Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO and creative director of Louis Moinet, talks about watches and sheds light on the 2020 Novelties at their recent exhibition ‘The Discovery Days’.
Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO and creative director of Louis Moinet, talks about watches and sheds light on the 2020 Novelties at their recent exhibition ‘The Discovery Days’.
Louis Moinet revealed a new concept "The Discovery Days" as an artistic commercial approach emphasizing its historical and creative values. Can you illuminate on this approach and how do you evaluate its feedback?
The world situation requires to show respect and empathy. It is not the time to try and sell watches, when people are so concerned about their health and life. We wanted to share our values, unique history and creativity. The feedback has been tremendously good, and we have made new friends all over the world and, despite an adverse environment, they are closer to us than ever!
This journey to the heart of the universe has been a major theme and at the centre of creativity of the LM timepieces and its creativity. How does the new LM collection reflects this philosophy?
Louis Moinet’s collections are of two types; ‘Cosmic art’ and ‘Mechanical wonders’. They all share four values, namely, unique story, art & design, creative watchmaking and exclusivity. Now, speaking about ‘Cosmic art’, it truly differentiates Louis Moinet. Our creations are based on meetings with charismatic cosmonauts and astronauts, as well as our very unique interstellar pieces. To offer extraterrestrial material is something very special. You have a piece of the universe in a Louis Moinet watch.
The newly launched MARS collection reflects the strong DNA of LM. Can you please explain the aesthetic and distinctive design of this collection?
MARS is a creation based on the red planet. Its dial very meticulously reproduces the engraving of the most famous Mars volcanoes. It is a limited edition, like all our other collections, because it incorporates a real Mars fragment at 3 o’clock, preserved in a safety sealed container. When you know the scarcity of Mars meteorites, you understand why it can only be created in a limited edition.
Louis Moinet invented the chronograph in 1816. In 2020 it transformed its expertise and DNA in the newly launched “Memoris Titanium” watch. What are the technical specs of this watch and how does it reflect the ingenious design within the traditional mechanism of LM?
It all began with a 100% ingenious design within which the traditional mechanism has been dissociated; automatic winding on the back, and the chronograph system on the front. This new, unique and distinctive vision makes it possible to admire the measurement mechanism at every interaction; start, stop, reset. More than 500 components had to be devised to achieve this incomparable feat. Memoris design is bold and contemporary. Orange is sandwiched between two shades of blue, creating a pleasing contrast with the polished grade 5 titanium case. To highlight the mechanical aspect of the creation, the counters have been manufactured in an avant-garde, entirely translucent material. The rules of comfort require harmony and attention to detail. Memoris has a particularly light case (only 31 gms) and our design studies have shown that the use of concave sapphire crystals enables optimal arrangement of volumes, while ensuring unrivalled wearing comfort. Finally, the fact that the chronograph functions are handled via a single push piece (at 2 o'clock) is an additional user-friendly factor for the wearer.
I am pleased to report that this creation was recently recognized with a ‘red dot design award’, one of the most important awards world-wide.
How does LM promote its bespoke fine watchmaking to the watch collectors in the Middle East region?
We promote it through direct contact with the most important people of your area. We favor a personalized approach, as we need to understand our customers’ needs well to fulfill them. It is the tradition of Louis Moinet to serve kings, sultans and aristocrats, and we are very happy to remain at the service of our esteemed clientele.
In the past years, LM has revealed several bespoke creations for acclaimed watch collectors in the Gulf region. How important is this region for LM?
Middle Eastern traditions and cultures are our most inspiring sources. The region is of utmost importance to Louis Moinet. We love to come and discuss fantastic ideas with our friends and customers. The hospitality is always so warm and endearing that I never want to leave.
On April 30th LM unveiled a new website. What has been the feedback and traffic generated by this new website? Did your website incorporate an e-commerce platform? How important is an e-commerce platform for an independent brand such as LM?
Our website is part of our new visage, together with the black book, digital museum and the Hollywood-made ‘James’ Odyssey’ film trilogy. The introduction of the website has been very successful, twice as many visitors coming daily and spending twice as much time as before. We want to open the Louis Moinet doors and encourage our friends to be closer to us. It is vital today to have digital tools to facilitate contacts. It is not about e-commerce, though. Our customers are important, our products are personalized, we need to add the human touch!
Do you anticipate a delay in the delivery of your 2020 novelties due to COVID- 19 pandemic, and what are the measures you have taken in terms of production and timely delivery?
For sure, it is a significant reason for delays. At least two months have been lost, not only for us but for the world in general. We are not greedy for quantity, we are greedy for quality. It’s difficult to change the nature of things, we can only adapt the best we can. Therefore we go step by step, doing our best and keeping in mind that ‘quality is number one’.
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