Beauty and Fashion Blog

Fans of the tv series Dragon Den, would surely be surprised to know that Duncan Bannatyne, one of the stars, is in touch with his femine side. You would think with his hard Glaswegian exterior and tendency to dismiss the contestants, that he would be the last of the Dragons team to make these admissions. But go inside the luxury flat near Covent Garden in the centre of London, and something unusual is waiting to attract your attention. In between the elegance of the cream sofas in the lounge and the minimilistic style of the kitchen, sits a chair dear to his heart – a garishly loud pink sofa!

Looking closer, he seems quite a dapper sort of man, even chic – the cut of the suit seems better than the tighter Theo Paphitis and the dour Peter Jones. You also get the sense that he is aware of it!

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that his latest venture is into the world of style, with the launch of a snappy line of men watches marketed under the name ‘Kurt Zeiss’. Design of the range is modern and comtemporary, with clear open faces in designs combining elegance with futuristic sleekness. With this range of men watches and ladies designer watches, Bannatyne and new business partner Grant Morgan, clearly aren’t messing around. Or is it not true? They don’t seem to be in much of a hurry to sell the products, as they are mainly sold on eBay and by Bannatynes wife in their boutique in Yarm, Yorkshire. But since the arrival of Morgan, a new website is in operation exclusively developed to market the products.

Bannatyne met Morgan at a charity event, and both realised that they had a common interest in watches, and Bannatyne admitted that he felt the business was no great risk.

After a slow start, sales have been picking up and forecasts for the next quarter are looking good. The approach to Christmas is expected to be the busiest time, with the company preparing to handle the increase in demand.

If the business is purely an ego trip for Bannatyne, it is certainly a good move, for a business man who can recognise a good thing when it comes along. Easily the richest of the TV Dragons, with £320 million in the bank, his business empire began with the purchase of a single ice cream van back in the eighties.