How has Breguet’s client base evolved since the year 2000?

First of all, it has developed substantially in terms of sheer size, rising from two or three thousand to thirty thousand at present. We are also seeing an evolution in the profile of this clientele, no longer exclusively composed of millionaires and now also including a number of intellectuals. Finally, the women’s share has increased in a spectacular way since the introduction of the Reine de Naples, a typically feminine watch that has enjoyed meteoric success. The Queen of Jordan, for example, purchased it as soon as she set eyes on it in a boutique window. We have also launched some splendid jewellery watches that have contributed to increasing the proportion of female customers to over 25%. Our top-ranking nationalities are Russians, Americans, French, Italians, Germans and Switzerland, closely followed by Japan and the Middle East.

Bonaparte, Reine de Naples, Réveil du Tsar, Versailles…, the Breguet image evokes the great royal families: is this approach still effective?

Breguet does not convey an image, but rather a message. This dynamic message evokes all the great international figures, including renowned authors such as Balzac, Hugo, Pushkin and Fowles, along with many other great thinkers, artists and of course eminent statesmen and women, including kings and queens. We therefore cannot exclude them from our message.

Does the plethora of new brands lead you to be cautious in the process of creating new models or in your communication on these new releases?

Not at all.

Which do you see as the most promising of the new models being introduced in 2009?

Breguet produces extremely high-quality watches and there is no need to wait for new launches in order to develop demand. Even watches produced over 200 years are still in great demand and sell very well today.

Which model in the current collection best represents Breguet as it is today?

As children, we used to play at recognising a given make of car even from far off. Today, a Breguet can be recognised from a distance of 200 metres, whatever the model. Breguet is not one watch in particular, but an incredibly powerful family likeness. Since we are the world’s greatest producer of tourbillons, the archetypal Breguet would doubtless be a classic watch equipped with a tourbillon.

What is your vision of Breguet ten years from now?

I don’t have a vision for Breguet, but rather a strategy that we have managed to apply right from the start. Breguet will remain the watch that represents the finest elements of European art. It is a watch for all time. The double tourbillon I am wearing could have existed in the 17th or 18th century. Breguet will always be an extremely noble mechanical watch, whether in terms of technology or innovation, the way of highlighting it through its design, materials and colours. In ten years’ time, Breguet will exceed the one-billion Swiss-franc mark in terms of sales.

Will this growth be sustained by new boutique openings?

We want Breguet to be present in the world’s finest locations. That means not just on the Place Vendôme in Paris, but in the best spot on the Place Vendôme. Nonetheless, my policy consists in opening boutiques only in places where we detect gaps in the existing network. When retailers are not prepared to take the risk of investing in certain locations, we have to do it ourselves. Such will doubtless be the case in Munich, Berlin, Bangkok, Mexico City and Las Vegas. But this also implies hiring perfectly trained personnel to run these boutiques and to handle after-sales service. Since the year 2000, we have opened 16 sensational boutiques.

What is the brand’s main challenge for the coming years?

Definitely the ongoing economic recession. Our average price is around SFr 40,000 and the current situation is a real problem, even if that problem should probably be resolved at some point during the second half of the year 2009. Fortunately, we can rely on extremely solid financial resources, and since we do not engage in speculative activity, we have kept this wealth intact. We must above all avoid being arrogant, commit to cultivating and serving our client base, while avoiding the temptation to succumb to any form of passivity or indolence.