The links between watch brands and their bosses and the world of classic cars and motor racing are manifold. The number of CEOs at watch brands both big and small who race classic cars is too long to list and there are many more who share a similar passion, some with their own important car collections, too. What better way, therefore, for an insurer like TSM, which already has close links with the watch industry, to forge even closer ties with its core customer base than to open up a whole new insurance offer tailored to the specific needs of such people.
It helps that the CEO of TSM insurance, Edouard Fragnière, is also passionate about classic cars and has raced them himself. “We did insure some Group B rally cars in their heyday, but this was more like sponsoring, since the premiums we charged were not even enough to cover any claims,” he explains. “It was not until the year 2000 that our advertising agency convinced me to break down the barrier I had put up between my leisure time (motorsport) and my job. After convincing our chairman of the potential and explaining the links between our customers in watchmaking and cars and motorsport, I started to develop the insurance solutions. We insured the first two cars on circuit in 2008. At the time it was a first, so the entire policy was developed from scratch. Even today, there is no other stable and professional solution available in Switzerland.”
These early beginnings have evolved into two distinct products, “Casco Course” and “Casco Passion”. The former is specifically geared for teams or individuals taking cars on circuits or rallyes. The circuit insurance is intended for club outings or track days where there is no competitive element, or for regularity, endurance or sprint competitions with a final classification. The rally option is intended for competitions on closed roads organized around the world. The only items not covered, unsurprisingly, are the tyres.
“Casco Passion” is intended for those who have classic or vintage vehicles or even classic car collections. It follows the same structure as a standard car insurance policy, with third-party or fully comprehensive options, but is tailored to the individual in that the vehicles are assessed by TSM’s own experts to determine an insurance value (and if the contract is taken out, TSM pays for the fees of these experts). Unlike a regular car-insurance policy, TSM also covers the vehicles not just when they are parked or on the road but also if they are in transport by road, rail, air or sea, throughout Europe.
