia you know I have to admit I was so disappointed when Georgia lost to Spain yes oh man that destroyed everyone destroyed my heart man i actually was I actually put like I don't I don't I don't gamble like at all right but I put money on Georgia to win that game and when and when you guys were up like I think you guys were up to like like you you're up like 3-1 or some shit like really like before the halftime and then I was freaking out man I was like this this like George Georgia is gonna like go crazy but yes that was robbed from us man that was robbed from us yeah so unfortunately we lost these games but the you know uh I was the time in a new york so okay when I started watching the championship so you know and it's uh it was the like so emotional because the yeah the all all all Georgians you know they're together in the Georgian restaurant and they we started watching together and they each go like oh the the Georgia go Georgia goes it's we there was there was a lot of magical moments in that game for sure yeah yeah yeah I I try I tried to go to a dinamo game because I think it it was dinamo that I think they're they're in vacay right like dinamo is in the dub so the in vaccine is a locomotive oh okay okay okay okay okay yeah yeah we I would I would ride I would take those little scooters and ride up and down vacation there like vaccine yes there there's a locomotive stadium it's a locomotion studio uh oh okay okay yeah so Georgia is such a special place and I I recommend anybody who's listening thank you please go to Georgia but you know 2014 also you won your red dot design for packaging is correct and so so winning those awards is like I mean it's a big deal right like I can see the award right there behind you but you know how how does that recognize Recognition, you know, impact, you know, a relatively small brand coming from a relatively small nation like Georgia, you know.

SPEAKER_01 44:11

Yeah, and uh not famous in this field, you know. Now, yes, because the uh our very famous the designer, the Demna Gwasali, you know, so he was working in Balenciaga, now he moved to Butch. So the he is a very good uh ambassador of the Georgia, you know. So, but they usually we never had uh such famous names in uh design, the internationally very well known. No, it was just still like this. Some you know, some cases, in some cases, yes, but they're not not in the global, right?

Blake Rea 44:52

Yeah, yeah. I've started to notice that too because I mean there's a lot of talented, you know, people from from Georgia, you know, and and so you know, Georgia is not really traditionally known for like like having a strong like industrial background. It it is in in internally, but not on the global stage, you know. So do you feel like being from Georgia is is like a challenge, or do you feel like it's kind of like an advantage, would you say to it's a challenge, it's a it's a big challenge, like it's a big challenge, you know.

Georgia’s Manufacturing Challenge

SPEAKER_01 45:36

So because the uh now the um okay, let's go again in the past. So during the Soviet Union in Georgia, we had the many manufacturers, and uh they they uh could make the very good uh say the consumer goods as well, and not only consumer goods, but uh they also they produced the some military stuff, you know, the maybe parts for military stuff. And you know, the in the Soviet Union there was no the uh factory or manufacturer they can make this some uh product uh from the scratch paper to the finished product, you know, because the each each each republic was the link to each other, you know, and they it it was the one of the main power to unite, you know, then they keep them together. So and um in Georgia also uh were produced the many parts for the military stuff, right? For the rockets, for the airplane, for the tanks, and etc. But after the Soviet Union was collapsed, we've got the big gap because the uh there was no no any kind of uh manufacturing, so the uh we could the keep, you know. So because the everything was lost, the machines were the and the toolings and everything was the sold to the foreign countries, you know, and the people start uh how to say the thing the try to find the easier way for their life, you know, not produce something, just sell product, they get money and they spend it. And it was the very difficult time. But now that when we have there's such a gap, we have, of course, the some uh community of the uh how to say manufacturers and uh producers, they they would to produce the something, they would to manufacture something, you know. So, but they this is a very small community. And each step to produce the something in Georgia, it's a big challenge. Really big challenge, really, because the to find the suppliers for the materials, the right materials, you know, the which you need, the quality materials, to find the suppliers for the tooling, for the um machinery and things like that. It's a very, very hard, you know, and uh this is a much harder, maybe five, ten times harder than in foreign countries where the where the manufacturing is the quite developed, you know. So the the for example, the in USA, you can you can just uh if you need the something, even the for the customer good, right? So you can just uh buy through the Amazon or something like that, online shop, and you receive the right next day. But uh in Georgia, so what I'm doing that to buy the something from Amazon waiting the at least the three weeks, yeah.

Blake Rea 48:54

Yeah, USA to Georgia, woo! Yes, I know I used to I used to go to their shop in in Vake and pick up all my packages, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:04

And for example, they if you need this some special tooling, the tools or the something like that, the uh which is uh not easy to find here, you know. Yeah, so and uh therefore, so it is a challenge. You you you are the extended in a time, you are the extended in a budget, you know, so the and many kinds of things, and this is quite a challenge, yeah. So that's why I have to say the yeah, you are the awarded by the some internationally known uh awards, you know, that it's a very prestigious, but uh any case, uh it doesn't support you from this kind of everyday job, you know. So it's uh is you cannot avoid this this this headache.

Blake Rea 49:57

Is is that why like you kind of embed like George not only like Georgian design language, but kind of like cultural references and to create like a like a distinctly Georgian product is is that is that the the mentality that you adopt?

SPEAKER_01 50:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree because uh for example, so I I I will make this some comparison there. For example, the when the photography was the analog and you had the just the 36 frames, you know, so the you tried to use the each frame, so how to say the precisely, you know, so they don't make the any kind of mistakes and they don't shoot the some wrong uh frame settings, you know. So the sense so that this is the same in Georgia. They you you should to find oh come on, so that's my thought.

SPEAKER_05 50:52

Your dog wants to be on the podcast, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

He's uh in a podcast, so the pick off go out. So, and uh and uh the same, you know, absolutely the same in in our case. So you have the no how to say the ability to make the some wrong step, and you should measure everything, you buy the some stuff, you should to put the some idea, and it should be the right for the our target, and these kind of things, you know. So that's that's a quiet, yeah. You're here, yeah.

Blake Rea 51:33

It's it's also cool because you know, being from Georgia and bringing your product to like a larger market, you know, you you have help doing that now, right? You you obviously work pretty closely with with Mirab. Do you watch Willie, the the Georgian, you know, UFC champion, and and yeah, is it this time?

SPEAKER_01 51:58

Uh my rob is uh great, great. So let me solve this problem. I'm so sorry, Blake.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

Just one moment.

SPEAKER_05 52:12

That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:46

I am so sorry, but uh now he's quieter, you know, so yeah.

Blake Rea 52:53

Tell me how you know, obviously Marab is is an ambassador. I I saw the uh the thing where he flipped open the like the the ketchup saw he flipped open one of your jewelry containers and he had the ketchup inside inside how did how did you know that connection kind of come to be?

Culture As Design Language

SPEAKER_01 53:15

You know, the first I met the Mirab in uh New York, GFK, you know, so and uh well my friend um uh introduced him, so the George Kicknaze, who who is the uh very good friend of Mira, and we met each other in airports here, you know. So and we just started communicate communicating, you know. So and uh after so I met him as I remember in at Bilisi in Georgia, you know. And um he liked uh so much the our product, you know. And I remember that I give gifted to him the one watch, so and he started uh wearing the promoting, and uh he was the thanks for, you know, so it's and it it made a big impression on me. So the such a big name, as Merab is the he was already champion, you know, the started supporting us, and it continues now, so you know, after uh even the it almost uh it happened uh one year. So and yeah, yeah, and more one year and a half, maybe, and he continues the supporting us, and uh the we we try to keep in touch with him, and uh also the we try to support as we can, you know. Of course, we cannot go on the ring and uh fight with him, right? Support, but um by how to say the our passion, so our emotions, the by our products, uh we try to support him as well. So that's that's uh quite good uh relationship, you know. That this is not only the some kind of commercial and uh business relationship. No, this is uh it's also the became in a friendship.

Blake Rea 55:21

That that's amazing. Yeah, I see he he loves his seven, man. He loves his seven, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:28

Yeah, yeah, because we made specially for him. If you see that I I don't know, uh did you see that watch the any details?

Blake Rea 55:37

I haven't seen like up close pictures or videos of it, but I see I see it on his wrist, you know.

SPEAKER_01 55:44

Yeah, because the watches were uh were made especially for him, you know, the special dial with his logo and everything, the colors and the menu of kind of things were uh changed, you know. They we made just uh 10 pieces as I remember, so 12 pieces. I I don't remember because the my manager was working for that, so the but I I made the design in collaboration with the Mera. Oh, is Merab because the when I proposed the first uh design, though he said he asked me to make some changes, you know. So sure, yeah, yeah. And this is made uh as Merab wished, you know. So that's very special approach.

SPEAKER_05 56:28

Yeah, that's so cool, it's so amazing.

SPEAKER_01 56:30

Yeah, we're proud of it, you know. So this is uh how to say the history of uh my brain, yeah, yeah.

Friendship With Merab And Custom Sevens

Blake Rea 56:40

And now with him being such a sensation in in the States, you know, it's it's amazing to see, like just because I I follow him, I follow you just to to know you as a friend, and to see, you know, him supporting is just it makes uh it makes it so special just for me just to sit and see, you know. So something that's really cool that I don't think too many people talk about with you know your your brand is I'm a huge like reader of like watch magazines. And you know, I was reading an article from Watches of Espionage, and you know, I saw there's there's only been like a handful of watches that were gifted to like government, like like CIA offici uh officers and government officials, and your watch was one of like maybe like seven or so that was gifted as as like a CIA officer, you know, that they they they reported and claimed it, right? Yeah. Were you aware of that whole kind of thing going down or just kind of accidentally?

SPEAKER_01 58:00

You know, the uh moreover, the many Pentagon guys also they were in the My Watches, and the many US politicians also they were in the My Watches. So the and uh usually the Georgians the for Georgians the to gift the something special from Georgia is the product made by us, you know. So the I I I really uh say this sometimes some tears coming, you know, because they you you you feel that they you created the something which is really emotional, and even the people the today they're wearing, notwithstanding the some watches were gifted um 10 years ago, right? So the my uh my friends confirmed that they usually they have the some communication with them, and uh they confirmed they they even today they're wearing the my watches and which which watches were gifted them maybe eight ten years ago. So and I I am proud of it, really. It's it's crazy, you know. And when I saw the the my son sent me that uh article, uh the or the CIA officer the yeah speaking about talking about uh my watch. So that's uh I was in shock, you know. So the I was uh and I as I know he even the visit the our boutique, you know. Oh yeah, he he visits our boutique, so that's so yeah he shared this information to my son, you know. So and after the my son the uh reposted me. So that's that's at the quite I'm really surprised that this is uh not uh some paid advertisement or things like that. Imagine, you know.

Blake Rea 59:58

So it's that's incredible. The best advertising is free advertising, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:03

Of course, yes, of course, because the we we proved that uh we're working not only for design piece, you know, we're working also the for the quality piece, you know, because the that just the design without the quality is a nothing, and of course, the uh functional uh piece is the very important, yeah, yeah.

Blake Rea 1:00:24

And and so obviously, like I've gotten a chance to like get hands-on with quite a bit of your products. I have your wallet, I have your fragrance, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:36

You don't have the what you see at.

Blake Rea 1:00:38

We're working on it, we're working on it, right? We're working on it very soon. Yeah, yeah. And actually, the other day I was on on your website and I saw that the GDF, I maybe I overlooked it, but I wasn't even on the website anymore.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:52

Oh, the because the we have the yes, it is finished, and but but but uh I kept the for you the special one.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:04

Oh, you did?

Blake Rea 1:01:05

Oh shit, okay. Amazing, amazing. Yes, I I can't can't wait to see.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:11

I remember your choice, and therefore, so I kept the one, brother.

Blake Rea 1:01:16

Thank you. Yeah, tell me about this. This is probably one of the biggest challenges that watch designers face, or in your case, I dare I say watch designer, but let's just use that term loosely. But balancing not only like a high quality product, but like like like strong value, right? So, like how do you as a as an industrial designer, you know, a design house, like how do you how do you balance that?

CIA, Pentagon, And Lasting Wear

SPEAKER_01 1:01:51

It's quite hard, you know. The first of all, so the have to say the first of all, of course, the quality is the most important thing, you know, and uh usually when we make this something, uh we think the first time about the quality and after about the price, you know, and we try always uh okay. We are not hunting to uh get as much as possible, you know, sure from the salt product. For us is the most important to get the emotions as much as possible, yeah. And uh get the very reliable customers, you know, also and get the very good feedback, like the that CIA the officer wrote some article and things like that. This is not paid. It's it's uh how to say the uh there is a no value for this kind of things, you know. So there's a no price for the such uh things, and therefore, so the for us the quality is most important, and uh and if the profit is the less and not so much, as can be in the case of the less quality product, right? So to reduce the price, the production price, and things like that, it's okay, no problem. So it's uh some models can um uh bring a bigger uh profit so um in comparison to other models, so but uh in any case it's okay. So in any case, we did this is uh not a target to to get as much as possible, you know. So yeah, we we we that the target is the to have the emotional customers to keep this as the piece of dream and things like that.

Blake Rea 1:04:07

I I have to I have to ask this because I I myself am a filmmaker, right? Like it's it's art, right? It's art. You know, I'm designing I'm creating art that is in perceived at as a piece of content, a product, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:25

Yeah.

Blake Rea 1:04:26

So I find myself very it's very challenging when you're designing something or creating something, usually your your heart and your your mind are like battling each other.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:45

Yeah, yes.

Blake Rea 1:04:46

So so so for you when you're designing a product, is it is it your heart or is it your mind that leads you?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:59

Heart yes, of course. Of course, everything starts from that, you know. After the brain is connected, but uh usually it's hard.

Blake Rea 1:05:13

The brain is the the brain tries to freaking trick you, man. It's like, oh like that let me fix this, let me fix that. Like it it it can it can it can be a vicious circle, man. Yeah, it can be a vicious circle.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:34

So I guess this is it.

Blake Rea 1:05:36

What would you say, and and this doesn't just doesn't have to be to be watches, but what would you say is something that that you've designed that you're particularly probably the most proud of?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:52

Oh that's uh I designed my two boys.

Blake Rea 1:05:58

Okay, all right. Fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:04

Best work.

Blake Rea 1:06:05

Fair enough.

Quality Over Margin And True Value

SPEAKER_01 1:06:06

So, you know, I have to say the many, many products. Very emotional, and I'm proud of that. Even the, for example, the that's the first Georgian air mode weekles, you know, the uh the corporate identity for the first internationally known air company when I was just 21 years old. So, and the many of things, you know, the uh the for example, the I produced the uh some series of the bottles, you know, for the uh beer brewery, you know. So that's uh oh yeah uh even don't uh change the any tools on their existing line, you know, but they make the bottles totally different in shape, in diameter, and then the many, many things. You know, this is very hard. This is of also the I'm proud of it, you know, the that I can do without any money spending, so they make this innovate some good design, so which becomes the we will which will be introduced in the some design books, international design books as the piece of design, you know. So many many things. I really I don't remember sometimes because the uh I started the working uh as a designer when I was just uh 19 years old. Yeah, imagine or since I'm 40 uh 54 now, so it's uh so huge time, you know. Yeah, yeah. The many pieces, even the some of them I I I don't remember even. I once happened, you know, the the customer came to me and they he brought the logotype, uh, as I remember, and uh and I said, I think the this logotype was made by me, you know, so that many many years ago. And I tried to find this, and um I was correct, you know, I was right. So it was made the 15 or 20 years ago by me. So that's uh happens, it's happens. So the in different fields, even if you take the for example, the in uh the seven watch, of course. The this is a flagman, you know, so it's flagmanship and of our brand, and I'm proud of it also. The this is a very sensitive model which uh made the colleague very well known and uh famous, you know.

Blake Rea 1:08:55

Yeah, I was I was thinking I was actually surprised. Well, I'm surprised that you answered that because I was thinking, like, you know, maybe the super valley, you know, was super super valley, yeah.

Heart Versus Brain In Creation

SPEAKER_01 1:09:10

Super valley, that's the you mean this one, yeah. Of course, but uh this is a uh super valley, of course, yeah. Because that's why I'm I have this some uh problem to remember something. Yeah, I was like, you know, of course, I'm wearing this now, so not not because we have the some podcast, you know. This is my every ever every day, everyday watch. Of course, the super valley was the target to make the uh to after the step every day, stepping, and they reach this target, you know, the to start the making watches in Georgia, of course, super rally. But the my final target is the to make the very first Georgian movement as well. Oh wow, that's why I go we're using now the Miyota movement and sometimes the ITA movement for these watches. Sure, sure, sure. But the we are we continue working on the Georgian movement, and this is my target, yes, this is my target. We already tried to complicate some existing movements and make some changes, and it works, and very well works. Now we every day making the some new parts, you know, so to get the experience, you know, to get the knowledge, and after finally produce the very first Georgian movement. That one will be how to say the peak of the dream. Wow in watchmaking. That will be peak of the dream. I yesterday I uh during I went to my bed so the to sleep, and you know, they usually will before you start the sleeping you thinking about uh something. So and that's uh I thought about the turbine and how to make the turbine, and so let's see in the very near future, so you know coming soon.

Blake Rea 1:11:29

That's actually crazy. I don't think you you've told me about that, but it it literally, I mean, you answered the question I was getting ready ready to ask about the the long-term vision for the brand. And yeah, of course, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:46

But the brand should alive at least the 152 years. So my grandgrand uh child children's child should should should should manage the company. Yeah, that's my dream, you know. So it's not just uh for the um temporary it's not temporary business.

Blake Rea 1:12:12

Yeah. And I'm assuming your your your son is already pretty active.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's very active. He's uh yeah, yeah, he he supports the manager in a boutique and uh uh uh usually he supports me for some meetings and uh he he tried to understand now this world world of business. How how does it work, you know? So yeah, he's just uh 25 years old, okay, but uh he knows the many things already, so uh I I guess the maybe in uh next 10 years he will manage the four little company. That's my dream. That's my dream. I wish that sounds amazing.

Blake Rea 1:13:02

That sounds amazing. I I don't want to take any more of your Sunday. No, no, it's okay. Thank you very much. I'm I'm gonna ask you one more question. Final question. And you could, I mean, you could say watches or any type of product, but if you you know, if you were to design one kind of like item watch, whatever vehicle to kind of like represent your life's work, have you already designed it or are you still working on it? And what would that look like?

Proud Works And The Flagship Seven

SPEAKER_01 1:13:43

Okay, I ask hard questions, man. I ask hard questions. But uh I can say so the I am working on it. I'm working, and even before we start this podcast, I was working on it, and I'm sure the next year it will appear. Is that a watch? No, it's not a watch. Oh it's not a watch. It's uh okay. Let's say the uh this year it will be secret, but the next year I I will show to the world.

Blake Rea 1:14:31

Amazing, amazing. Well, we have something to look forward to, I guess. Yes, not only me, but but the listeners of the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:39

So yeah, so the I I will show you, of course, the privately, but uh not not not not for the internet, you know.

Blake Rea 1:14:48

Well, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to end the podcast right now so I can see what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:56

That's my dream, you know. So and um so I I guess the project uh must be successful.

Blake Rea 1:15:04

Yeah, no. Sviat, I want to thank you for you know spending so much time with us and and sharing your insight. And and yeah, it's it's been not only an honor to to record this with you, but to consider you a friend and and to get to know you this this past I'd say past year or so. And and yeah, I can't I can't wait to hopefully spend some more time with you here, not only on on this this side, but you know, and welcome to Georgia.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:34

Welcome to Georgia, bro.

Blake Rea 1:15:35

I'm I'm working on it, working on it. Yeah, no, no, don't work, just take a ticket and I I have to convince my wife that it is uh is an essential trip.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:46

And and you've been getting it to your wife, you know.

Blake Rea 1:15:51

Yeah, she I'm sure she'll I'm sure she might come back with me to Georgia. But for everybody that made it this far, you know, I I really would want to encourage you to to go check out you know Sfiad's brand, Sikolia. We're gonna, you know, definitely link the website, his Instagram, any type of channels that he has below for you guys to check out. You know, I think this is definitely something a brand to keep on your radar for sure. There's there's not too many brands that I I think are are pushing a country forward, you know, which which is crazy to say, you know, I I see all these micro brands, I talk to all these micro brands, and and it's cool to to to think that you know you're you're really building something not only for for you but to to help advance Georgia, you know, and at the same time, which is which is cool. So thank you, Blake. So yeah, we're gonna end this now and we're gonna hang out and talk for just a couple seconds, and I'm gonna see what it is that you're working on. And everybody, thank you so much for tuning in. And make sure you go check out Sviat and his brand. And uh, we will see you on the next episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:09

Thank you, Blake. Thank you once again for uh such uh words and um thank you for the comments and everything and the for this brilliant uh podcast here and all thank you and uh I wish you all the best. And uh I wish myself to see you in Georgia as soon as possible. You will with your beautiful wife, so there.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:31

You will see you very soon, very soon.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:35

Thank you, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:36

Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, Blake. Bye.

Blake Rea 1:17:48

I think we're still recording?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:52

It's it's still recording.