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Exclusive interview with Guido Damiani, President of the board of directors of Damiani Jewellery; Breitling welcomes Erling Haaland as new Brand Ambassador
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Interviews
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Exclusive interview with Guido Damiani, President of the board of directors of Damiani Jewellery
“We think differently as we are confined to jewellery and for us design is most important. We keep a keen eye on what people prefer and offer products that fulfil their desires and match the changing trends.” Excerpts from the interview with Guido Damiani, President, Damiani Jewellery.
Guido Damiani took charge of Damiani in 1996 and is today the President of the board of directors of Damiani Jewellery. Guido moved to settle in Dubai recently where AWJ met him at the Damiani store to explore the brand’s latest plans and future strategy.
Damiani had an active list of band ambassadors including Sharon Stone and Sophia Loren, and has recently launched an ad campaign with Madalina Ghenea. How has the brand benefitted from these associations?
For us it is significant that we use this kind of celebrities in our advertising. There is something more behind the promotional contract – they are friends of the family or friends of the brand. Using celebrities however has become less important nowadays than in the past because in the past people were always looking for somebody important to identify themselves with and to dream about. Though this is still relevant, there has been a major transformation in the perception. Today, apart from movie stars, there are those influencers who are famous and important on Instagram and other social media, and there are also motivators for example soccer players or other sports stars who attract great public interest. It always pays to associate the brand with those whom people dream about and identify themselves with. Many keenly follow these celebrities they adore and want to be like them, and this is an effective way of adding value to the brand.
Damiani is almost a 100-years brand and has expanded its presence in the Middle East with representation in the region and the recent inauguration of boutiques in the UAE. How do you project your expansion plans in this region?
We want to invest a lot in this market. We believe in the market so are planning to invest significantly and to open some more stores not only in the UAE but also in other countries like Qatar. We are also looking at new locations and next week I will be flying to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia is another target market where we want to open soon, let’s say in the next six months. We will also invest heavily in advertising as well as in promotional events because we believe it is the right moment – the market is ready and our brand is well-known. I didn’t move into Dubai to just promote the brand. I came here to see and feel the city with the sea, sands and so full of life. And being here myself, I will put some energy and money for the brand as well.
How does Damiani as a brand position its DNA in today’s global market?
We are among the big international names, but the difference is we are more of a jeweller while the other top brands are closer to, let’s say luxury brands. They have watches, leather goods, bags, cigarettes and hotels among others under their brand canopy. Many are positioning themselves as being a retailer more than a jeweller. Our company was born as a manufacturer and my grandfather used to design and create the jewellery. People do understand our collection better as we use more gold and the best diamonds while offering the best design.
What is your favorite Damiani collection for the region and why?
One of the best sellers in this part of the world is the Mimosa collection where diamonds are set in a unique way that looks like casual, and this is very well appreciated. Another well accepted collection is Belle Epoque, an acclaimed collection worldwide and soon we will be launching a new collection. We also have an exclusive collection called Masterpieces which is a high-end jewellery and also a beautiful bridal collection that’s is appreciated world over.
Damiani is a family company and you must have several challenges. How do you overcome these challenges?
Nowadays the market is controlled by major brands with huge financial power, but we are lucky to be in this industry because with jewellery it’s a bit different from others. In the jewellery field everybody puts jewellery within the luxury industry like clothes. We think differently as we are confined to jewellery and for us design is most important. We keep a keen eye on what people prefer and offer products that fulfil their desires and match the changing trends. All these make it possible for us to successfully compete with other brands. Our DNA is strong and our know-how is excellent. My grandfather, my father, and my brother and I are deeply committed to continue producing the finest jewellery that will definitely have its deserved place in this world. We have a good opportunity today, we will capitalize on it and carry on the brand into the next generation. |
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Company News
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Breitling welcomes Erling Haaland as new Brand Ambassador
Breitling has recently announced Erling Haaland as the latest face of the luxury watch brand. The striker for Manchester City joins other standouts of sport that include basketball’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, snowboarding’s Chloe Kim, and American football’s Trevor Lawrence, to complete Breitling’s new “all-star squad.” Haaland is built for scoring goals. That’s as much due to his size and speed as to his textbook center-forward style of play. In his debut season in the German Bundesliga professional league, he won player of the month after spending only an hour on the pitch. At the FIFA U20 World Cup, he took the Golden Boot for scoring a record nine goals in a single match. Now, at only 22 years of age, he is already considered one of the best players in the world.
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Mouawad opens its new boutique in Hong Kong
International diamond house, luxury jeweler and watchmaker Mouawad has the pleasure to announce the opening of its flagship Mouawad boutique in Hong Kong. The boutique is set in the five-star Peninsula Hotel, an iconic location famed across the world for its luxury hospitality and prestigious heritage. The new-generation Mouawad boutique welcomes visitors into the world of “crafting the extraordinary,” with its pristine showcases of exceptional diamonds and artistry featuring breathtaking jewelry and watch collections, including masterpieces and high jewelry suites set with diamonds and precious gems. Amid the discreet and refined décor visitors are also introduced to the House’s heritage of more than 130 years of designing and creating for royalty, celebrities and discerning clientele. |
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CVSTOS announces Breel Embolo and Cafu as brand ambassadors
CVSTOS has announced the appointment of the Swiss national team player Breel Embolo and the football legend CAFU as its new brand Ambassadors and creates two Metropolitan PS Sapphire in limited editions. Precision, performance and talent are the common denominators present in both athletic success and Haute Horlogerie. These key values are reflected in the latest partnership between CVSTOS and its latest ambassador, Breel Embolo. They also served as guidelines to create a limited edition timepiece. |
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Discover the world of Al Fardan Jewellery
Drawing inspiration from rich Emirati heritage, and the region’s empowered, sophisticated, modern woman. Al Fardan Jewellery, established under the Al Fardan Group is one of the leading family-owned conglomerates in the region with a legacy spanning over 65 years. Since its inception in 1954 by Mr. Hajj Hasan Ibrahim Al Fardan; a renowned and respected pearl connoisseur, Al Fardan Jewellery, whose roots are steeped in the seafaring and pearl trading tradition unique to the UAE, has become synonymous with the pearling industry with one of the biggest natural pearl collections. |
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Christophe Claret welcomes Blaise Matuidi as new brand ambassador
Some history, Blaise Matuidi cut his teethwith the club ES Troyes AC, and at the age of 17 he played in league 2. He then joined AS Saint-Etienne where his performances were noticed by a certain Laurent Blanc. He was then quite naturally called up to the France team. He then signed for PSG, then Juventus and finally Inter Miami. Blaise Matuidi wears the colors of the French team from 2010 to 2020 with which he was crowned world champion in 2018 in Russia. Outside the field, he is the founder of the foundation « Conseil pour l’Encadrement et la Réinsertion des Jeunes par le Sport » which aims to help the reintegration of young Congolese through sport. This collaboration is therefore not the result of chance between these two passionate and hard-working men who are Christophe Claret and Blaise Matuidi. |
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Product Launch
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Patek Philippe launches new watches
Patek Philippe has extended its collection of complications with a new split-seconds monopusher chronograph with perpetual calendar for left-handers (Ref. 5373P-001). It is the first chronograph in the Aquanaut Luce ladies’ collection and is decorated with a rainbow of sapphires and diamonds (Ref. 7968/300R-001). Additionally, the debuts include three reinterpretations of chronographs with emblematic complementary functions. The manufacture also pays tribute to its cult Nautilus model by presenting three new casually elegant variations including the successor of the legendary Ref. 5711. |
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Audemars Piguet unveils two Royal Oak Selfwinding sets shimmering with iridescent coloured gemstones
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its iconic Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet reinvents the traditional rainbow with the launch of two unprecedented Royal Oak Selfwinding sets in 37 and 41 mm, both illuminated by some of the most beautiful gemstones. The two sets are composed of ten white gold selfwinding hours, minutes and seconds timepieces, each entirely paved with a different baguette-cut gemstone so as to form a rainbow when all the pieces are put side by side. The different watches are adorned with some 800 baguette-cut coloured stones of the exact same hue, all meticulously selected and custom-cut to offer intense and pure colours. The gemsetting was accomplished by long-time partner Salanitro, a company specialised in watch manufacturing and stone setting. |
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Chopard launches new products at the SIAR 2022
On the occasion of the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) took place in Mexico, Chopard introduced the three exclusive L.U.C timepieces. The L.U.C Full Strike ‘Día de los Muertos’ is a one-of-a-kind model in entirely hand-engraved and blackened ethical 18-carat white gold. Second is L.U.C Skull One Calavera Pop Art, 25-piece limited edition in beadblasted DLC-coated steel. A bold and colourful expression of the highly collectible watch inspired by Día de los Muertos. Lastly, the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 TimeForArt Edition. One-of-a-kind creation in ethical 18-carat rose gold. Chopard’s jumping-hour mechanism welcomes a dial inspired by the vanitas theme and beautifully enhanced by artistic crafts.
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Breitling presents its first-ever traceable watch
The Super Chronomat Automatic 38 Origins is designed to make a statement, whether paired with a power suit or a t-shirt and jeans. You can tell a “Super” from the rest of the Chronomat family by the ceramic rider tabs and crown, and the rubber rouleaux bracelet only available with this supercharged line. But aside from its enhanced presence, this new watch has another important statement to make. It’s the beginning of Breitling’s mission to do better. By 2025, Breitling’s entire product portfolio will feature better gold and better diamonds: artisanal gold and lab-grown diamonds, responsibly sourced from accredited suppliers. To be fully accountable to its mission, Breitling is also introducing end-to-end traceability. |
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Parmigiani Fleurier presents the new Tonda PF Alligator
The Tonda PF collection ushered in the brand's return to the forefront of fine watchmaking in 2021. The three founding models - Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, Tonda PF Chronograph, and Tonda PF Annual Calendar – embody the epitome of discretion and elegance with their refined aesthetic, harmonious forms, and enticing value prospect. Initially outfitted in 18ct rose gold cases and matching gold bracelets, the newest iterations are adorned with alligator straps. The straps fasten securely to the wrist with a new, asymmetrical triple-blade buckle, opened by two external pushers, to ensure exceptional wearing comfort. The buckle’s minimalist design is highlighted by a PF logo in relief, a subtle yet powerful identity signature. |
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Presenting the new Chronomètre FB 3SPC by Ferdinand Berthoud
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud unveils the third pillar of its collections: the new Chronomètre FB 3SPC. Powered by a mechanical movement featuring a novel construction and a cylindrical balance-spring, this timepiece approaches the core theme of precision from a new angle. It took two years to perfect the adjustments of the regulating organ before obtaining official "chronometer" certification (ISO 3159 standard): a first for such a movement. This new FB 3 collection draws its stylistic, technical and aesthetic inspiration from a rare and exceptional creation: the No. 26 decimal watch.
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Czapek & Cie introduces a new Faubourg de Cracovie chronograph model featuring Aventurine dial
The love story between the Geneva-based maison and aventurine is a long-standing one. Czapek has already used the famous glass, capable of creating a starry sky-like effect, for the ‘Midnight in Geneva’ limited edition of the Quai des Bergues collection, created in 2019 to celebrate the opening of the brand's first store in Geneva. The maison subsequently embarked on the difficult mission of reducing the size of the aventurine dial for a 38.5 mm diameter case. As with the Quai des Bergues, the new Faubourg de Cracovie features three aventurine dials, as each of the chronograph counters is rapporté, i.e. fixed inside the hours and minutes dial. |
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De Bethune introduces DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT
In 2022, De Bethune celebrates its 20th anniversary. Two decades dedicated to the execution of a centuries-old know-how and the tireless search for innovation. On the occasion of SIAR 2022, the Manufacture unveiled its 30th in-house calibre with the release of the DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT. The DB Kind of Two Jumping GMT is perfectly reversible and can be worn on either side according to the mood of the moment and the time zone chosen. This model houses a highly sophisticated mechanism based on a complex system of gears and pinions arranged on the front or back of the watch, and which enables the hands to turn in the right direction, regardless of the dial chosen. On one side the jumping hour hand of the GMT function, on the other the central jumping second hand Opt for a modern or more traditional design. |
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Introducing the Black Stirrup Collection by Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren’s iconic stirrup-shaped timepiece debuts in new black finishes as the latest expression of the designer’s passion for the equestrian lifestyle. Watches from the Stirrup collection celebrate the grace, beauty and tradition of horse riding, all with the unrivaled precision of Swiss horological craftsmanship. The Ralph Lauren Stirrup Large and Medium Timepieces, in 36mm and 32mm respectively, are presented in a matte-black finish with every detail designed to Ralph Lauren’s specifications, from the black lacquered dial, with its Roman numerals and minute track, to the stainless steel case encompassed by a beautifully curved sapphire crystal. |
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Exhibitions & Events
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Ukrainian jewellery brands to exhibit at GemGenève
Ukrainian jewellery brands will be presented at the world-famous jewellery trade show GemGeneve, which will take place in Geneva on November 3-6, 2022. The exhibition is initiated by the Strong & Precious project that aims to popularise Ukrainian jewellery brands on the international stage. Alongside contemporary creations, the antique jewels by the most famous Ukrainian jeweller of the 20th century, Joseph Marchak, will also be exhibited. While being the main competitor to Faberge, Marchak got the nickname "the Cartier of Kyiv". Now his jewels hold a special place in private collections and auction houses. It should be noted that this is the second time the Ukrainian jewellery brands will be present at GemGeneve. |
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Celebrity News
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Julia Roberts wears Chopard Jewelry to the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala
On 15th October 15 2022, Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts attended the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala wearing jewelry by Chopard. Julia selected a pendant featuring 8.63-carats of diamonds set in 18k white gold from the “L’Heure du Diamant Collection.” |
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