THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, OLOF LARSSON HAS DARE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND TAKE A PLACE IN THE WATCH INDUSTRY. THE NUMBERS CONFIRM HIS SUCCESS, BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPRESSIVE IS HIS COURAGE AND WILL TO MOVE FORWARD, UPWARD – ALWAYS WITH AN EYE ON THE NEXT STEP.

PHOTO PETER CEDERLING, ZAP PR
GROOMING & STYLING SHADA GHARIB
WATCHES PRIVATE, PRE-OWNED

TO BOOK A Finding time for an interview with Olof Larsson is not easy. He always has something going on or is on his way somewhere. When we finally meet, he has managed two trips to Champagne and a birthday breakfast with his family. It is just after three o'clock when we meet in The Cadie Bar at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm. Watches are his passion. In his role as a watch entrepreneur, Olof Larsson and Nymans Watches 1851 has become something of an institution, but an institution in constant motion.
"Sitting back and being satisfied is not my thing. I am never satisfied. We don't compare ourselves to anyone, but we can always be a little better," he says.

EARLY WATCH PASSION
Olof Larsson discovered his passion for watches early on. He grew up in Västerås where his father Göran and mother Birgit were watch dealers and since 1968 the family has run Nymans Ur 1851. The shop was his world, and from the age of five he spent all his free time there. There was a box of spare parts that he took apart and put back together. There was also the beautiful dial from Vacheron Constantin that sparked his interest. Growing up, he worked in the family's watch shop and was also a "holiday substitute" at several stores in central and southern Sweden. Working in the family shop was not always easy.
– We didn't always agree, dad and I. He was a more traditional watch dealer, while I had a more modern approach to the business.

ROLEX AT DINNER
The opportunity to venture into the world of watches opened up when father Göran had a Rolex manager at home for dinner. Olof was 16 years old and plucked up courage. After dinner he sent a message and asked if he could get a job. Three years later the answer came: Olof was welcome for a six-month internship in
Perth, Australia.
– Perth was very different. The shop also sold jewellery, which was new to me. Opals were the focus, but above all I learned English, he says. When he returned to Sweden, he was required to do military service. The year is 1990, and after a summer in Krons Ur Boutique in PK House 20-year-old Olof went to Switzerland. There, his dream internship awaited him at the Rolex store in Geneva at Rue de la Fontaine 3.
“The jump from Västerås down to the world's finest Rolex store was huge. From customers who wanted to know if the watch was waterproof or not, to customers who saw it as an extension of their personality,” he remembers.

FROM STORE TO BRAND
The experiences gave Olof a nuanced picture of how to treat customers – from farmers to counts and royalty. Back in Sweden, a job awaited him at Krons Ur Boutique in PKhuset, which the family later bought. In the store, which at the time mostly sold cheap plastic watches, Olof made sure that brands such as Certina, Tissot
and Breitling entered the range. At the same time, the Swatch wave swept across the world, and Olof jumped on the bandwagon. Olof wanted to continue and the dream was a Rolex store. One step in that direction was to start selling Tudor – a brand that was only available in stores that sold Rolex. Three years later, he succeeded in something unique:
– I had to fight for several years to become a Tudor dealer, and I succeeded! The next step, a Rolex store at Biblioteksgatan 1, was taken the following year. The year was 1994 and Olof, then 24 years old, took the role of manager of Nymans Ur 1851. Now he had the opportunity to fully test his ideas. Nymans Ur 1851 was to be positioned at the forefront with meetings, events, its own magazine and Sweden's largest watch event. Since Olof took over the business in 1994, turnover has increased from SEK 400,000 to over SEK 600 million in 2024.

LAYING BACK AND BEING SATISFIED IS NOT MY THING. I AM NEVER SATISFIED. WE DON'T COMPARE OURSELVES TO ANYONE, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS BE A LITTLE BETTER

NYMANS CLOCK 1851
Is a destination for watches and jewelry: buy new, buy Pre-Owned, service, sell, trade in.
www.nymansur.com

PRE-OWNED GLOBALLY
The market has grown explosively in recent years. Globally, the Pre-Owned market will have a turnover of SEK 260 billion in 2023, according to the analysis company GVR, Grand View Research.

PRE-OWNED AT NYMANS UR 1851
Since 2017, the Certified Pre-Owned service has been offered. After an initial valuation, the watch is reviewed, you sign a contract and you get paid. The watch is serviced, photographed and certified, then sold with a minimum 2-year warranty. Since 2023, we have also been a Rolex Certified Pre-Owned dealer.
– exclusively for the Swedish market. This means, in addition to the above process, that the Rolex watch is sent to Rolex in Geneva to receive their Rolex Certified Pre-Owned, 2-year international warranty.

A SOUND OF TIME
Today his role in the company is different. Developing Nymans Ur 1851 in version 5.0 is what he spends his time on. Speaking of that ticking, what is his relationship to the sound of clocks?
– Once upon a time, I had over 400 Swatch watches under my bed. It sounded like a swarm of insects., he says, trying to imitate the sound. He describes the most beautiful bell sound like this:
– At night, when I have my arm under the pillow and hear my Rolex… It's like hearing a lullaby..

WATCHES WITH HISTORY
Sales of used quality watches, so-called Pre-Owned, have grown explosively.
When do you categorize a watch as Pre-Owned?
– The answer here may vary, but maybe a week after you buy it.
What is the obvious reason to buy a Pre-Owned watch?
– You can get hold of models that are no longer manufactured, and the price is often more reasonable.
Dream object?
– For me, it's about watches that meant something, were owned by someone or were present at a specific occasion. The first watch on the moon. Watches that belonged to Che Guevara, spies or presidents. Cornelis Vreeswijk's gold Rolex – he wore it when he was being photographed for an album cover and hid his arm behind his back.
The oldest watch you own?
– Napoleon's pocket watch from the early 19th century.
Thoughts on watches as an investment?
– Buy a watch you love to wear, not to sell. Then you will profit from it every day. But the vast majority of watches increase in value.

When is it time to sell your watch?
– If you haven't used it in two years, and are no longer attached to it, then it's time to trade it in and find a new love.
What does your watch year look like?
– Event of the year: Christmas Eve and all birthdays in one – the cracker of the year! For me it's the Geneva Watch and Wonders Fair. I went to my first fair when I was 15, and I've been there every year since then, except for the year I did the dirty work.
NYMAN'S INTO THE FUTURE
Two big events are coming up: first, the takeover of NK Fine Jewellery & Watches, something Olof has dreamed of for twelve years. Over 600 square meters will now be gradually redeveloped.
“We will continue to drive the business forward and step by step make our mark here,” says Olof. The next step is the development of Nymans Ur 1851 – 5.0 flagship store, at Biblioteksgatan 1 and Norrmalmstorg.
A brand new store concept of over 1,400 square meters that will open in 2026.
– It will be a youth center for watch and jewelry lovers. A new way to display the products, an oasis, a meeting place.

Are you nervous?
– No… well, a little, concludes Olof. Will it be as good as it sounds? Then Nymans Ur 1851 Stockholm can become a global watch destination – a watch palace for sales, inspiration, events, knowledge and memorable experiences.

OLOF'S TOP 3 RIGHT NOW
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
– A classic from 1931. The favorite watch for a suit.

Rolex GMT-Master
– With a magical golden brown dial. It reminds me of Thåström's song that mentions a girl with golden brown eyes, Flicka med guld from 1989.

Tudor Black Bay
– Taupe-colored dial, made of silver that is alloyed and therefore does not tarnish. The watch is soft and lovely to wear. It is silky smooth.

OLOF LARSSON, OWNER
Family Wife Dannie, daughter Juliette and son Leo.
Briefly: The family business Nymans Ur 1851 today consists of Nymans Ur 1851 Stockholm, Krons, Panerai Boutique Stockholm and Rare Jewelry as well as Nymans Ur 1851 Västerås. In addition, there are two watchmaking workshops, one in Stockholm and one in Västerås.
Currently with: The takeover of NK Fine Jewellery & Watches and the launch of Nymans Ur 1851 – 5.0 flagship store.