Text: Natalia Orlova-Obolenskaya THE SWISS COMPANY EBERHARD & CO IS FAMOUS FOR THE HIGH-HOUR CUSTOMER COMMITMENT, LOVE FOR CAR RACES AND MECHANICAL CHRONOGRAPHERS. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, DIRECTOR GENERAL MARIO PESERICO UNDERLINED THAT "A COMPROMISE BETWEEN INNOVATION AND BASIC VALUES IS IMPORTANT TODAY."
You offered your first wrist chronographs to the world at the beginning of the 20th century. And since then, steadfastly maintain a reputation as an adherent of the classics. Are you really not accepting alternatives?
Mario: Eberhard & Co has traditionally been considered a classic brand. However, before the famous crisis of the 1970s, all the leading Swiss watch manufactories were such. This after the separation had already begun, all kinds of modifications appeared. And everyone had to do a "reset" of DNA, developing a new aesthetic.
The fact is that the new generation of customers has become more difficult and demanding. Every year they want more! And manufactories can no longer just continue to follow the traditions and adhere to the old model of production. I have to change. Seek compromises. Indeed, in pursuit of more modern images, authenticity and magnificent historical models must be maintained, harmoniously combining the old and the new ...
Here, take a look at this watch (holds out his hand)! This is a classic. They are made of steel. But there is something special about them that was not previously available on the market. The predecessor model has the ability to reinstall the arrow. But new complications have been introduced to help these watches compare favorably with competitors' products. We always try to differ from competitors. But at the same time, we set a very correct price. The optimum ratio of price and quality is especially important today!
What can you say about the classics? How popular is it now?
Mario: I think the past will never go away. Of course, as before - it will never be! But history will not disappear without a trace. After all, there are trends. And at different periods of time it becomes fashionable to go back - in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. After a certain time, the whole cycle repeats again! By the way, this trend came from the world of fashion. And already managed to infiltrate many industries, including the watch industry. It turned out that today it is not necessary to have a past in order to possess the present. But at the same time, the best present is one that has a story!
What role does innovation play in your reboot?
Mario: As you know, we are not in the highest price range, but our customers are very demanding! So we have to bring innovation to the design. And a vivid example of this is our Chrono 4 Geant Full Injection chronograph. This is know-how in terms of appearance, complexity of the mechanism and materials. For this model, we used carbon - and only 500 watches were produced. But we also have a steel version presented earlier (in 2001, this watch became a real sensation, because for the first time in the history of watchmaking, chronograph counters were arranged in a row - approx. Ed.). As you can see, the new form is very important, but a compromise has been found between innovation and tradition.
What do you think of carbon fiber? Do you like this trendy stuff?
Mario: There is a trend. And being in a trend is very important! You can, of course, criticize him: they say, now everything has begun to be made of carbon fiber. But here, as in fashion: since there is a trend, everyone sews mini-skirts, tight trousers or sheath dresses. Or wear hats! Although, for example, 10 years ago hats were not in fashion. And now this is a trend. And wearing hats is widespread. Everything comes from the world of fashion. Fashion houses arrange a kind of roll call, together create trends and force others to follow them.
Representatives of the watch business, of course, are less organized. But we are already starting to take an example from designers. For example, most brands actively use titanium and carbon. As new fashionable materials attract a new clientele and create increased attention to new manufactories.
The ubiquitous use of gemstones and rose gold is also a fad?
Mario: We use stones only in the manufacture of women's watches. But then all the fashionable gemstones are present with us: from diamonds, sapphires and rubies to yellow and black diamonds. And in the last women's collection, we are actively working with pink gold and diamonds. We decorate dials and bracelets - we decorate almost every curl! But women's watches are most often bought as jewelry. Therefore, they are so actively decorated with sapphires, and cases and bracelets are made of white or pink gold.
You have a lot of experience in creating watches for divers. Are there any new developments in this area?
Mario: We began to create the first professional watches for deep sea diving back in 1959. And since then we continue to improve them. Our Scafomaster collection is a watch with a suitable dial color and water resistance of up to 500 meters. We launched another innovation on the market in 2006. It shows how meticulous we are in the details. Do you see the markup? And this is the head for controlling the rotating flange of the dial! So, first you need to open the latch by pulling it, then unscrew the screw-down crown, set the arrows to the desired mark ... Then re-screw the crown. and press the latch. Now complication guarantees complete safety under water! And even if you accidentally hook on a watch, worn over a diving suit, some object, you will not hit the arrows.
Putting the watch on top of the suit allows another development - the ability to increase the bracelet.
And if you click here, the bracelet will increase. Now you can put on and fasten them over the diving suit. Normal watches do not fit on equipment. So our invention is really unique!
A screw-down crown and two buttons - a characteristic feature of your brand?
Mario: If you are going to calculate how much time you will spend under water, then you will need to turn the dial with the crown. And using the white scale with numbers from 0 to 15 set the desired time. A screw-down crown will not allow you to mistakenly press the wrong button and open access to the timeline!
Are there celebrities among your customers?
Mario: Yes, we have many famous customers. By the way, one of them is sitting at the next table - a very famous football player. But, you know that I have no right to give names! After all, we need to attract customers interested in our chronographs, and not scare them away with our talkativeness! I can only say that among our customers there are collectors and representatives of the fashion world. But it is very important for us that this is their choice, and not the purchase of a branded item for the sake of a name or a trend!
Very correct position. Although women today often buy for the sake of the brand and the trend!
Mario: Perhaps. But women are becoming more independent in their choice. We recently released a women's watch collection. Of course, we did not expect to compete with global brands in this niche, but the product turned out to be good and of high quality. So the ladies buy this watch, solely for the sake of their appearance. It is very important for them how the watch looks on the hand, whether the shape is spectacular, whether they are comfortable to wear.
Watches for them are a fashion accessory. I think that over time we will win a female audience. After all, women - and I will repeat it again, have become free to choose. And if earlier they mainly accepted gifts and tastes of men, now they are increasingly increasingly buying accessories themselves. And according to their own preferences.
What are your plans for the near future, because you arrived in Dubai and the UAE clearly with a research mission? And what, in your opinion, defines goals and strategies in the modern watch market?
Mario: If we talk about the market, then I think that all the leading manufactories are now striving to take control of the entire process of manufacturing and selling watches. The model "production-distribution-retail" is becoming fundamental. And the whole world marketing is moving in this direction. Manufactories already own not just boutiques, but whole multi-brand empires! And we believe that the future lies in multi-brand stores. By the way, our partners in Dubai demonstrate an example of independent distribution, since they manage almost independent brands represented in very attractive places - The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, hotels in Mina A'Salam and Burj Al Arab.
So in Dubai we have 4 large retail outlets. Two of them are aimed at tourists, as they are located on the territory of hotels. And two attract tourists and local consumers. But we need exclusive and selective distribution. After all, we produce a total of 16,000 copies of products per year. This is not very much. But we want to control the products. And we do not want to expand the distribution. We need attractive places and clients who will be willing to visit these places.
Do you have experience with film or art projects?
Mario:Yes, we support art. For example, a few years ago, we started supporting famous art fairs. In 2007, they sponsored the production of a number of short films. In 2009 - photography, and in 2011 - music projects. Today we support art. And our plans for the near future are to support a number of interesting art exhibitions.
What can you say about your Russian clients?
Mario: They are very demanding.
And most people like strong watches. It always happens, first people buy a brand, and then they begin to appreciate the skill! Russians used to chase brands too. And today they are already paying attention to quality, not the name. It is important. Because the Russians made a powerful leap in time and very quickly realized what was what! And today, sophisticated models are being actively considered. I think the most popular brand among Russians today is Tag Heuer. Well, the taste of Russian buyers is quite developed!
