WORLDTEMPUS - 7 May 2010
Elizabeth Doerr
Several brands—the latest in line being Girard-Perregaux and Panerai—have attempted to make good commercial use of a cooperation with Ferrari. But—honestly—they didn't really succeed.
Cabestan's Jean-François Ruchonnet and Timothy Bovard are expecting to break the streak with the collaboration they announced yesterday: the Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan uses the movement of the Winch Tourbillon Vertical as its mechanical base. For its visuals, Ruchonnet allowed himself to be deeply inspired by Ferrari race car technology and design. The result is eight cubic centimeters of pure mechanics dressed in a uniquely captivating design.
To find the pure essence of what makes up Ferrari's design magic, Ruchonnet teamed up with the Ferrari design team in Maranello headed up by design director Flavio Manzoni. The two worked together to identify elements in Ferrari's Formula 1 race cars that would become the basic design elements of the Scuderia Ferrari One: each component had to serve a specific purpose, and every material was chosen to enhance performance.
“This is not a simple licensing agreement as was the case with Panerai,” Cabestan's president Timothy Bovard explains. “Cabestan and Ferrari have partnered to design, produce, and market the Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan. Ferrari will furnish certain components of the timepiece such as the titanium, the carbon fiber, and the leather.”
“This is a joint product development between Ferrari and Cabestan and not a typical licensing/sponsorship agreement,” Bovard continues. “As such, the financial relationship between the parties is royalty-based.” In addition, Ferrari and Cabestan will directly market the timepiece to Ferrari owners only. “The Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan is a much more exclusive timepiece than any other ever developed with Ferrari or, in fact, with any other car brand in the world,” Bovard explains the difference between this collaboration and others between watch- and automakers. Additionally, it will be possible for customers to have some elements of their own Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan personalized.
Flavio Manzoni, director of Ferrari's design team, works closely with Cabestan's creative director, Jean-François Ruchonnet © Cabestan
The Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan was created to honor the past sixty years of Ferrari racing in Formula One and will be offered only in a limited edition of 60 pieces. “This is just the first creation, and others will follow to celebrate specific events and car models in the world of Ferrari,” Bovard assures us.
Bovard expects the first pieces to be ready by the end of the year. They will retail for € 300,000—which is more than the cost of a new Ferrari.
