How are you enjoying your experience at Dubai Watch Week?
This is my first Dubai Watch Week. It is pretty much what I had expected after what everyone had told me about it. It is super friendly and there is more direct contact with collectors here, which I like. Even if our booth is tiny, I feel that the fair has the same level of seriousness as Watches and Wonders.
There are more activities here, however, and there is the sunshine, which is great. What you really notice is that everyone is here including our customers, but also potential customers who may not be ready to invest in a Laurent Ferrier just yet, but they come anyway, and that makes me really happy. I can talk with them about all the little things that I have learned with my father and the things we have done together. They love these details as it is often the technical things or bits of information related to the creation of our watches that fascinate them the most.
Would you say that the visitors here are very knowledgeable?
Most often, the people I meet are the ones who know the most, but I also meet those who are at the beginning of their watch-learning journey. I am happy to explain the basics of what we do, our models and our watches, and they appreciate it. And it's often just the beginning.
A good example is our Classic Micro-Rotor model, which has been around for a while. Many people are initially attracted to the watch’s design, the creative aspects, the dial, and the case. They see all these creative parts, and then they turn the watch over and see a beautiful micro-rotor with its pleasing design. And only then do they discover that there is something really technical inside, which is not so easy to create. So, we can explain why we don’t just make things complicated for the sake of it, that there is a reason for what we do. In this case, the reason was to have a three-day power reserve because my father always wanted the comfort of 72 hours of autonomy.
How did the team feel after winning the GPHG Award for Best Tourbillon?
It is really great for the whole Laurent Ferrier team, who know what they are doing and why they are with us. We have built something very strong. No one is with us by chance. Everyone in the company appreciates being where they are and the work they do. They follow all the events and are entirely dedicated to everything we do.
Compared to the outside world of the company, it is still two very distinct worlds. It has an impact, of course. It is starting to become serious recognition as this is our fourth award. We are really proud, especially of this model as it reinforces our identity as the creator of elegant and discrete watches.
Looking to the future, is there anything you can share?
Our small brand is growing. That is why I am participating more and more in collector dinners. I have been doing it for some time, but now I do it more comfortably because we have two people in the technical office we can rely on, who do a great job. My father is still like a child in the workshop, enjoying following all the watches and projects. And I have more freedom to move now, while still being fully involved in projects.
Some people ask which direction we are going in. And today, we are clearly pushing in one direction, and many understand that we will be moving towards complications. We have a beautiful collection, which is predominantly made up of three-hand timepieces, so it is natural to add complications that will be coming soon. Evolutions, too, of complications that make sense in the collection. I can give hints with the Classic Traveller and Annual Calendars that we already have, but a clearer and prettier implementation in the collection. And also, bigger projects that take more time. We can’t wait to show you more.
