There were only two small rooms, away from prying eyes, in a less frequented wing of the Château de Chantilly. There were only eight Richard Mille watches: four for men, four for women. By midday, an Asian client had already entered this mini-showroom, seen the pieces and exited with but a single remark: “I’ll take them all”. The spirit of Chantilly summed up in just two words: absolute enthusiasm.
Extremely broad targeting
Absolute enthusiasm, because 10,000 visitors in the first year and 13,500 the second is a 35% increase in attendance, a rate of which most exhibitions can only dream, especially in a place located an hour’s drive out of Paris – the Chantilly Estate.
Moreover, this absolute enthusiasm is also apparent in the diversity of visitors: families, exhibitors, amateur vintage car clubs, retailers, media, partners, end clients, all gathered on this Sunday in the country, ultimately representing the virtually complete Richard Mille ecosystem. Even the car manufacturers (mainly BMW, Mercedes-Benz, DS, McLaren, and Ford) came with prototypes and concept cars, a privilege usually reserved for big international car fairs, and notably Frankfurt which opens ten days later.
General public or an elite few?
The Concours d’Elegance is all about the ultimate degree of excellence on all levels. Everything, right down to the slightest detail, is carefully polished, from the dishes served by the three chefs through to the delightfully varied entertainment designed to captivate a demanding audience. “Certain visitors, notably Americans, told me the first year that we could compete with or surpass Pebble Beach or Villa d’Este” said Richard Mille, referring to the other two great concours d’elegance.
The fact remains that these big gatherings target exclusivity and the happy few. So how can this elitist aspect be maintained with 13,500 visitors? “As long as we succeed in preserving the legitimacy of the event, I’m fine with it,” replies Richard Mille. “Yes, one can attend the Concours d’Elegance as a family, but the spirit of rigorous standards, notably in terms of the dress code, is in no way sacrificed. In addition, what I am aiming for with my friend Patrick Peter is not attendance for attendance’ sake, or numbers for numbers’ sake. What interests me is above all is the international character of the event.” The gamble has paid off with 850 cars exhibited and an increased number of collectors and media from Asia, the United States and the rest of Europe for this year’s edition.
The autumn’s flagship event
Given these factors, is it is hardly surprising to note that this Concours d’Elegance has established itself as the highlight of the Richard Mille calendar. Firstly it is held annually, contrary to the Mans Classic, another significant venue for the watchmaker but which takes place every two years. Meanwhile, the Voiles de Saint-Barth sailing competition is considerably more elitist, if only due to its Caribbean location.
In a completely natural manner, Chantilly has successfully carved out a lion’s share of the Richard Mille diary – and also had an impact on that of many others. Car manufacturers have made it part of their schedule of releases. And even French politicians enjoy ticking to Chantilly time, as evidenced by the much noted visit by François Fillon, who is not only a great fan of beautiful watches and beautiful cars, but also and above all a potential presidential candidate on the pre-campaign trail. When an event shifts to being the place to be, and to be seen attending, the gamble has clearly paid off. And those who didn’t join the party this year have already written down a red-letter date in next year’s diary: September 4th 2016, for the third edition.
