For founder Freddie Palmgren, who has run and built up the family business since 2017 without external financiers, the order came as a surprise. The order value amounted to approximately 180,000 Swedish krona, as the actor purchased clocks with an average order value of 6,000 krona for the filming of the movie The Last Druid in Barcelona.
Someone wrote and asked if I could send 30 clocks to Spain before the end of the month, if the order was placed directly. I've been building Söner for ten years now, mostly on my own, and when an email like that pops up in the middle of the day, the honest first thought is: this is a scam, says Freddie Palmgren.
After verifying the sender, it became clear that the email came from Russell Crowe's personal assistant. Shortly thereafter, the delivery was sent and the actor published a video on his private Tiktok account where he showed off the clocks and mentioned the founder and the company's vision. The attention has had a direct impact on sales statistics and inventory levels at the e-retailer.
Not only did Russell place an order for 30 clocks with an average order value of 6,000 krona, but order intake in general has also grown steadily since the video was published. We've already pressed the button to manufacture more to ensure we can meet demand without affecting delivery times, says Freddie Palmgren.
Söner has chosen to niche down by exclusively designing and selling rectangular and square clocks, with inspiration drawn from Art Deco and the mid-20th century. According to the company's latest annual report, net sales amounted to just over 1.1 million Swedish krona. The company states in its management report that sales have increased due to growing brand awareness. The strategy going forward is to continue growing organically with a focus on profitability rather than costly purchased traffic.
We tested digital marketing last year, and the result dropped dramatically, it's simply very expensive to grow that way. As soon as we switched focus to more organic growth, profitability started to increase again, and quickly. It takes longer to build like that, but we do it with steadily increasing profitability, which is exactly the path we want to continue on, explains Freddie Palmgren.
The sales channel is currently limited to the company's own web store. The company has previously tested selling through larger external marketplaces, but chose to discontinue these collaborations to maintain control over the business and the brand.
Our focus right now is still pure e-commerce, it gives us the best control over the customer experience and keeps costs down, which in turn keeps prices down for the customer. I tested selling via Zalando and Kappahl earlier but chose to end that collaboration as you lose contact with customers and, in my opinion, dilute the brand, says Freddie Palmgren.
That an international profile recognizes the company is not entirely new to Söner. In early 2025, the New York Times wrote an article about the clock brand and the company has also been awarded the German Design Award for 2026. However, for Freddie Palmgren, Russell Crowe's involvement is of particular importance, as the actor has a documented interest in the watch industry.
Russell is known for his genuine interest in watches. He runs his own Tiktok account where he shows his collection and talks horology with his followers, often with more knowledge and engagement than many industry professionals I've met. He is also known for supporting independent entrepreneurs and artists, rather than just appearing with the big, already established names, concludes Freddie Palmgren.