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Exclusive interview with Francoise Bezzola, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Ulysse Nardin; LVMH reaches agreement with Tiffany & Co.
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Interviews
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Exclusive interview with Francoise Bezzola, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Ulysse Nardin
Can you elaborate more on Ulysse Nardin’s boutique expansion plans in the region?
We recently opened our Middle Eastern flagship boutique in the world-renowned shopping destination – The Dubai Mall in September 2019. This was a significant milestone for us and we are thrilled to bring the collections, history and heritage of our brand to the United Arab Emirates. We will be strengthening our relationship with our partner in the UAE, the prestigious, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.
The region is central to our growth and we are excited to give residents the opportunity to learn more about Ulysse Nardin’s traditions and seafaring heritage, which spans over 170 years. There are also plans to expand further in Saudi Arabia.
How do you evaluate Ulysse Nardin’s performance in the region? What potential does it yet hold?
Ulysse Nardin timepieces are increasingly sought after by a discerning Middle Eastern clientele due to the extraordinary technical achievements, ingenuity and craftsmanship of each watch.
Traditionally the brand has a strong foothold in the top end of the luxury market and will continue to create its innovative limited edition pieces while creating an entry point for the millennials who are looking for the ultimate in craftsmanship and style. This entry point addresses not only the millennials but those who dare to be different as being a millennial is not being only young, it’s a mind-set.
There is also a new team in place at Ulysse Nardin and we are working to ensure we stay ahead in a highly competitive luxury watch market in the Middle East. The potential for growth in this region is huge as discerning clients wish to buy only the very best timepieces.
What is the ratio of Ulysse Nardin men’s to ladies’ watches sold in the region?
The Ulysse Nardin brand has traditionally drawn a predominantly male demographic but there are also new launches within the women’s market as the female audience in the Middle East is also very selective and knowledgeable of the fine watchmaking sector. Our Marine Lady Chronometer and Lady Diver watches are proving hugely popular. We have also recently unveiled a sportive series of diving watches exclusively for women.
The ratio of the brand’s men’s to ladies’ watches sold in the region is currently 9 out of 10.
Does Ulysse Nardin have any plans to expand and release more ladies watches in the near future? What can we expect?
We recently extended our collection of timepieces for women by unveiling a series of diving watches, rejuvenating our Lady Diver collection twelve years after the launch of our first feminine diving watch. As part of this series and in a limited edition of just 300 pieces, the Lady Diver Great White is none other than the female counterpart to the men’s Diver Great White. Dedicated to the art of diving with its freediver engraved on the case back, the watch enriches the existing collection serving as both a stunning piece of jewellery and a reliable instrument.
How do you describe Ulysse Nardin’s relationship with watch collectors and watch clubs in the region?
There is huge interest in the high-end watch market in the region and there is a thriving collectors’ community of fine watch lovers of all ages. Our partners in the UAE, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, stage the ever-growing forum, Dubai Watch Week, an event where we participate and celebrate the brand’s spirit of innovative fine watchmaking.
E-commerce and digital are becoming more and more important. Kindly explain Ulysse Nardin’s perspective towards online sales and social media use and effectiveness.
We have a very strong online presence including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. In line with our seafaring traditions, we speak to modern explorers who choose to follow their own rules. Reaching, engaging and enticing millennials is a major focus for our brand.
With the introduction of entry-level watches, Freak X and Skeleton X, we are appealing to broader markets. The channels of communication have changed accordingly and we are maximizing our online visibility through social media. We have recently announced our association with the talented Emirati flyboarder, Manea Al Marzooqi, who specifically appeals to the younger generation.
E-commerce is a natural progression for Ulysse Nardin as the entire industry moves into a digitally focused realm. It’s necessary to keep up with demand from a younger more tech-savvy buyer. Ulysse Nardin just launched a new website, which will be extended to e-commerce in the coming months. |
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Market News
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LVMH reaches agreement with Tiffany & Co.
LVMH and Tiffany & Co. announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement whereby LVMH will acquire Tiffany for $135 per share in cash, in a transaction with an equity value of approximately €14.7 billion or $16.2 billion. The acquisition of Tiffany will strengthen LVMH’s position in jewelry and further increase its presence in the United States. The addition of Tiffany will transform LVMH’s Watches & Jewelry division and complement LVMH’s 75 distinguished Houses. |
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Pascal Raffy, Owner of BOVET 1822, honored with “Lifetime Achievement Award”
Mr. Pascal Raffy, Owner of Maison BOVET 1822, honored with “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his visionary contribution to fine Swiss watchmaking, during the Middle East Watch & Jewellery of the Year Awards 2019, in Dubai. The trophy was presented to Mr. Pascal Raffy by H.E. Mr. Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful prizes awarded to Maison BOVET because it salutes all the efforts made by Mr. Pascal Raffy and the craftsmen of the House since 2001, when Mr. Raffy became the Owner of BOVET 1822. |
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Company News
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Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Openworked achieves CHF 1 million at Only Watch
Audemars Piguet presented its dedicated Only Watch timepiece at the charity auction’s 2019 edition: a two-tone Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Openworked. The unique model’s two-tone case emphasizes the architectural complexity of the collection. Its 18-carat pink gold octagonal middle case subtly contrasts with the 18-carat white gold extra-thin bezel, lugs and caseback. Satin-brushed, bevelled and polished, the bezel, lugs and case present refined finishing techniques usually found on calibres. The caseback is engraved with “Unique Piece.” |
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Zenith celebrates the 50th Anniversary of El Primero
To celebrate El Primero's half-century, the basic movement has been reworked and improved to facilitate its assembly. It naturally maintains all its aesthetic and technical characteristics: it is still an integrated high-frequency movement, the date indication is kept, as are the lateral clutch and column wheel. It comprises a few less components than the original model and the Manufacture has added certain elements it deemed important, notably including the stop-seconds device and a greater power reserve, which was previously to 50 hours due to the high frequency which requires a lot of energy. Its construction enables a modular approach: it will be able to beat tenths of a second while displaying it at certain times and at others not, as well as offering the flyback function. |
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Product Launch
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Chopard launches the Alpine Eagle Collection in Dubai
At the Dubai Watch Week, Chopard along with partner Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons introduced the brand-new Alpine Eagle collection, during an exclusive event on November 21st at the Alpine Eagle Exhibition area, with the presence of Chopard Co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. The event featured over 150 guests including Arab celebrities Dhafer L’Abidine and Wissam Breidy. The launch evening was lively with jazz music vibes by Zero Funk band, followed by a unique poetic performance of the Art of Spoken words by Jaysus Zain and closing the night on the beats of DJ Karrouhat. |
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Bvlgari reveals the new Fiorever collection
Bvlgari brings the boundless energy of its city, Rome, to the new Fiorever collection. Uniting the Italian word for flower, fiore, and the English word forever, Fiorever immortalizes ephemeral flowers in everlasting diamonds. This year the Fiorever collection features bright and bold yellow diamonds for the first time. Renowned as a master of gemstones, Bvlgari searched worldwide for these rare yellow diamonds, exceptional for their fancy vivid hue, round shape and remarkable quality. Their brilliance is amplified by the Fiorever icon: a yellow diamond solitaire sits in the center of each flower, and around it, petals of white diamond pavé flourish in an upward tilt, echoing the movement of a living flower. |
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CHANEL Coco Crush Fine Jewelry collection
Decadent, seductive, timeless pieces. CHANEL Fine Jewelry presents Coco Crush, a new collection entirely dedicated to the “Matelasse” or quilted pattern. Finely engraved into the gold, this stylized quilted pattern gives birth to a collection of rings and a cuff-bracelet with generous and feminine lines. In its simplicity, the radical and resolutely contemporary spirit of the Coco Crush collection expresses all the values of modernity and refinement that have distinguished CHANEL Fine Jewelry since its origins. |
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Dior launches the Rose Pop collection
A radiant celebration, the Rose Dior Pop collection, designed by Victoire de Castellane for the 20th anniversary of Dior Joaillerie, blossoms in a burst of joy with its reinterpretations of the rose in boldly-hued lacquer versions. The queen of flowers so dear to Monsieur Dior is also one of the favorite codes of the Artistic Director. Covered with violet, blue, green, pink or red lacquer with a silky effect, five petals adorn these gold rings, echoing the Bois de Rose creations, which feature delicate stems. This technique, both virtuoso and poetic, is one of the emblematic signatures of Victoire de Castellane and reflects the exceptional savoir-faire of the jewelry workshops. |
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Jacob & Co. presents the Oil Pump
For the first time ever in watchmaking, and after more than a year in development, Jacob & Co. has incorporated two working derricks, an “oil” reservoir and a system of pipes into a timepiece, powered by a manual-wind double-axis tourbillon at its heart. The tourbillon cage Oil Pump makes a full revolution on its first axis in 60 seconds and on its second axis in 2.5 minutes. The rose gold Oil Pump automaton is on demand, activated by a pusher at two o’clock. All of this comes in a very wearable 47mm 18K rose gold and sapphire crystal case, with a solid 18K rose gold case back. Keeping the design clean, there is no setting crown, instead the winding and time setting is done using two bows built into the case back. |
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TAG Heuer releases two new timepieces in honour of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna
To pay tribute to one of the most renowned Formula One champions and mark 25 years since his untimely death, TAG Heuer has launched two timepieces that celebrate Ayrton Senna by including design features reminiscent of his preferred watch style and love of his home country, Brazil. As much a legend in TAG Heuer’s past as in the sport of Formula One racing, Senna was the face of the avant-garde watchmaker’s first “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” campaign in 1991 – a fitting role for a racer as ambitious, fearless and committed as the Brazilian driver. Now, a quarter of a century after his tragic death, the partnership lives on in two stunning new timepieces. |
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De Bethune introduces DW5 Armilia, unique piece from the Maestri’art collection
De Bethune plunges into the fantasy universe of designer and scenographer François Schuiten, nicknamed the “Watchmaker of Dreams”, while engaging in a dialogue with the enigmatic world of The Obscure Cities through signature motif highlighted on the very structure of its DW5. De Bethune observes the exchanges permitted between the real world and the world of The Obscure Cities, recognizing that time does not have the same value in this parallel world. As a watch movement, it refers to observing time from a different angle. The model was indeed almost called Reflet (reflection). A reflection of this non-human world, but into which humans make regular incursions. |
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H. Moser & Cie presents Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue
In creating the Heritage line, H. Moser & Cie. took inspiration from the watches that evoke the brand's history from 1828 to the present day, and specifically those dating from the early 20th century. The Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue is a beautifully rounded model with classic touches. Its steel case features tapered lugs and a notched crown. And, because tradition at H. Moser & Cie. never means dull or fusty, behind the classic façade of this watch lies an emphatically irreverent aesthetic, as revealed by the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue's electric blue dial – one of the most popular Moser dials – which brings the entire design to life. |
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MB&F offers LM 101 Palladium edition
Legacy Machine 101 (LM101) was launched in 2014 and houses the very first movement developed entirely in-house by MB&F – this initiated a long series of movements developed internally. The latest addition to the series – the LM101 Palladium edition – is also the first MB&F piece in palladium, a rare silvery-white metal. The naturally white colour of palladium contrasts with a new sunray dial, which varies between grey and shades of pale blue and green depending on the light. For a classically sized 40mm wristwatch, Legacy Machine 101 covers a lot of ground. Or to be more precise, LM101 covers a lot of time: over 100 years between inspiration and realisation. |
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Bremont in collaboration with Ronnie Wood presents ‘The 1947 Collection’
Critically acclaimed artist, producer, song writer, and esteemed Rolling Stones guitarist, Ronnie Wood unveils a very limited series of unique and individual watches in collaboration with luxury British watch company, Bremont. Ronnie Wood has individually hand painted 47 limited edition watch dials whilst being on tour with the Rolling Stones, a nod to the year he was born, 1947. Each watch in the collection is a one-of-a-kind piece, showcasing original art from Ronnie himself, and housing a rather special Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier movement with moon phase complication. |
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Moritz Grossmann presents special edition “1989”
Grossmann Uhren honours the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with the special model “1989”. On its dial, the special model 1989 by the independent Glashütte watch manufactory Moritz Grossmann shows the streets around the infamous border post Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, which separated Friedrichstraße from the Zimmerstraße to Kochstraße junctions during the Cold War. This is where American and Soviet tanks faced each other on 25 October 1961 when the hitherto “Cold” War threatened to heat up. Based on the colours of NATO flags and the former Warsaw Pact, the hands of the 1989 are blue and red. |
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Ressence releases the Type 1 DXB
Ressence in close collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons released of the Type 1 DXB - a limited edition of the Type 1 Squared. Limited to 19 pieces, Type 1DXB draws inspiration from Arabic geometric patterns, believed to unveil the underlying reality to the viewer. This traditional design composes with natural light and creates unique shadow play. It is an Arabic take on skeleton dials. The watch remains 100% faithful to the functions and movement of its parent, the Type 1 Squared. It differs distinctly from the collection both in its design and in its material though. Unlike the other Type 1 Squared the case is not made of stainless steel. Its case is in polished Grade 5 titanium, with a satin finish back. |
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MKS Jewellery creates UAE National Day Capsule Collection
In honor of the United Arab Emirates’ 48th National Day, MKS Jewellery has created a very special limited-edition capsule collection that pays tribute to the rich heritage of the UAE and celebrates its founding. The delicate pieces that comprise the collection draw inspiration directly from the nation’s ancestry. Using a historical method of engraving, MKS has designed four unique stone cameos: one depicting the UAE emblem and three depicting portraits of the UAE’s rulers: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. |
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Celebrity News
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Sonam Kapoor wears Chopard jewelry to the Sharjah World Book Capital Event
Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor attended the Sharjah World Book Capital Event in the UAE wearing jewelry by Chopard. Sonam selected earrings from the “Haute Joaillerie Collection” featuring 4.66 carats of diamonds set in 18-carat white gold along with a ring from the “L’Heure Du Diamant” Collection featuring 2.33 carats of diamonds set in 18-carat white gold. |
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Naomi Scott wears Messika to the premiere of the Charlie’s Angels
Naomi Scott wore Messika Paris to the premiere of Charlie’s Angels. She looked stunning wearing the Desert Bloom Earcuff from the 'Born To Be Wild' High Jewellery Collection, and completed the look with the My Twin Trilogy Ring, and the My Twin Toi & Moi Ring. |
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