You took the reins of Corum three years ago; how do you feel things have gone since then ?

When I first arrived at Corum in 2005, I undertook a strategic audit of Corum which led me to entirely redefine the brand strategy and to rethink its value chain. The firs step involved human resources, by recruiting people representing new areas of competence. Then came a review of the structural organisation: reintegrating the creative and design stages, reinforcing product development and industrialisation processes, achieving a strong integration of various professions. In terms of the markets, we also undertook a process of integrating the American distribution, taking a more selective approach to our retail network and consolidating our international presence with the opening of a new boutique in Hong Kong at the end of 2009. In terms of products, the collection was refocused on the historical brand pillars (Admiral’s Cup, Corum Bridges, Romvlvs and Artisans) and streamlined from 3,000 to 150 references. All the new creations are in keeping with development principles and are derived from the DNA of their respective collection.

Since 2005, the Corum brand has reasserted itself in the watchmaking world and regained a strong identity. Thanks to these in-depth efforts to achieve greater consistency in terms of our collections and enhanced visibility on the market, we have gained in desirability among our clients. The foundations of the Corum brand are now firmly grounded and I thus plan to continue my work as a builder and to pursue development with the help of my teams by targeting two main goals : establishing the selective distribution network; and continuing to enhance the brand image.

Corum is celebrating two anniversaries in 2010: how important are they to the brand ?

In 2010, Corum is celebrating its own 55th anniversary, along with half a century of the Admiral’s Cup and 30 years of the Golden Bridge model. The brand is still youthful, but these anniversaries testify to its legitimacy and its product consistency and as such play an important part in its development. These collections are part of our history and have forged Corum’s reputation. Three exceptional new launches in 2010, including two tourbillons, pay tribute to these jubilees and consolidate the brand’s know-how.

What are the strengths of Corum watches ?

Our development strategy clearly targets the long term. All our products are part of this historical legitimacy , are recognisable thanks to a strong identity and offer high-end horological content. Consumers are increasingly knowledgeable and are looking not only for an attractive design but above all for a high-quality movement and a watch with high intrinsic value. Corum has grasped this and for each new product looks to achieve a perfect blend of design, technology and identity.

Will you be presenting a model for this year’s Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix ?

Taking part in the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix is a genuine token of recognition of the work accomplished to date for a small brand such as Corum. We are truly proud to take part in this Grand Prix and to see our models selected each year, since this testifies to the quality of our products and to our mastery of its know-how. The Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix has a major international impact in terms of communication, which means we naturally want our models to benefit from its reputation. Each new participation makes us more aware of the potential Corum can still drawn upon in order to establish itself firmly within the circle of winning brands.

Triple Olympic gold medal winner Ben Ainslie is a Corum ambassador ; will he be joined by a new sailor for the Admiral’s Cup collection ?

We do indeed wish to enlarge the circle of friends of the brands. We have been fortunate to find in Ben Ainslie an exceptional sportsman who is passionate about sailing and the sea, but is also a watch collector and connoisseur with strong personal values. He immediately showed great interest in Corum and in all the people who make the brand what it is. We have established close ties with Ben, above and beyond commercial links. In due course, we wish to create a pool of sailors and to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of nautical professionals by associating them in the development of our new products.

What are the spin-offs of the Grand Prix Corum raced on Lake Léman ?

The Grand Prix Corum on Lake Léman is generating incredible spin-off effects! The return on investment is impressive on both Swiss and international levels. We have been able to develop a substantial amount of goodwill linked to the event itself and above all to the Okalys- Corum team, whose members have been enthusiastically welcomed by Corum personnel and integrated into corporate existence. After this first season, we can truly say that the Okalys- Corum team is part of the Corum family and has already created a spirit of friendshi and respect.

How is the integration of your new American subsidiary working out ?

It’s a whole new start. As President of Corum USA, I am going to work with my teams on putting in place the tools required to rebuild the market. This function is clearly intended to enable swift implementation of our development strategy for marketing and communication tools and to reinforce our human resources in order to achieve the same level of image, consistency and profitability that we have reached on other markets. Since being taken over last October, I am extremely pleased with the speed with which we have been able to rebuild a new team locally in terms of both sales and marketing. I am determined to gain new ground, to reinforce relations with American points of sale, and to regain their confidence in accordance with our motto “Unlock and Conquer”.

Which markets do you expect to develop most strongly over the next three years ?

We’ve just mentioned the American market, where we are convinced we can win market shares, as well as in Latin America where the new organisational structure (having integrated distribution and recruited a new head of the zone) enables me to exercise direct guidance on activities in these countires. Corum has enjoyed extremely strong growth in Asia in recent years, and still harbours great potential. We can for example plan to reinforce our structure in India, where the brand is not yet strongly established. Europe naturally remains a major market for us thanks to its role as a showcase, as well as its credibility and its watchmaking maturity.