Living on Friday time
According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the passage of time is relative to the observer’s frame of reference. And for Sevenfriday founder and CEO Dan Niederer, every day is Friday.
On Sunday, workers are miserable because they have to go to the office the next day, suffering until Wednesday, after which they start becoming a bit more positive as they look forward to the weekend. “Very little of the time stays enjoyable. I feel like we should, or I want to try, at least for myself, to enjoy every day as much as I can,” he told Lifestyle during his most recent visit to the Philippines.
“So imagine you get up on a Monday morning and it feels like a Friday. It’s not so bad, right?” he added. “In more classic Latin terms, carpe diem.
“I can tell you it doesn’t always work, but it’s an objective.”
Joking that he founded the Swiss brand in Zurich 13 years ago during a midlife crisis, Nierderer shared that he wanted to create something that incorporates his beliefs and understanding.
According to him, during the 10 years he spent restructuring, he saw things he didn’t like or things that he thought should be different, and had to “rebuild, rebuild, rebuild.” “It’s in the struggle that you learn, more than in just the good times,” he stressed.
Eye-catching accessories
Now considered more a lifestyle label, Sevenfriday continues to produce unique, eye-catching timepieces alongside luxury eyewear, apparel, and accessories.
“We wanted to create a brand that conveys a life attitude that represents sincerity, positivity, inclusivity, and respect, with an environment where we feel free to enjoy what we do and surround ourselves with people we like,” he said.
Truth be told, these industrial-inspired watches have become more of a lifestyle product than mere time-telling devices. “Let’s face it, the function of telling the time became a bit secondary, right? You have that on a mobile phone,” Niederer continued, adding that a watch is one of the few items of jewelry that a man can wear to express personality and mood.
Coming from Switzerland, where people’s style tends to be more conservative, Sevenfriday timepieces are exceptionally eye-catching—head-turners that warrant a double-take and a closer look.
Masterfully crafted with unexpected details, the brand has a bold design that feels both retro and futuristic, contracting time in one stylish component.
During the interview, Nierderer sported two timepieces: The striking ME1/01 from the ME-Series on his left wrist featured a sleek ’60s Space Age aesthetic with organic curves, while the playful new Rocketbyz 3.0 White FDBx on his right offered an unconventional and dynamic presence that reveals changing dimensions, colors, and levels of visibility depending on the lighting (sunlight, darkness, or blacklight).
While most of Sevenfriday’s pieces are designed to lean toward a more masculine-to-unisex appeal, its collaboration with Indian fashion force Papa Don’t Preach by Shubhika—the C-Series—is unapologetically pretty with its compact silhouette, soft contours, and feminine flair. The watches feature a sophisticated stainless steel bracelet that holds a floral-themed dial, infusing its signature modern mechanical design with a touch of vibrancy.
“There are a lot of pretty products, and that’s cool. But beyond that, there should also be certain values, and these values are not just ‘Oh, we enjoy every day,’ but it’s also how we do it, how we express it, how we deal with our partners, with our customers,” he added, sharing how they pour creativity into not just their products, but also in various aspect of the company—like how they organize Sevenfriday Games, which is essentially three days of friends from all over the world getting together, competing over “the ugliest, biggest trophy” and celebrating life.
“Life is a gift. Why would I want to go through life thinking about misery and negativity all the time? I don’t think it does any good to anybody,” Nierderer said. “What we need is optimism. What we need is positivity. We need people with a smile on their face.”
