A few weeks on from your participation in the Geneva Watch Days, what conclusions can you draw?
It was very important for us to be involved. The Geneva Watch Days offered us the perfect environment to reintroduce timepieces from earlier this year, which didn’t get the visibility nor attention they deserved due to Covid 19. With our presence during the GWD we were able to re-introduce these timepieces in a familiar and very engaging setting, reminding everyone of the outstanding craftsmanship from our rich history of 132years. Clients were able to discover our Heritage Tourbillon Double Peripheral in white gold, the TravelTec Color Edition “Four Seasons”, the new brilliant blue versions of our Manero Flyback and the newest addition to our Patravi ScubaTec line: The PatraviScubaTec Black, which we unveiled early this year, Apart from the intrinsic qualities of this dive watch, which is highly prized by collectors, the ScubaTec Black is close to our hearts because of its association with the Manta Trust: A UK based charity foundation, which we have supported for eight years now. The ScubaTec Black is not only dedicated to preserving the Manta rays and the oceans – it also relies on sustainable material. The textile inlay of the strap is made from 100% recycled material from the sea.
We are strongly committed to helping the foundation and fostering our partnership through various projects. The Manta Ray embossed on the case back provides an elegant reminder of the cause, that the watch supports.
To sum up, the Geneva Watch Days turned out to be extremely positive for Carl F. Bucherer. Visitors were very happy to be able to participate in the event, and to meet brands such as ours who are determined to keep going, despite the challenges they are facing.
What impact has the global public health situation had on your activity?
The entire industry is in the same boat. It has been severely hit by the crisis, and Carl F. Bucherer is no exception. In the past 132 years though, we have already faced and overcome a number of challenges, and I am positive that we will get through this one as well. We have united our forces to define how we can adapt and make the best of the situation. In terms of production, for instance, we always operated at full speed, to respond to the ever-growing demand for our watches; The fact that everything stopped for a moment enabled us to focus on movement development projects, and to think differently. Also, in terms of launching our timepieces we have stroke out in new directions as just done with the presentation of our product during Geneva Watch Days and boutique soirées afterwards.
What kind of exhibition will you consider for next year?
We’ll be wherever our amazing industry is gathering. Nevertheless, we will also look to smaller local events for product launches. We exhibited at Baselworld for years, but its disappearance has provided an opportunity for us to rethink our launch strategy. We believe it’s better for the brand to introduce products at more numerous, more intimate regional events throughout the year. We no longer expect our clients and media partners to come to our booth: we go out to meet them, as a sign of our proximity. Carl F. Bucherer is at a stage where it makes sense to explain more about our heritage and the savoir-faire of our manufacture. By organising regular events, we can talk about the brand in a more focused way.
