WORLDTEMPUS - 17 January 2013
Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon
Creating a brand and implanting it in on the markets, establishing and cultivating an image… Such are the issues facing a number of niche watch companies launched over the past decades and which view their participation in watch shows as full-fledged communication and development tools. Provided of course that they make the right choices. “Shows open to the public at large don't do very much for niche brands”, explains Laurent Ferrier's CEO, Olivier R. Müller. “What counts is targeting.” For the youthful brand launched in 2010 amid the buzz generated by its Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Balance Spring, careful targeting notably means taking part in the Geneva Time Exhibition. This is the second edition for the brand, which was already present in 2011 with the Galet Secret – a tourbillon featuring two sapphire crystals that swivel to reveal a scene, at a specific time pre-determined by its owner. In 2012, Laurent Ferrier delivered around one hundred watches, and the production objective for 2013 is 150. These are realistic ambitions at a time when the brand that was “born without any sales or marketing considerations, but simply grew up around a pure product-based principle” is seeking to remain spontaneous within the framework of an inevitably necessary commercial approach.
For H. Moser & Cie, next week's participation in the fourth edition of the GTE is a first. “We decided to take part in order to have a shared platform with the other brands in the MELB Holding group, Celsius and Hautlence”, explained CEO, Christof Zuber. Building on its 19th century heritage, the young brand relaunched in 2005 has joined the group owned by Georges-Henri Meylan, thus enabling it to take a more serene view of its development prospects. “We will continue strengthening our presence on existing markets while seeking to develop on new high-potential markets”, said Christof Zuber, before adding: “Thanks to this new majority shareholder, we will be able to conduct these developments as well as restructuring the production facility in order to increase its capacity.” Within the context of such projects, a presence at the GTE is virtually a must. “We are looking forward to meeting a number of people with whom we have not yet established contact in order to present the company and its collections.” Collectors and retailers are also eager to view the latest prototypes from this small up-and-coming brand.
