How long have you been in charge of partnerships?
I’ve been working for the brand for 12 years, and I’ve been in charge of partnerships since 2018. At first, I was the one telling my father that we had too many partners and wouldn’t be able to keep up. Two months later, I came back with new names, telling him that we absolutely had to have them as part of the family! It’s all very organic. We’re not looking for faces just for the sake of it.
You’re very involved in events, particularly the Rallye des Princesses. Do these encounters with female clients feed into the creative process?
Of course. It’s essential. Take the RM 07-04 sports collection, the first one dedicated to women. Its development took a long time. The thinking began when I started working for the brand in the Middle East, where I was responsible for developing the brand and, above all, understanding the women’s segment. It started with all these encounters with women and listening to their expectations, and to what was missing from their experience with luxury brands. As a brand, I want us to listen. That doesn’t mean doing everything people ask of us. It’s about understanding, rather than simply following fashion or trends in the watchmaking world. The RM 07-04 Automatic is the result of that learning process. Our clients were asking for color, as well as sporty, lightweight and slim pieces they could wear every day. There was a real demand for a sports watch on a par with what was available to men.
What stands out in particular for you from the latest edition of the Rallye des Princesses?
So many things! That’s why events matter so much to me. A lot of brands organize events to showcase and sell their products. Our approach is a little different. These moments are first and foremost a way to thank our clients, of course, but also everyone who believed in my father’s project and who is still by our side. There isn’t one big takeaway that lands on the table, but rather a multitude of small things that gradually feed into what we do. We get to understand people better – their lifestyles and their affinities – as we spend this precious time together.
The great thing is that we still have tremendous room to grow, because we try to incorporate everything we hear into future developments.
You’ve just welcomed a new partner, the young actress Serenay Sarıkaya. What attracted you to her, and how does she embody Richard Mille’s values?
I’m often asked whether we have a list, or what might be missing from our list of partners. In reality, what I love are encounters. If there’s one thing we’re looking for, it’s strong women, like Michelle Yeoh, for example, or our many female athletes. They help us tremendously in evolving our vision of women’s products. Michelle Yeoh, in particular, prefers larger pieces. That forces us to think about comfort on a very small wrist, and it’s fantastic. Serenay was a real coup de cœur, like all our partners. She’s very well known, particularly in the Gulf region, which is a plus. But what really won me over was her personality. I hope the brand will help her establish herself internationally. When we bring our partners together around a table, we see that they share the same values, despite having completely different backgrounds. And they always have some slightly crazy ideas!
Last summer, Richard Mille presented a second high jewelry collection, just as spectacular as the first. Should this be seen as a sign that your female clients were left wanting more?
No, not at all! This collection is so exclusive… and I think, above all, that Cécile* still had so much to say that a second installment, with the RM HJ-02 collection, was the natural next step. It was a project that was very close to her heart. She has a way of translating the character of gemstones and the art of setting them that is almost magical.
Cécile Guenat comes from the world of jewelry. Was the challenge this time to fully integrate that world into Richard Mille’s DNA?
You’d have to ask her; she could explain her work much better than I can. But remember the first collection that was 100% hers, when she really took the reins at the factory: it was the Bonbons collection. The DNA was already there. Cécile has a real love for métiers d’art and gemstones, which she translates very naturally into Richard Mille collections. The pieces speak for themselves.
It’s often said that women are more sensitive to color than men. Is that a belief that also guides your other women’s collections?
Color has always been part of the brand’s DNA. Cécile has a real appetite for color, which she knows how to bring into our models without ever taking an overly literal approach. That’s what makes the whole thing so harmonious. As always, we’ve taken our time. We don’t feel compelled to follow trends, or to ask ourselves whether we’re behind or ahead. We do what feels true to us. I think that’s one of the reasons for our success: our products are authentic, and we fully stand behind them because we believe in them.
Your father founded the brand 25 years ago. What memories do you have of its early days?
I have very few memories, because he wasn’t around very often! But Alexandre* and I, like our brothers and sisters, were lucky enough to grow up outside this project. It really was his baby, and we only joined it much later. Nothing was planned: life is what led us to join the Richard Mille family, and that is also our strength. I do have one somewhat cliché but very authentic memory. It was a barbecue with friends. My father arrived, my friends carefully took a look at the new watch, and he picked it up and threw it on the ground. What motivates Alexandre and me today is remembering that passion, that determination he had to turn a dream into reality and never give up on it.
You work as a family, with your brother Alexandre, but also with Cécile and Maxime Guenat, Dominique’s children, your father’s partner. What are the challenges and the most rewarding aspects?
If you believe the TV shows, it would be a nightmare! In our case, nothing was planned. We each had our own lives and experiences, and we’re honored that our fathers trust us. With Alexandre, everything is simple: despite our age difference, we’ve always been very close and complementary. The same goes for Cécile and Maxime. Our strength is that each of us has a role that suits us, almost as if it were tailor-made. We know that we need each other.
*Cécile Guenat is the daughter of Dominique Guenat, co-founder and partner of Richard Mille, who took over the brand with her brother Maxime alongside Amanda and Alexandre Mille.
