Interview with Ralph Simons

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Interview with Ralph Simons - Chopard
2 minutes read
At this year’s TimeCrafters show in New York, WorldTempus caught up with Chopard US CEO Ralph Simons to talk about the brand’s presence across the pond.

Why is it important for Chopard to be at TimeCrafters 2016?

Overall our business in the US is holding up. It’s not easy but the brand is going through an interesting phase in the US. I joined the company a year and a half ago and looked for reasons why the business wasn’t growing as well as it could. As a result we’ve made a few changes in how we handle the product assortment. We have, for example, introduced a core collection for North America. This has created a renewed interest in the brand because it makes things clearer for people.

Is there a collection that works better than in other markets?

In our core collection we have the most iconic models and the best sellers. When most people think of Chopard they are probably thinking of Happy Diamonds, because that is the icon. For men, it is most likely the Mille Miglia.

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Chopard is famous for its triple certification. Is this a concept that comes across in the US?

Maybe not as much as it should, but then maybe it doesn’t need to, because there aren’t that many people who can afford the 85,000-dollar price tag of such watches. Furthermore, we don’t have many to sell either. The main message is not so much the certification itself but the way it emphasizes how much we are focused on quality, not just in terms of precision and finishing but also practical quality, because the Qualité Fleurier tests are the only ones where the finished watch is tested.

Is the race for the presidential nominations having any effect on your business?

Yes and no. What happens at this level is very important and I’m following it closely. But at the same time I’m convinced that there will always be opportunities. It’s nonsense to say that people stop buying because of the election. There may be a group of people that is more cautious but there are more than 300 million people in the US – they don’t all stop buying things until after the election. It’s more about being in the right place at the right time and offering people experiences that they cannot get anywhere else. Yes, there is an election on the horizon, but there may also be a fortieth or fiftieth wedding anniversary and so many other reasons to celebrate. It’s up to us to make sure that we are in touch with the people who are doing so.

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