It’s another musical year for Raymond Weil…
Yes, we try to be consistent. We have managed to present some very interesting partnerships over the past four or five years that have given the brand a strong identity. Other brands do some ad hoc things with music but have many other partnerships besides. We on the other hand are firmly anchored in this field and people now recognise this.
People mocked us a little bit in previous years because the partnerships we presented were with musicians and groups that were no longer with us. But this year we have announced a partnership with AC/DC who are well and truly alive. This completes our partnerships with the Beatles, David Bowie, Gibson guitars and all the rest.
We have also teamed up with Marshall, which follows on with our association with Gibson. What could be more logical than to follow a partnership with a guitar brand with a partnership with the amplifiers they are connected to? In this case the watch is a relatively simple chronograph that corresponds with the positioning of Marshall, which is also a family-owned and independent brand like Raymond Weil.
What has the initial feedback been for these two new watches?
It has been excellent, especially in regards to the price. We have also launched a watch with the House of Marley, which is destined for the Caribbean markets. They wanted something exclusively for the Caribbean so we did a limited edition of 600 that sold out in about ten days. Because it was so successful we will do another limited series towards the end of the year or early next year that will be available worldwide.
What about ladies?
They make up 50% of our customers. We presented the Shine collection last year with interchangeable straps and it was very popular. This year we are introducing a model with an oval case. I don’t think it will necessarily become a best seller because round watches sell much better, but it does bring some diversification into the collection. If you already have a Shine, you can use your straps with the oval version, so you can have several watches in one.
Do you see any trends towards smaller sizes?
Not really in our price segment. The range of ladies’ sizes has stayed more or less the same. We do have some diameters as small as 24mm, but this is more the exception. For gents the range is clearly between 39mm and 43mm. Maybe for other brands it’s different, but not for us. The Asian market is starting to develop again, so brands are returning to the classic designs that work there, with reasonable diameters. It also means we have more demand for automatic movements for ladies, which corresponds to the Asian tastes. I think that is encouraging.
