Do you feel extra pressure to maintain that high
quality of the past?
It’s not pressure, it’s inspiration. What is the universe we have been working
in– primarily the sea with marine timepieces– and how do we be sure we are
bringing new relevance and innovation both from an aesthetic point of view
and from a technical point of view?
For instance, when we design the new Freak Vision, we made the hands
to remind us of a ship’s hull, and we have a new winding system that is truly
innovative and looks like the winding system on a sailing boat.
Speaking of sailing, will you continue with the
Artemis team?
Yes. We are very good partners with Artemis.
The Freak Vision Coral Bay
stands out for its miniature
painting technique and for
its electronically bonded
gold threads.
How will Ulysse Nardin avoid the same mistakes
made by other Swiss watch companies?
The watch industry is really a small industry. By comparison the entire industry
(sales) are less than ten percent of Apple’s revenue. We all have to learn from
the mistakes of others, but also from the success of others because there is a
lot of success in this industry. We should also look outside of this industry, be
open-minded where we can learn from others and cross-fertilize.
I am trying now to feed myself with information from our industry and oth-
ers on a regular basis. And I mean within the luxury industry and outside of
the luxury industry.
At the end, a consumer is a consumer whether buying an apple watch, a car,
perfume or booking a flight for his family vacation. Or buying a luxury watch.
It’s not like we should only look at what has been done in isolation from the rest
of the world. I’m not actually competing with these other watch companies here.
I am in the business of authenticity, desire and dreams worldwide.
Has anything about Ulysse Nardin so far surprised you?
Not really. It is in line with what I expected. I have done my due diligence
before joining the company. What shocked me probably, for the positive, is
the dedication and the quality of the people. The huge responsibility for me is
to the employees. Making sure they are onboard, and making sure they have
the right information and making sure their passion is used in the right way to
maximize our resources.
The weight of my predecessors has instilled this dedication in our employees.
My role is to make sure that remains and maybe is even strengthened.
At the time many companies were investing in marketing, in the year 2000,
Ulysse Nardin was investing in technology. That says a lot about the company.
94 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2018