Elizabeth Doerr: Here at Baselworld, thanks to you, we have the privilege of spending some time with Felix Baumgartner (who, I believe, also visited the fair two years ago upon your invitation). How has the association with this daredevil drawn attention to Zenith and influenced sales?
Jean-Frédéric Dufour: With our logo on his capsule, most of those who watched Felix’s jump now know that Zenith exists and manufactures watches….Then, the next time they see a Zenith logo on an ad or in a window they might stop and pay more attention to our watchmaking feats. With 150 years of a heritage merging tradition with avant-garde, 600 movement variations, more than 300 patents and 2,333 prizes in the field of chronometry, Zenith has a lot to share! In terms of business, I confirm that we have noticed an increasing demand not only for the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th, but in general the whole collection.
You were also present in New Mexico at his historic jump, I believe…
I went to Roswell for the jump as it was initially scheduled on October 8th. As the mission was interrupted because of winds, I had to leave for some important meetings. I was unfortunately not able to return to the location due to a tight schedule. The jump happened on a Sunday and it was the evening here in Switzerland, so I followed everything from home with my family.
Are there plans to bring out more than just the one limited edition in honor of Felix Baumgartner?
There is only one specific model attributed to Felix: the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th. However, this edition of Baselworld represents the opportunity for us to extend the El Primero Stratos collection with different colors and materials: blue, rose gold/stainless steel models, and a Rainbow version in a tialum alloy.
On the business end, can you give us an idea of the changes you have instilled at Zenith since you took over the top spot?
As you said, I first structured the Zenith collections in a logical and very focused manner, combining its incredible and continuous history since 1865 and simultaneously maintaining a recognizable collection that is both contemporary and elegant.
We are now in a consolidation phase, working at different levels to keep establishing brand awareness. Here at Baselworld we come prepared with a new booth, a new website and a new advertising campaign. We will also present a larger offer in terms of collections including the ladies’ watch segment. Indeed, the newly completed renovation of our central [factory] building represents the first stage in a huge overall project aiming to optimize production processes and logistical organization. By 2015, the year of Zenith’s 150th anniversary, the 18 other buildings composing the Manufacture will also be fully renovated. Rather than taking the easy route by tearing down and rebuilding the various edifices on this complex site, Zenith has chosen to preserve the historical architecture that has contributed to writing the finest chapters in its legend, thereby also leaving an indelible imprint on the town of Le Locle. Moreover, we will keep strengthening our efforts on the markets by building a high-quality distribution network and structuring our teams worldwide.
