- The FIFTYSIX collection will re-interpret the heritage of the maison.
- Vacheron constantins business developed very positively in the Middle East in 2017.
- Clients today expect watches with an identity, watchmaking substance and a fair value.
What are your brand’s “star” novelties for the SIHH 2018?
2018 will be an important year for Vacheron Constantin with the launch of an entire new collection. The FIFTYSIX collection will re-interpret the heritage of the maison in a new, and fresh way and will offer our clients a complete new choice of style and value in addition to our existing families.
What are your expectations at SIHH 2018?
We are expecting a positive development for 2018. The maison has developed very strongly in the Middle East since 2016 despite a difficult business environment. Despite the fact that I don’t expect the overall situation to drascitclaly change, I am convinced that we will be able to continue and even accelerate this trend in 2018
What are the foreseen trends and directions with watches in 2018?
Vacheron has never worked by following trends but always tried to create watches that felt right for our maison. Funnily enough, by doing this we have in the past contributed- if not created- what later was called “a trend”- for example with the Metiers d Art and classic watches with Patrimony in the early 2000s.
We believe that what clients today expect from a brand are watches with an identity, watchmaking substance, an authentic story- and a fair value. We are convinced that with the new FIFTYSIX we will meet all these demands.
How would you describe your brand performance during 2017 in the Middle East? Did your export figures increase?
Vacheron constantins business developed very positively in the last year. This was driven by the strong product innovations- the astronomy theme with the Celestia as a highlight- as well as the Overseas collection which continued to sell very well for clients in the Middle East.
What are your brand’s priorities for 2018?
Vacheron Constantin has and will be a brand for the real connoisseurs- the people who go beyond where everybody else stops, who live their passions, who appreciate things that not everybody else has- and who dare to be different. Hence, our priority we will continue to focus on making connoisseurs- be it existing or potential clients experience the spirit of Vacheron Constantin: in our communication, in our Boutiques, at the POS of our partners- and wherever else they get in contact with our maison.
How does your brand approach technology as part of the future of fine watch making?
Tradition and innovation are the 2 sides of the same coin- and have always been at the core of Vacherons identity.
Hence, we will embrace new technologies where we can improve the performance of our maison- for example to speed up and improve the product development process with 3D prototyping and 3D animations of technical and aesthetical designs.
We are using new technologies where they create value to communicate with our clients in faster and more personalized way.
We will however, not compromise the passion of our craftsmen and the traditional ways to create our watches as this is a form of art- and art, beauty, creativity and human expression cannot be replaced by an technology.
In your opinion, what is about to change in the watch industry (markets &consumer attitude)?
There are a lot of changes due to the ever faster development of new technology in communication, production, travel and so on- and I don’t want to list them all here.
I believe however, despite- or maybe even because life around us develops in this ever faster pace- people will come to appreciate the things that last. The more technology evolves with Artificial intelligence and ubiquitous connectivity- the ultimate luxury will become something that is made by a person for a person with all his/her dedication and passion. And this is a very encouraging thought as this has been what we have been doing since 1755.