and Associate of Montres CORUM Sàrl
Antonio Calce, born on April 19th 1967, is married and the father of three daughters. An engineering graduate of an Institute of Technology (HES), he also has a diploma in business management from a School of Business Administration (HEG).
In 1994, he joined the Richemont Group as Manager of the Technical Department of the Piaget Manufacture. He was then given greater responsibilities in the management of methods and logistics.
In 1997, he became Director of Product Development for the Piaget and Panerai brands. This new experience enabled him to develop his strategic vision and to enrich his technical and product profile.
In 2000, he was appointed General Manager of the Manufacture Panerai. Called upon to participate in the construction of the brand, he was given the task of creating the brand's management tools. This involved defining the organization, putting the human resources in place, integrating professional skills and utilizing his qualities as an entrepreneur and talented designer within the Panerai brand. Within five years, he had developed a winning product and movement strategy, in particular, with regards to the development of the first automatic 13 ¼-ligne movement on the market.
In 2005, he was invited to join CORUM as Vice President of Operations. A true strategist, he dedicated his entrepreneurial qualities to serving the brand and took up the risky challenge of rebuilding CORUM in the high-end watchmaking world and redefining both its organization and its managerial structure.
In February 2007, he was entrusted with the position of CEO in order to reposition the brand in the field of Haute Horlogerie. In working to revive CORUM's success, Antonio Calce was determined to increase brand awareness by developing strong product coherence based on the two historical models, Admiral's Cup and Golden Bridge.
Antonio Calce first set about the task of re-focusing the product collection on its foundations and working on the brand at its DNA level. He concentrated on investing in human resources in order to rebuild watchmaking talent within the company. With a view to regaining independence for CORUM, Antonio Calce initiated a process of skill integration, with a view to mastering the creation and production of the movements and leading the brand step by step towards its verticalization.
In 2009, he wrote a new chapter in Corum's history by launching the second in-house baguette movement, entirely conceived, developed and assembled in the brand's workshops. Housing the linear caliber CO 007, the Ti-Bridge stood out as a new icon of contemporary horology from the moment it was launched.
Antonio Calce continued to consolidate product development in 2011 by giving the collections an authentic structure. He organized the Admiral's Cup pillar around three distinctive worlds: Extreme Sports, Sporting Chic, and Classic Elegance. The Corum Bridges pillar is based on two lines: Golden Bridge with its legendary gold baguette movement; and Ti-Bridge, the contemporary interpretation of the baguette movement.
In 2011, Corum launched the brand's third in-house movement CO103. The exceptional baguette movement is offered in an automatic version with linear winding.
True to his entrepreneurial vision, Antonio Calce pursued the development of the brand while targeting two main priorities that are complementary to product development: distribution and communication strategies. While reinforcing the subsidiaries and agents with new organizational structures and management, Antonio Calce sought to strengthen the brand's positioning by establishing a selective and qualitative distribution network.
In October 2009, after the takeover of CORUM USA LLC, distribution agent in North American and Caribbean markets; Antonio Calce was entrusted with the Presidency of this new subsidiary. He took on new personnel and the American offices were re-opened in Miami. In order to strengthen the brand's presence on the German market, Antonio Calce set up a new management structure and began serving as the president of the subsidiary as of 2010. To enhance brand visibility in Latin America, he also appointed a new distribution agent for the area and opened up markets in 12 new countries, including Brazil. Convinced of the importance of achieving a more high-quality global presence, Antonio Calce is continuing to build the brand's distribution network, based on a long-term approach. Since 2011, Corum has six own-name boutiques worldwide.
In parallel, Antonio Calce guaranteed the development of the brand image by professionalizing its communication plans. He set up an international positioning strategy based on Corum's historical legitimacy in the field of sailing – while associating with certain key local actors. In 2011, Corum decided to embark upon the America's Cup adventure as official Timekeeper of the French Energy Team.
In September 2011, Antonio Calce acquired a personal shareholding in the company, thereby illustrating his long-term vision and his commitment to reaching the brand's growth objectives.
