Puzzling. Ludovic Ballouard is a puzzling man. Everything that this young and brilliant watchmaker does systematically goes against conventional wisdom. While most talented entrepreneurs dream about the development and expansion of their business, he just wants to work alone and not create more than 100 pieces per year. When they buy a new Porsche, he prefers… model aircraft. When others organize prestigious exhibitions to show-case their creations, Ludovic takes his clients out…for a beer at the local bar in his village.

And despite the allure of state-of-the-art Ateliers and luxury houses, Ludovic maintains that he wouldn’t leave his village and his dozen or so dogs and cats for anything.

Welcoming, authentic and modest, Ludovic’s unassuming attitude belies the exceptional career he has carved out in the luxury watch industry, masking the truly outstanding wealth of knowledge and expertise he possesses.

As a former employee of Franck Muller and then F.P. Journe, he admits, albeit with a hint of embarrassment, that he has almost “done it all”. Realizing the depth and breadth of his exceptional talent, clients of these two prestigious companies urged him to develop his own range of pieces.

And so, in 2009, Ludovic launched his business. His first idea took just 15 minutes to crystallize. He took a few more to scribble it down on a post-it note and so the soon-to-be legendary Upside Down watch was born.

©Wai Shan Lam

We recently had the great pleasure to spend a few moments speaking with Ludovic, an experience that stays with you long after you have left this charming, thoughtful man.

Even still, charismatic as he is, conducting a traditional style interview with him is quite a challenge. A business plan? He never gave it a second thought. Future projects planned? Sure, about thirty. Examples of specific sources of inspiration? Not really; it can be a tree, a road, or a dream had in the night.

Still, at least we can tell you what motivates Ludovic Ballouard. Passion and instinct. Nothing more, and nothing less.

So, let us meet with an ordinary man who makes extraordinary things.

TWL: Hello Ludovic. So, how was the experience of your very first creation, the Upside-Down?

LB: Very good, thanks! I am very happy to say that in the last few weeks, all 12 units have been delivered. Each of them is unique, as every model from 1 to 12 is identified with its figure in red directly on the dial of the watch.

TWL: How was the watch received by the very first, specially selected, 12 new owners?

It was a very warm welcome. And even an anticipated welcome you might say, as the Number 1 was acquired even before his owner saw any plans or sketches!

Now they have all been delivered to the right hands. This is very important to me. My watches are the extension of my own personality, and so my clients want to know who is really behind the brand Ludovic Ballouard. It’s important to them, and it’s important to me.

©Ian Skellern

TWL: Why did not you create a brand? Today, Ludovic Ballouard is simultaneously a man, a brand, and a product. It must be hard to manage…

LB: For the same reasons as before. For me, there always has to be a link between the watchmaker and his creation. A brand created from scratch has something very impersonal that does not reflect me as a person. Today, my business associate and I know personally each of the 12 owners. It’s like a club, there is a connection that unite us.

TWL: Talking about this, what’s the typical profile of a Ludovic Ballouard watch owner?

LB: It’s hard to define a unique profile. The amateur of something very unique indeed. Someone looking for authenticity, also, as well as a watch proposed at its real value.

TWL: What do you mean?

LB: I create high end watches, yes, but I don’t add a zero to their price to have them figure artificially on the list of super exclusive brands. I don’t understand these brands that create watches with a steel bezel and a movement produced in the millions and then they sell them for over 100.000 CHF. It’s stupefying, it exasperates me.

TWL: Is the same then for high mass events such as BaselWorld?

LB: Not quite but let’s just say simply that I’m not interested in them. Moreover, I’m always afraid to see other watchmaker’s creations, I’m afraid it has an unconscious influence on me! Other people’s ideas might slow down my creativity.

Sometimes I participate in professional trade shows, but I only work with independent artisans, who are all friends of mine, and it works perfectly like this. As for the opportunity to meet new clients? Well, let’s just say it’s not a great necessity for me at the moment! As I had the privilege to work on the Grande Sonnerie for FP Journe, I acquired a kind of a legitimacy in the industry as well as somewhat of a profile that gave me access to contacts and orders from Paris, London, Sydney or Singapore.

TWL: Consequently, you can remain independent?

LB: Yes, and it’s essential for me. I like total independence, I don’t owe anything to anyone, and I’m financially self-sufficient.

©Wai Shan Lam

TWL: What are your projects for the future?

LB: My plans are to deliver one new model every two years. Thus, in 2012, the Upside-Down will be joined by a new watch, for which I already have about thirty ideas! I have to refine the project, but so it is going well. In principle, I’ll stay quite close to the Upside-Down, but key evolutions are not defined yet. Each new model will have a pre-production of 12 units, which will be first and foremost proposed to the 12 owners of the Upside-Down.

To introduce this model to them, I’d like to organize a weekend get-together somewhere in the world, although I don’t know where yet at this stage. I don’t like traveling though, so I’ll have to make a great effort as I don’t feel comfortable with long distances!

TWL: What can we expect from this new model?

LB: I don’t know yet, but, however, nothing to do with a tourbillon or a chronograph!

TWL: Why?

LB: I don’t know, I’m just not interested in them, it’s not in the spirit of my creations. It doesn’t match with the way I see things. To be honest though, I don’t have any creative plans or even a business plan, I work purely on instinct…

Some of you may already be familiar with Jérôme Pineau, the internet savvy Community Manager for Marvin Watches who has been single-handedly building the brand’s presence on-line. We have been quietly observing this exceptional upward trend since the beginning of the year and so we decided to approach Jérôme to find out more.

We had already discovered with great pleasure that he was a faithful reader of The Watch Lounge, always happy to share his views and engage with other readers. So to find out more we also followed his personal Twitter account, as well as the Marvin account and discovered pretty quickly just why he has been so successful.

Not only is Jérôme (and by extension Marvin) extremely accessible, his activity on-line is also exceptionally relevant and geared towards creating meaningful relationships with customers and enthusiasts alike, not just reeling off corporate spiel about the brand like so many others do. He’s also exceedingly kind and always willing to go the extra mile for Marvin customers, building invaluable goodwill for the brand.

So, without further ado we give you Marvin Watch’s community manager, Jérôme Pineau!

Please note this interview is also available in French here.

BIO:
Name : Pineau, Jérôme.

Age : 45.

Employer: Marvin Watches.

Distinguishing characteristic: The only, or almost, the only Community Manager in the watch-making world.

Main activity: To create, develop and manage the reputation of the brand over the web, in relation to all its stakeholders – journalists, bloggers, clients, prospects, etc.

Limitations: None!

The highly desirable Malton M160 by Marvin

TWL: So, Jérôme tell us, how did you become a Community Manager?

JP: By pure chance! I spent the better part of my career in the US, mainly in the software industry as a sales engineer and an evangelist. I was always very up to date about new technologies, and especially about the web. One day, Sandrine Szabo, the head of Marvin’s communication agency, NetInfluence, contacted me on LinkedIn. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it I was offered a job to join Marvin.

TWL: So I guess that you were already a big watch-making fan, right?

JP: Not at all, I didn’t know anything about the industry! And I think that’s what attracted Marvin on my CV. They have a great expertise in watch-making, but communication (especially online) is not their business. I had the opposite position. So, we joined forces, and now we can have an objective outlook on each others work.

TWL: What is it like to work for Marvin?

JP: The company’s state of mind is all about being open-minded and daring and as such I have been given free reign. While here, in Switzerland, all the decisions are the result of a long thoughtful process designed to eliminate all potential risks, in the country where I come from, the United States, we tend to try new things, new approaches, new tactics, with sometimes completely new and unexpected results.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Then we work backwards, we publicly acknowledge our mistakes, and then try something else. There is not a good way, and a bad way. The whole challenge was to transpose one country’s methods into the context of the other one.

TWL: And so, what are the results?

JP: Well, I’ve already noticed that some well-known brands are watching us closely! Almost as though we were some kind of lab experiment in fact. Although it’s still early days some of the results can already be seen: the average time spent on the site by visitors has multiplied by 4, on more than 300.000 pages viewed ; Facebook fans have multiplied by a factor of 100 in just two weeks (currently sitting at an impressive 937 at the time of publication), and we have more than 500 followers on Twitter. All these figures grow on a daily basis, but I’ve only been here since January.

If you prefer something a little sportier than try the Malton 160 Cushion by Marvin

TWL: These are very promising results indeed! Why then don’t other brands follow the trend?

JP: It’s not my job to judge the strategy of my colleagues, but I have noticed that many decisions are made according to the brand’s positioning, and not according to market expectations.

At Marvin, our first priority is to listen to the market. We listen carefully to what our customers want – that’s why we have created all these communities and opened channels for direct conversation with them. How can you learn what are your customer’s wishes if they have no way to express them?

This is why we have opened so many channels of communication: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, a blog, on-line chat, etc. We listen to our clients and try to answer them in the fastest and most satisfying way.

TWL: Could you give us an example?

JP: Take the e-shop case. Many brands, as a matter of principle, don’t open an e-shop. But in our case, our customers requested it. Consequently, we are going to open one.

TWL: A great challenge!

JP: Yes! We’ll have to have a close look at the supply chain, provisioning, and above all, the customer service. Some brands focus above all on the brand reputation. At Marvin, our obsession is customer service!

Some cheeky advertising from the brand dedicated to doing things differently!

TWL: Still, all these initiatives are, after all, mainly virtual. Surely there will be a time when you’ll have to actually meet your audience…

JP: Yes, and the web is a great meeting tool! Recently, we had a negative comment posted on our blog from a client who had troubles with his watches and was disappointed by the follow-up he was offered. First of all, I left the comment on the blog and answered it within the minute, because in my opinion we have to be completely transparent with our clients. Mistakes happen, of course, this is part of the daily job of any brand. What’s important is not to hide them, but how you correct them.

In this case, I offered to send this client a new watch immediately. He refused: he wanted to come down to our office and get it personally! We had a very pleasant moment together.

TWL: Are you concerned that with such strong, open communication you might eventually lose control of what is said about your brand on-line?

JP: Not at all! The content, once published, is no longer ours any more, it belongs to the community of people who follow us! In my opinion, this desire to control everything is a mistake. Let’s be honest: it’s the Holy Grail when someone starts talking about your brand publicly without you asking them too!

TWL: The Final Word?

JP: There’s still a lot to do, this is only the beginning. Marvin is a wonderful brand. It has the story, the legitimacy, 160 years of watch-making, high quality, and a true market vision. My job, as the community manager, is to let the whole world know about it!

You may recall that a few weeks ago we published a photo of the first and only hint presented by MB&F in relation to their latest creation, known simply as the Frog. Now we are proud to be able to bring you the official photos of this breathtaking new piece, unveiled only a short while ago!

Modeled on the HM No.3 the hour and minute gears as well as date system within the 304 part engine have been entirely modified. The trademark sapphire domes have been perfectly machined on both sides (no mean feat!) so as not deform the numbers and even more amazingly the aluminium domes within weigh just a meager 0.58g which was achieved by machining them down to a thickness of 0.28mm. Only 32 of these special movements will be crafted this year: a limited edition of 12 pieces in black titanium (with green gold rotor) and 20 pieces of a non-limited titanium version (with blue gold rotor).

Although we could go on about this amazing new piece all day we thought you would probably prefer to hear it straight from the man himself, Mr Maximilian Büsser. So we asked him.

Here’s what he had to say.

TWL: What made you choose a Frog as the inspiration for this latest piece? Why not a Tiger or a Cobra, or some other member of the Animal Kingdom?

MB: The creative process did not in fact start with a frog. Like most of our creations, I imagined the piece in my mind first as a “concept piece”, in this case based on the HM3 movement. The idea was, and I know this will seem more than a little surprising, to create a “whacky” version of the HM3. Many will think “isn’t the HM3 crazy enough?”. In my mind, the HM3 is in fact a very elegant piece, and I wanted to push it into another territory.

It is only when we finished the design with Eric (Giroud) that when I looked at it, it was clear that it looked like a frog’s head coming out of water with its two big eyes. Now over a year later, when I look at it, it makes me think of the Martian heads in “Mars Attacks”!

HM3 Frog (Titanium) ©MB&F

TWL: How many different design concepts did you come up with in conjunction with the ‘Friends’ before you settled on the final one we see today? How did you decide?

MB: This was pretty straight forward. The HM3 existed. I wanted a rotating dome version, and we nailed the design very quickly – but to get the proportions of the aluminium and sapphire domes right we did many prototypes…

TWL: Does the final piece look anything like what you first envisioned in your mind when you set out to create this unique model?

MB: That is it. As it was in my head.

TWL: What is your favorite aspect of this new piece and why?

MB: It makes me smile each time I look at it. The Frog has a very mischievous attitude to it.  Also it is super light thanks to the intensive use of aluminium. You practically do not feel it on your wrist.

TWL: What do you think MB&F enthusiasts will like most about this newest addition?

MB: I honestly don’t know. As we create foremost for ourselves, our public’s reaction is always a mystery and a surprise!

The HM3 Frog Engine – 304 components ©MB&F

TWL: Are there any little intricacies you can point out for us that may not be immediately apparent just from looking at the still photographs?

MB: Well, first of all, more than 30% of the movement is different from the original HM3! The Hours run in 12 hours instead of 24, the minutes in 60 minutes instead of 120 minutes, which therefore required us to change all those gear trains. Also the changing of the date which was direct (as the hours turned previously in 24hours on the HM3) is now much more complicated to achieve.  All this for only 32 movements this year… (13 Black and 20 Titanium)

The aluminium domes needed to be as light as possible, which meant we had to machine them down to 0,28mm thick and therefore to 0,58 grams a piece! And the sapphire domes were a headache. How do you machine a perfectly concentric dome from a block of sapphire, especially as there is no way to hold that block in the machine when you are cutting it…?

TWL: Are there any plans to release any further special editions prior to the introduction of the highly anticipated HM No.4 in July 2010?

MB: The HM4 will theoretically be unveiled on July 8^th (with deliveries anticipated for last quarter of the year), so in the two months from now to beginning of July, we have not planned a new launch!

TWL: As always, thank you for your time Maximilian.

MB: As always a pleasure. Thanks Tom!

Vous vous souviendrez peut-être que nous avons publié il y a quelques semaines la toute première et unique photo de la dernière création MB&F, tout simplement appelée la « Grenouille ». Aujourd’hui nous sommes fiers de pouvoir vous montrer les photos officielles de cette pièce hors du commun, dévoilée très récemment.

Reposant sur la base de la Hm No.3, les moteurs des heures, des minutes, comme celui de la date ont été entièrement modifiés au sein de cette machine de 304 composants. Les dômes de saphir, brevetés, ont été parfaitement usinés des deux côtés (un défi!) de manière à ne pas déformer les chiffres ; de plus, ces incroyables dômes d’aluminium ne pèsent que 58g grâce à un travail sur le verre qui a permis d’en réduire l’épaisseur à 0,28 mm. Seulement 32 pièces de ce mouvement spécial seront produites cette année : une édition limitée de 12 pièces en titanium noir avec rotor en or vert, et 20 pièces d’une série limitée en titanium avec rotor en or bleu.

Bien que nous aurions pu vous parler une journée entière de cette pièce extraordinaire, nous avons pensé que vous préfèreriez  entendre son histoire de la bouche de l’homme en personne, M. Maximilan Büsser !

TWL: Pourquoi avoir choisi la Grenouille comme inspiration pour cette création ? Vous auriez pu choisir tout autre créature du règne animal, comme le cobra ou le tigre…

MB: En réalité, le processus créatif n’a pas débuté avec l’idée d’une grenouille. Comme pour toutes nos créations, j’ai d’abord imaginé la pièce dans mon esprit, en tant que concept, en l’occurrence sur la base du mouvement de la HM3. L’idée était, aussi curieux que cela puisse paraître, de créer une version encore plus extravagante de la HM3. Beaucoup se demanderont à ce stade en quoi l’on pouvait faire encore plus atypique que la HM3 ! Mais dans mon esprit, c’était davantage une pièce d’élégance, que je voulais faire évoluer vers d’autres territoires.

Ce n’est que lorsque nous avions fini le design avec Eric (Giroud) que je l’ai regardée, et qu’il m’est clairement apparu qu’elle ressemblait à une grenouille dont la tête sortait de l’eau, avec ses deux gros yeux. Bon, aujourd’hui, plus d’un an plus tard, elle me fait davantage penser aux têtes de martiens dans « Mars attack » !

HM3 Frog (Titanium) ©MB&F

TWL: Combien de concepts avez-vous développé avec vos Amis avant d’en arriver au produit fini que nous voyons aujourd’hui ?

Ca a été assez rapide. La HM3 existait déjà. Je voulais une version avec dôme rotatif, et nous avons fixé le design assez rapidement ; toutefois, pour obtenir les bonnes proportions entre l’aluminium et les dômes de saphir, de nombreux prototypes furent nécessaires…

TWL: La pièce finale ressemble-t-elle à celle que vous aviez imaginée ?

MB: Oui. Telle que je l’avais pensée.

TWL: Qu’est-ce qui vous plaît le plus, dans celle pièce ?

MB: Elle me fait sourire à chaque fois que je la vois. La Frog a vraiment quelque chose de malicieux. En plus, elle est vraiment très légère, grâce à l’emploi important de l’aluminium. On ne la sent pratiquement pas sur son poignet.

TWL: A votre avis, qu’est-ce qui va le plus plaire aux aficionados de la marque ?

MB: Très honnêtement, je ne sais pas. Comme nous créons à peu de choses près pour notre propre plaisir, les réactions de notre public sont toujours source de mystère et de surprise !

Le moteur de la HM3 Frog – 304 composants ©MB&F

TWL: Y’a-t-il des éléments sur lesquels vous pourriez attirer notre attention et qui ne seraient pas visibles au premier coup d’œil ?

MB: Eh bien, en premier lieu, plus de 30% du mouvement sont différents de son modèle d’origine, la HM3 ! Les heures tournent en 12 heures au lieu de 24 et les minutes en 60 au lieu de 120, ce qui nous a demandé de changer tous les barillets des moteurs. Il y a aussi le changement de date, qui était direct (puisque précédemment les heures tournaient en 24h sur la HM3), et qui maintenant est beaucoup plus compliqué à mettre en œuvre. Et tout ceci seulement pour 32 pièces produites cette année, 13 noires et 20 en titane.

Les dômes d’aluminium devaient être aussi légers que possible, ce qui nous a conduit à réduire leur épaisseur à 0,28 mm, et par conséquent leur poids à 0,58 g par unité. Leur réalisation en verre saphir fut vraiment problématique. Comment voulez-vous usiner un dôme parfaitement concentrique issu d’un bloc de verre saphir sans avoir la possibilité de le maintenir dans une machine pendant que vous le taillez… ?

TWL: Avez-vous planifié la sortie de nouvelles séries limitées d’ici la sortie très attendue de la HM No.4 en juillet 2010 ?

MB: La HM4 est théoriquement le 8 juillet, ce qui nous amène à des premières livraisons au quatrième trimestre de l’année ; par conséquent, dans les deux mois qui nous séparent de début juillet, non, nous n’avons pas planifié de nouvelles sorties !

TWL: Une nouvelle fois, un grand merci pour votre temps, Maximilian.

MB: C’est toujours un plaisir. Merci Tom !

Traduit de l’anglais par Olivier Müller – © The Watch Lounge

Recently Swiss watch-maker Hublot has announced unique partnerships with two of the greatest sporting events in the world; Formula One and the FIFA World Cup. Whilst these by no means represent the brand’s first foray into the sporting world, think the Mexican Football Federation, Bode Miller, Diego Maradona and many others, they are arguably the most ambitious to date.

We were very interested to hear how these exciting partnerships came about and so we decided to go straight to the source. Fortunately for us (and you), Hublot CEO, Mr Jean-Claude Biver, was gracious enough to grant us the opportunity to ask a few questions about these recent announcements and what they mean to Hublot.

Here’s what he had to say.

TWL: Hublot has made a point of engaging in partnerships within the sporting world such as Manchester United and Alinghi. What is the reasoning behind this and what does the brand gain from these partnerships?

JCB: Our involvement in sport is motivated because sport belongs partly to the world of our customers. And our objective is clearly to belong to the world of the consumer. Be it in the materials he is surrounded with (Carbon, Kevlar, Ceramic and so on) or in his leisure and holiday activities represented through sport.

TWL: What was the motivation behind pursuing these two particular partnerships, do you feel a certain personal connection with them or was the decision made purely from a commercial standpoint?

JCB: We never enter any sport or event because of personal connections or preferences. Our decisions are motivated through our customers. Wherever our customer goes, he must meet Hublot. It is our goal to make the customer feel that we belong to his world, to his life style, to his emotions and to his dreams.

TWL: What were the main challenges you faced when you first set out to make these partnerships a reality and how did you overcome them?

JCB: The main challenge was to believe that we had the right concept. Usually brands decide to link themselves to one or two sports. We on the contrary decided we should link ourselves to our customers. And meet him wherever he goes. On the sea, on the GP circuit, on the football Stadium, on the Polo Field and so on.

TWL: From a strategic perspective how important was it for you to secure these partnerships and do you expect they will contribute to further enhancing the brand’s credibility and reputation as a watch-maker on an international scale?

JCB: It was important for us to be the First, or to be Unique, or to be Different. With Football we were the first luxury watch brand to enter Football. It is difficult to believe but both the Euro and the World Cup have never had an “Official Timekeeper”, nor an “Official Watch”. It has now become crucial for Hublot to maintain its exclusivity at this level of sponsorship. Both in F1 and Football.

TWL: Involvement with events of this magnitude will undoubtedly help grow Hublot’s global profile. Do you hope to capitalise on this by introducing and distributing the brand into new markets, or will you continue to focus on strengthening your position within existing markets for the time being?

JCB: We will focus on strengthening our position within the existing markets. But we have clearly to improve our distribution and awareness in China. As we have only started to enter China in March 2009, we have still a long way to go. But for sure our involvement in F1 and the Football World Cup will increase dramatically the awareness of Hublot, which is of course very positive for our future.

TWL: Can you give us any hints on what we can expect from the Hublot 2010 FIFA World Cup timepieces? Will there be a different watch for every competing country or will there just be FIFA inspired pieces?

JCB: In 2010 we will introduce only one piece (a Classic Fusion in 18 ct Pink Gold) limited to 100 pieces only. But from next year on, we will work on additional special editions both for Brazil in 2014 and also some special editions for historical World Cups since 1930.

TWL: Finally, does Hublot have its eye on any other events, sporting or otherwise, it would like to become involved in or will the focus remain on these most recent announcements for the foreseeable future?

JCB: We must always have our eyes and ears open. One has constantly to listen to the market and be able to evolve and change. The world is not static and a brand has to constantly adapt its concepts, products and DNA to the changes.

TWL: Thank you for taking the time to speak with The Watch Lounge Mr. Biver.

JCB: Thank you.

Daniel Dreifuss is the kind of man who, when discussing haute horlogerie, talks pretty much about everything… but haute horlogerie. Star behavior, snobbery even? On the contrary. Daniel Dreifuss is a lover of life, constantly unsatisfied, a workaholic who is as happy working 12 to 16 hours a day as he is upset by the IP infringement of which he’s been a frequent victim.

Whilst frustrating it is a clear sign that the Maurice de Mauriac brand is strongly coveted by competitors, but more importantly by customers. Or, as we should actually say, by its partners, since, when someone wants to acquire a de Mauriac, there’s a need to be involved, to confess your wishes, to share the intimacy of its creator: Daniel Dreifuss. A man who rethinks his way of working every morning, and tells us he constantly learns…from his own clients!

Taking a different approach, with this, an entirely different man, we engaged him in a discussion based on a series of words and concepts, which this tireless aesthete went through in his own inimitable way, occasionally showing a refreshing freedom of speech! He gave us a true lesson on the philosophy of watchmaking!

This interview is also available in French.

Patience?
Active patience, I’d prefer to say. You must never be passive or fall asleep. You must work all the time, because we operate in a specialized industry where 8 years can easily slip by between the initial idea of a watch and its concrete realization. A few years ago, I was working in the banking sector, which is completely the opposite of watchmaking. It’s a very fast-paced world where sometimes it only takes a few minutes to become a millionaire…and just a few seconds to lose everything.

In contrast, watchmaking belongs to the land of extreme patience and that is the key to its success. We should not forget that Breguet made his most beautiful pieces at the age of 60. Energy and patience are as essential as they are inseparable. You must combine these two characteristics with a touch of good fortune, which nonetheless remains distinct from pure luck! You must be able to ‘activate’ your luck, using your network of relationships, for instance. And each day must be an opportunity to learn something new or to meet someone new.

Innovation?
This constant learning process is the key to innovation and to brand new ideas. But be careful, I don’t really focus on pure engineering as such. My primary goal is above all the top quality of the whole of my work. For me, the exquisite quality of a crocodile strap is far above the quality and feelings generated by an ephemeral cigar, or a car. It is worn very close to the body, and to the heart.

Note that some brands invest large sums in advertising, marketing, on the web, which finally create a gap between imagination, the marketing fantasy, and reality. That’s the reason why my retail outlet is so important to me. I enjoy a personal relationship with my clients who sometimes bring me gifts. I collect a lot of things, I store up energy and knowledge that I then share with my family and especially my children. Our home is a college! Everyday we learn something new!

Clients?
My clients stimulate me. A lot of them have better taste than I do! I think in colors and try a lot of different combinations, and each and every watch that I produce is the result of striving for daily improvement. My watches are my best business cards. I rarely exhibit in any trade shows, even less at organized private sales. I make between 300 and 400 units per year, and my sales grow thanks to the buzz they generate.

Made in China?
China is already in the house! How do you think that minimalist manufacturers such as the ones we have in Switzerland, with only a few dozen employees, are able to produce thousands of units all over the world? China is already a well established supplier. Globalization is total. Many Swiss manufacturers have reduced their role to assembling pieces. The situation is comparable with that of the higher-end of the leather industry.

New medias, web 2.0?
It’s an external sales aid, an ideas lab…for brands that don’t have anything to lose. And to do it properly requires quite a significant budget. It’s not a priority for me right now, in investment terms. In my daily job, I meet high level people who can open doors for me. Based on their function, but also their private and social lives, they are my best ambassadors. It’s important to remain patient. If you hurry you get lost.

Customization?
I make small series, which is not really customization. If one of my clients gives me a good idea, he might get the n° 001 watch in the end, but I don’t usually guarantee exclusivity. I’m in a niche market.

Influence?
Influence is a kind of copy. For me, the London antique dealers are a great source of influence. In my workshop, I also overhaul watches, and that feeds my work. I often use primary senses like touch, sight, and smell. I listen to a lot of music: classical, folk, Dylan, Cohen. And if we are talking about influence and freedom of creation, Karl Lagerfeld is one of the best. He’s a true creator, with complete freedom of thought. He never gets bored, he is in constant innovation, and keeps his focus on the future.

Crisis?
Crisis? It has always been a crisis situation for me! I need to stay on the edge of creation, to think all the time. Nowadays, there are far too many brands, too many watches. But crisis, above all, has an impact on masses, airports, duty-free shops. I’m working in a niche, and I need to produce high quality items every day. And I have my daily duty to work on ! (“I’m definitely not short of work!”).

The future?
The priority is to survive day after day! It’s important to take things step by step.  I’d like to have one reseller on the ground in each European country. Haute horlogerie is a field where you can harvest the true value of your work late in the course of life, around the age of 60 or 70. So yes, I’m here to stay for quite a few more years! Not necessarily in Zurich, it might be in Hong Kong or New York. Watchmaking has this unique particularity that companies founded 230 years ago are still profitable. It’s a great symbol, and the watch often stands for the soul of the dead.

Feelings, in watchmaking, are very important.

Daniel Dreifuss est un homme qui, lorsque vous lui parlez horlogerie, vous parle à peu près de tout….sauf d’horlogerie. Caprice de star, snobisme ? Tout au contraire. Daniel Dreifuss est un amoureux de la vie, un éternel insatisfait doublé d’un bourreau de travail, qui se réjouit tout autant de travailler 12 à 16 heures par jour qu’il s’agace des violations de brevets dont il fait régulièrement l’objet. Car sa marque Maurice de Mauriac attire nombre de convoitises, et avant tout celles de ses clients. Ou plutôt, de ses partenaires. Car pour acquérir une de Mauriac, il faut s’engager, se confier, et partager l’intimité créatrice de leur concepteur. Daniel Dreifuss, en perpétuelle remise en cause, nous avoue être en constant apprentissage… de la part de ses propres clients !

Nous l’avons soumis à une série de mots, de concepts, sur lesquels cet infatigable esthète s’est laissé libre cours…avec parfois une liberté de parole rafraîchissante ! Une véritable leçon de philosophie horlogère.

Patience ?
Patience active, je dirais. Il ne faut jamais rester passif, s’endormir. Il faut constamment travailler, car nous sommes dans un métier où il peut parfois se passer 8 ans entre l’idée d’une montre, et sa réalisation effective. Par le passé j’ai travaillé dans le secteur bancaire, qui est à l’opposé de la haute horlogerie. C’est un monde où tout va très vite, où des fortunes peuvent se créer et se perdre en quelques minutes. L’horlogerie est à l’inverse un métier d’extrême patience, c’est même la clé du succès. Il ne faut pas oublier que Breguet a conçu ses plus belles pièces à 60 ans. L’énergie et la patience sont autant indispensables qu’indissociables. Avec parfois une part de chance, certes, mais qui n’est pas du hasard ! Il faut savoir activer la chance, par exemple par le biais de ses rencontres. Et chaque jour doit être l’occasion d’un nouvel apprentissage, ou d’une nouvelle rencontre.

Innovation ?
C’est cet apprentissage permanent qui est la clé de l’innovation, de nouvelles idées. Mais attention, je ne m’intéresse pas à l’ingénierie pure, pour ce qu’elle est, mais à la qualité irréprochable de l’ensemble. Pour moi, la qualité absolue d’un bracelet en crocodile est infiniment supérieure à la qualité d’un éphémère cigare, ou d’une voiture. C’est un accessoire très près du corps… et du cœur.

A ce titre, de nombreuses marques s’affichent en publicité, ou sur des sites, qui finissent par créer un fossé entre l’imaginaire, le fantasme marketing, et la réalité.  C’est pour cela que mon magasin est primordial, pour moi. J’entretiens une relation personnelle avec mes clients, ils m’apportent des cadeaux. Je collectionne des objets, j’emmagasine des énergies, des connaissances, que je partage ensuite avec ma famille, et plus particulièrement mes enfants. C’est l’université, chez moi ! Tous les jours, on apprend quelque chose !

Clients ?
Mes clients me stimulent. Beaucoup ont meilleur goût que moi ! Je suis un penseur de couleur, j’essaie de multiples combinaisons, et chaque montre reflète un progrès quotidien. Ce sont mes meilleures cartes de visite. D’ailleurs je ne fais presque plus  de salons, encore moins de ventes privées. Je produis 300 à 400 pièces par an, et mes ventes progressent parce que l’on en parle.

Made in China ?
Mais la Chine est déjà présente ! Comment voulez-vous que des manufactures  minimalistes comme celles que l’on trouve en Suisse, avec quelques dizaines d’employés, produisent des milliers de pièces vendues à travers le monde ? Les chinois sont déjà des sous-traitants très présents. La globalisation est totale. La Suisse s’est déjà fortement limitée au simple assemblage. C’est une situation proche de la maroquinerie.

Nouveaux médias et web 2.0 ?
C’est une aide à la vente, un laboratoire d’idées…pour les marques qui n’ont rien à perdre. C’est aussi réservé à certains budgets. Pour moi, ce n’est pas ma priorité d’investissements. Mais je rencontre des clients de haut vol, qui me créent des opportunités. Ce sont mes meilleurs ambassadeurs, par leur poste, mais aussi par leur vie privée et sociale, qui finit  terme par ouvrir des portes. Il faut rester patient.

Se presser, c’est se perdre.

Personnalisation ?
Je fais des petites séries, pas vraiment de la personnalisation. Si un client me donne une bonne idée, il peut avoir la montre n°001, mais je ne donne pas, a priori, d’exclusivité. Je suis sur une niche.

Influence ?
L’influence est une forme de copie. Pour moi, les antiquaires à Londres, par exemple, sont une influence importante. Dans mon atelier, je révise également des montres, et cela stimule mon travail. Je travaille beaucoup à l’aide des trois sens primordiaux pour moi, que sont le toucher, la vue et l’odorat. J’écoute aussi beaucoup de musique, du classique, du folk, Dylan, Cohen. Et en matière d’influence et de liberté de création, Karl Lagarfeld est un exemple. C’est un vrai créateur, à la pensée libre. Il ne s’ennuie jamais, innove en permanence, et centre tout son intérêt sur l’avenir.

Crise ?
La crise ? Je l’ai toujours eue ! Je dois toujours être en mouvement, réfléchir. Il y a aujourd’hui trop de montres, trop de marques. Mais la crise touche surtout la masse, les aéroports, les duty-free. Moi je suis sur une niche, et je dois produire une qualité exemplaire tous les jours. Et je ne manque pas de travail !

Avenir ?
Déjà, l’important, c’est de survivre chaque année ! Il faut y aller étape par étape. J’aimerai tout d’abord disposer d’un représentant dans chaque pays d’Europe. L’horlogerie est un business où la création de valeur se récolte véritablement très tard, à 60 ou 70 ans. Alors oui, je suis encore là pour quelques années ! Pas nécessairement à Zurich, peut-être à Hong-Kong, ou à New-York. L’horlogerie est peut-être le seul métier où des sociétés fondées il y a 230 ans sont toujours rentables ! C’est tout un symbole, et d’ailleurs la montre est souvent l’âme de celui qui est mort.

Le sentiment, en horlogerie, est quelque chose de très important.

There’s no longer any need to introduce Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion. A well known international expert who is always found where he is least expected, he has built up a true expertise in outstanding brands and in the process acquired the loyalty of no less outstanding clients.

For The Watch Lounge, Laurent discusses the crisis, Paris Hilton, and brands to follow closely in 2010. Let’s meet a passionate visionary!

Please note, this interview is also available in French.

TWL: The SIHH recorded a 10% increase in visitors for this year, the ″2010 branch study” reported that the watchmaking industry is the third strongest industry in Switzerland, etc. So, we can assume the crisis is now behind us, isn’t it?

LP: Not necessarily. I wasn’t that concerned about 2009. I’m more doubtful about the prospects for 2010, because 2009 is now behind us, and looking back we came through it quite well! On the contrary, nothing is sure for 2010 yet. Resellers are not right just because they are buying watches. As far as I’m concerned, I did not want to have a crisis window for Chronopassion last year. Many of my colleagues did, that’s why I wanted to stand apart and offer the same choice as before to my clients, which finally turned out to be the right decision.

We’re now coming out of a period of excessive euphoria, where a lot of wizards as much as institutional brands sold a lot of watches. That was possible thanks to the global dynamics of the customer environment. But the crisis has above all had an impact on the state of mind of the client, whatever his level of finance or addiction.

We’re waiting for serenity to come back. In the meantime, the addiction is still here, but the decision process is more carefully thought-out. Irrational and accumulative attitudes are left behind in favor of reason. I don’t foresee any switch back to the kind of dynamic we saw in the past years, especially for the pieces that cost over 100,000 euro.

The positive point is that, apart from the watch itself, customers are now looking more closely at the future of a brand, the legitimacy of their purchase, etc. And this is where our role as advisors is so important, both for our clients and for the brands we sell. In the case of the latter, my primary goal is to build a long-term partnership rather than a collaboration based upon fleeting trends, even if the beginning of that relationship can sometimes be difficult.

On that note, we should not forget the influence of show-business people such as Paris Hilton, who suddenly declares that we should really control our impulses to buy – and who suddenly becomes a philosopher or even a stoïc! Rational thinking is taking over, and I think it’s here to stay.

Chronpassion and the Hublot Boutique also managed by Laurent on behalf of the brand on Paris’ exclusive Rue Saint-Honoré – © Ian Skellern

TWL: How do you feel about the super high-end watches in 2010?

LP: They are my major concern. Our choice of brands and product range will be decisive. We’ll have to align our selection of watches to achieve the perfect ratio between price and amazement.

TWL: During one of our recent meetings, a reseller told us that the old clichés die hard: The Chinese want  shiny jewellery pieces, women favour sober luxury, while men are voting for technical pieces and enthusiasts for elite watches. Do you share this analysis?

LP: It’s a logical analysis which must be true up to a point; but as far as we are concerned, we have as many stereotypes as we have clients. Each client is a particular case.

Nevertheless, the women’s watch market was a difficult one for us. Initially, we bought pieces from famous brands, without the expected success. Afterwards, we focused on our core business, that is to say niche watches…but without achieving any greater success!

I have to admit that Swiss watchmaking is a little chauvinistic. Nine times out of ten, women’s watches were simply a feminine version of men’s watches. That was the wrong approach.

When we looked back, it became clear that women’s relationship to time is not the same as that of men. For women, time is an enemy, bringing with it signs of getting old. Consequently, chronographs, whose purpose is to measure time, had no sense.

Therefore, we had to completely rethink the conception of a watch for women and adapt them to enable poetry to take its place.  We had to develop an appropriate educational approach.

On that note, stay tuned as we have an agreement with a well known company and we’re going to propose a completely new approach to watches for women in the coming days!

Antonio Calce, CEO of Corum Swiss Timepieces, and Laurent Picciotto – Image courtesy of Chronopassion

TWL: You’ve been very visible in poster campaigns, even on some stamps, but the Web seems to have started more slowly. Was that intentional?

LP: Indeed I started a year ago, but now all our communication channels are at the same level. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. But I run a small business and I have to manage quite a busy schedule – and web activities are very time consuming!

Nevertheless, it’s an important channel for business development, because it’s clearly linked with sales.

We’ll be launching quite soon a brand new website dedicated to the sale of accessories. Why?  Because I want to produce accessories that I couldn’t find elsewhere!

TWL: Some of your partnerships with other brands, like Richard Mille or Corum, have received significant media coverage. Did that not upset your other brands?

LP: Some of my brands are also my friends – and in any case it creates a healthy competitive situation. When I launch a partnership with a brand, other brands want to go one step further and then we create a more innovative operation.

That said, to be honest, I don’t schedule anything. I just enter into arrangements, and see where they take me. I just try to bring to my brands communication ideas to take them where no one expects them. But in the end, my work with a given brand benefits all the others. Do not forget that our primary goal, as resellers, is to be visible everywhere.

TWL: Do you sometimes advise one of your clients against buying a given piece? How does that come across?

LP: Yes, it happens. The first feeling is surprise. Then, a move towards greater trust. So, yes, I might miss out on an immediate sale, but I’ve built a long-term trusting relationship, and that’s what I’m interested in.

For instance, I had a client who only bought proven pieces, from well known manufacturers. But one day, he chose a watch for which I had bad technical files. It was a watch costing 350,000 euro. I consciously lost the deal. But I didn’t lose the client.

Laurent at home in the Chronopassion office – © Ian Skellern

TWL: Indeed, you have atypical clients… Any anecdote to share ?

LP: I have lots of them! Once I had a client who, after quite a long time of reflection in Chronopassion, chose a 4,000 euro Paneari. As we were preparing the watch, during the time it took for the sale to be processed, I took the opportunity to show him our latest models. Amongst these, the brand new RM01, that had just been shipped. Price: 170,000 euro. The client literally had a crush on it….and me, I got seriously insulted!

I was on the receiving end of a strong flow of insults, for the simple reason that I had not shown him this model before! In fact, this client was only venting his anger as he was caught on the spot, too weak to resist an out-of-control and impulse purchase of a watch that was 42 times more expensive than his first choice! He had to let the anger out…

I also received a call from a client one morning, telling me “Laurent, I feel depressed“. I answered: “How depressed are you?“ He came in the afternoon and left me, but not without having said with a wink of an eye: “Goodbye, thank you, doctor!“

TWL: As far as you are concerned, does the oversized watch have a bright future?

LP: Good question. I think we reached the anatomical limit at a standard of between 42 and 44 millimeters. The purity of some designs is complete at this size. It’s a trend year after year. I don’t think we’ll ever get back to small watches.

TWL: In recent years, some brands unveiled several limited series in a row, which at the end are not limited. What do you think about that, from both a business and a strategic point of view?

First, a collection is not guaranteed successful just because it is limited. It has to deliver a real added value. Then, it’s important to set the right ratio between price and the number of units manufactured. A watch can be successful at 300 units, and not at all at 800. Besides, the production process of a series that was initially intended to be limited kills the concept.

You should not tire clients with limited series. Sometimes brands devote 15% to 18% of their total production to limited series. I think that’s a lot, even if I have to admit that there’s no golden rule. As far as I’m concerned, I base my choices upon my personal conviction. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t!

TWL: Are there some specific brands that you would advise us to closely follow in 2010 ?

Urwerk, De Béthune, Van Cleef, MB & F…I have advanced projects with some of them so stay tuned!

On ne présente plus Laurent Picciotto, fondateur de Chronopassion. Expert reconnu sur la scène internationale, toujours là où on ne l’attend pas, l’homme s’est constitué une expertise sur des marques hors-norme, fidélisant une clientèle tout aussi hors-norme.

Pour The Watch Lounge, Laurent nous parle de la crise, de Paris Hilton, et des marques à suivre de près en 2010. Rencontre avec un visionnaire passionné !

TWL : Le SIHH comptabilise 10% de fréquentation en plus, le «Manuel des branches 2010» du Crédit Suisse place l’horlogerie à la 3^ème place des industries suisses les plus dynamiques, etc. . Alors, la crise est bel et bien finie ?

LP: Pas nécessairement. Je n’étais pas très inquiet pour 2009. Je le suis plus pour l’année à venir, car 2009 est derrière nous et rétrospectivement nous nous en sommes bien sortis ! A l’inverse, rien n’est fait pour 2010. Ce n’est pas parce que les détaillants achètent qu’ils ont raison. Personnellement, je ne voulais pas de vitrine de crise. Beaucoup de mes confrères ont fait profil bas. Je voulais me démarquer et proposer le même choix à mes clients, et cela nous a servi.

On sort de quelques années d’euphorie démesurée, où beaucoup de sorciers comme d’institutions ont vendu énormément de chose, car la dynamique client était bien présente. Mais la crise a surtout modifié la mentalité du client, quelque soit son niveau de finance comme d’addiction. On attend le retour à la sérénité. L’addiction est toujours là, mais la prise de décision est plus réfléchie. On quitte l’irrationnel et l’accumulation pour revenir à la raison. Nous ne sommes pas prêts de retrouver une dynamique comparable à celle de ces cinq dernières années, surtout pour les achats au-delà de 100.000 euros.

Le côté positif, c’est qu’au-delà de l’objet, le client est plus regardant sur l’avenir d’une maison, le bien-fondé de l’achat, etc. Et à ce titre notre rôle de conseil est primordial, avec le client comme avec nos marques. Avec elles, je préfère construire une relation durable, qui passe parfois par des débuts difficiles lorsque tout est à construire, que de choisir de surfer sur des modes éphémères.

A cet égard, il ne faut pas oublier l’influence de certains people, comme Paris Hilton, qui décrète du jour au lendemain qu’il faut maîtriser ses impulsions d’achats, et devient subitement philosophe, voire stoïcienne ! La rationalité gagne le monde, et je pense que cela va durer.

Chronpassion and the Hublot Boutique also managed by Laurent on behalf of the brand on Paris’ exclusive Rue Saint-Honoré – © Ian Skellern

TWL : Qu’en est-il des montres très haut de gamme, comment les sens-tu pour l’année à venir ?

LP : Ce sont elles qui me préoccupent le plus. Le choix des marques et des gammes va être crucial. Il va nous falloir parfaitement calibrer notre offre, pour nous situer dans le bon ratio étonnement / prix.

TWL : Un récent entretien chez un revendeur nous indiquait que certains stéréotypes avaient la vie dure : les chinois veulent du  brillant, la femme du luxe discret, l’homme de la technique, et l’amateur averti des marques d’élite et non de masse. Dresses-tu le même constat ?

LP : C’est une logique de masse, qui a probablement sa part de vérité ; mais en ce qui nous concerne, nous avons autant de clients que de stéréotypes. Chaque client est un cas particulier.

Le cas de l’horlogerie féminine fut toutefois problématique pour nous. Initialement, nous avons rentré des pièces de grandes marques, mais sans grand succès. Nous nous sommes donc recentrés sur les niches…sans plus de résultats ! La culture horlogère suisse avait en effet un positionnement assez machiste, sur le sujet de la montre féminine, puisque 9 fois sur 10, la montre femme était une déclinaison aménagée d’une montre homme. Erreur.

Car avec l’expérience, certains acteurs du marché se sont aperçus que le rapport au temps de la femme n’est pas comparable à celui de l’homme. Pour la femme, le temps est un ennemi, manifestant la vieillesse, par exemple. Les chronographes, qui servent à le mesurer, n’ont donc aucun sens.

Il a donc fallu repenser la conception même des montres de femmes et créer des complications adaptées, où la poésie prend toute sa place. Il fallait développer une pédagogie adaptée.

A ce sujet, restez connectés, nous nous sommes associés avec une maison de renom et allons proposer une approche femme entièrement repensée, d’ici quelques jours !

Antonio Calce, CEO of Corum Swiss Timepieces, and Laurent Picciotto – Image courtesy of Chronopassion

TWL : On t’a vu très actif sur des campagnes d’affichage, et même des timbres, mais le web semble avoir démarré plus progressivement. Une volonté délibérée ?

LP : Effectivement j’ai commencé il y a un an mais aujourd’hui les différents canaux de communication sont tous au même niveau. Nous  sommes présents sur Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Mais je dirige une PME et je dois composer avec un agenda très chargé, alors même que les activités sur le web sont très chronophages !

C’est pour autant un axe de développement important car c’est clairement, pour nous, en lien direct avec les ventes.

Nous nous apprêtons d’ailleurs à lancer un nouveau site dédié à la vente d’accessoires. L’idée ? Produire moi-même des accessoires que je ne trouvais pas ailleurs !

TWL : Certaines de tes associations avec certaines marques, comme Richard Mille ou Corum, ont été très visibles. Cela n’a pas contrarié tes autres marques ?

LP : Certaines de mes marques sont aussi mes amis, et puis cela crée une saine émulation. Lorsque je lance un partenariat avec une marque, d’autres veulent aller plus loin et nous inventons alors un dispositif encore plus innovant.

Cela dit, très honnêtement, je ne fais pas de prévisions. Je m’engage dans des collaborations, et j’avise au fil des opportunités. J’essaie d’apporter aux marques des idées de communication pour aller là où personne ne nous attend. Mais au final, le travail avec une marque bénéficie à toutes les autres. Il ne faut pas oublier que notre travail de commerçant est d’occuper le terrain.

TWL : T’arrives-t-il de déconseiller un achat à un client ? Comment cela est-il perçu ?

LP : Oui, cela m’arrive. Au début, c’est l’étonnement. Et ensuite, la confiance en sort grandie. Alors certes, je vais peut-être manquer une vente immédiate, mais j’ai construit une relation de confiance à long terme, et c’est ça qui m’intéresse.

Par exemple j’avais un client qui ne s’offrait que des pièces aux mécanismes éprouvés depuis un temps certain, et issues de marques réputées. Or un jour il a souhaité s’en procurer une pour laquelle j’avais, pour ma part, un mauvais dossier technique. C’était une pièce à 350.000 euros. Je le lui ai déconseillée. J’ai délibérément perdu la vente. Mais je n’ai pas perdu le client.

Laurent at home in the Chronopassion office – © Ian Skellern
TWL : Tes clients sont effectivement assez atypiques… . Des anecdotes à partager ?

LP : Oui, beaucoup ! J’avais par exemple un client qui, après un certain temps de réflexion chez nous, choisit une Panerai, à 4.000 euros. Nous lui préparons, et le temps que le process de vente se mette en place, j’en profite pour lui montrer d’autres modèles. Parmi eux, la toute nouvelle RM01, qui venait d’arriver. Valeur : 170.000 euros. Le client a littéralement flashé dessus….et moi, je me suis fait copieusement insulter ! Une vraie tirade d’insultes durant laquelle je me suis vu reprocher de ne pas lui avoir montré plus tôt !

En réalité, ce client ne faisait que manifester sa colère d’être pris en défaut de faiblesse et d’avoir une impulsion d’achat irraisonnée pour une seconde montre qui faisait plus de 42 fois le budget de la première ! Il fallait que ça sorte… .

J’ai aussi un client qui m’appelle le matin pour me dire, « Laurent, je suis déprimé. ». Je lui réponds : « C’est une déprime à combien ? », et il vient dans l’après-midi, en ne manquant pas de partir sur un « Au revoir docteur, merci » !

TWL : Selon toi, l’oversize a-t-il encore de beaux jours devant lui ?

LP : Bonne question. Je pense que l’on a atteint la limite anatomique, avec un standard à 42 ou 44 mn. La pureté de certains designs est atteinte à ce format. C’est une tendance qui s’est installée progressivement. Je ne pense pas que l’on reviendra aux petites montres.

TWL : On assiste à ces derniers temps à une prolifération de séries limitées chez certaines marques, qui, du coup, n’en sont plus. Qu’en pensez-vous, stratégiquement et commercialement parlant ?

LP : Tout d’abord, il faut bien comprendre que ce n’est pas la série limitée en tant que telle qui assure un succès. Il faut une vraie valeur ajoutée. Ensuite, il faut trouver le bon ratio prix / nombre. Une pièce peut avoir du succès à 300 unités, et plus aucun à 800. Et, naturellement, la mise en production d’une série initialement limitée tue le concept.

En somme, il ne faut pas fatiguer la clientèle à coups de séries limitées. On voit parfois certaines marques qui consacrent 15 à 18% de leur production à des séries limitées. C’est beaucoup, même s’il faut reconnaître qu’il n’y a pas de règle universelle. Moi, je marche à la conviction personnelle. Parfois ça marche, parfois non !

TWL : Quelles marques nous conseillerais-tu de suivre plus particulièrement, en 2010 ?

LP : Urwerk, De Béthune, Van Cleef, MB & F… . J’ai des projets avancés avec certaines d’entres elles, restez à l’écoute… !

As you are no doubt aware by now, Maximilian Büsser recently unveiled the latest and most daring variation of the already exceptional Horological Machine No.2, aptly named the SV (for Sapphire Vision). If you were living under a rock (or worse still, not a subscriber to The Watch Lounge!) and you missed the announcement, you can read all about it here.

Well today we have something extra special for you. Despite the horrendous schedule he is facing in the lead up to BaselWord 2010 (which is less than 2 months away!) Maximilian has very kindly taken some time out to tell us more about his latest creation and share with us the ups and downs of attempting the impossible!

We hope you enjoy it! Please note that if you prefer, the interview is also available in French.

TWL: Firstly, let us say congratulations Maximilian as this latest piece is absolutely mind-blowing! But tell us, what motivated you to create such a challenging masterpiece from a material that is so notoriously difficult to work with? Did you ever stop to think “what am I am doing here, this is crazy!?”

MB: Thanks Tom! From day one when we created HM2, I felt it was an immense pity not to show the 349 part engine, which is not only completely three dimensional, but also designed alongside the cases’ codes and of course beautifully hand finished by Jacques Rochat’s team in the Vallée de Joux. We started experimenting on an open case top on the Only Watch Sage Vaughn version – which was already quite a challenge… and then Serge Kriknoff (my partner in the company) and I thought “what if we took it one step further…?”. And that is when the REAL challenge (ordeal ?) started!

TWL: How long did it take you to find someone that was game enough to take on the exceptional task of crafting the crystal-clear sapphire case?

MB: We contacted close to ten sapphire manufacturers (in Switzerland and outside) – three accepted the challenge. Two out of those three could not come up with a viable prototype after six months and finally only Martin  Stettler, owner of Stettler in Lyss (Switzerland), managed to deliver a beautiful piece only three months ago…

© Ian Skellern

TWL: Was there ever a moment when you thought that it would simply not be possible to create this piece? How did you overcome these setbacks?

MB: I remember in September 2009 looking at Serge and asking “Now what do we do or what can we do???”, and he just raised his eyebrows and answered “wait…” and sighed. The wait was indeed extremely unnerving….

TWL: What was the most challenging aspect of creating this piece and bringing it to reality? What was the most enjoyable?

MB: It takes approximately 55 hours to complete one of these sapphire plates – between the machining, drilling, assembly and anti-reflection treatment. And three out of four prototypes broke in the process… Most time consuming is the carving out of a massive block of sapphire. Most delicate is the drilling of the 8 holes that host the case assembly screws. The plate being 3,6mm thick the diamond drills take a very long time to get through – and as it is very close to the side, 50% of the plates crack in that process. The most enjoyable is when of course you receive that first good plate and assemble the first prototype…It is like a baby being born after a very long a difficult labor.

TWL: Does the end result resemble what you originally envisioned in your mind, or is it completely different?

MB: It’s pretty much what I had in mind. The blue water resistance gasket was decided once we had done a mock up with a Plexiglas piece. Indeed with a black gasket, the whole piece was a mix of grey and black – which led to the eye not being able to focus on anything in particular, as if you mixed great tasty ingredients into a blender. So we went for this electric blue which works as the frame to the work of art.

© Ian Skellern

TWL: When you look at your final creation, what do you see? What would you like others to see in it and how would you describe this to them?

MB: It makes me think of a city seen from above through an airplane’s window. You cannot distinguish everything but discern the three dimensionality, parts of the city and certain amazing details which stand out.

TWL: Are there any specific features that you would like to especially point out to admirers that may not be immediately obvious at first glance?

MB: I would just ask them to look at the piece from far, then up close, and finally to wonder how many different machining operations were necessary to create the bloc of sapphire protecting the movement.

TWL: Looking back now on the whole process would you have done anything different in the creation of this piece? Why?

MB: No, because the result is what I had in mind, and that even though we had some sleepless nights wondering if Stettler would manage, it is now a reality, which will start deliveries in May.

TWL: Finally, what aspect of this remarkable new vision of HM2 are you most proud of and why?

MB: That it actually exists…