What steps preceded the worldwide launch of Tiffany watches after your arrival in 2013?
Firstly, I had to immerse myself in Tiffany’s DNA, and I spent the first weeks in the archives in order to understand who we were and what we had done since the first Tiffany watches in 1868. It seemed essential to me that creating a sustainable success depended on respecting one’s roots. Too many brands lose their identity by wanting to chase after new clients, and one doesn’t recover from that. Yet I discovered an incredibly rich watchmaking heritage, distinguished by patents and prizes won in big international competitions ( Read "The return of the American giant"). Subsequently, we were busy with design research and adaptation, so that our first CT60 collection was reminiscent of our history and reflected this lost heritage. The brand’s past craftsmanship, the attention devoted to tiny details… We were determined to breathe new life into the watchmaking credibility that Tiffany & Co enjoyed in the past when it had a Manufacture in Geneva. In parallel, we hired specialists at every level, particularly for our operational base in Switzerland, and created a network of ultra-competent suppliers for all components, while starting to train our teams.
"Switzerland must become the equivalent for watches to our New York store for jewelry."