Having just returned from a one-month trip around the world, what struck you most during this tour ?

It was my second world tour after the one I made last year, and it was a longer one featuring fiveday stopovers in six different locations (Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Mexico). I was thus able to devote even greater care to the quality of our onsite relations, because I believe human relationships are very important – especially since it is by understanding Martin Frei (co-founder and head of design) and myself that our partners can understand our watchmaking. In four of these destinations we took part in collectors' dinners hosting 15 to 35 people each time, and it was a fantastic feeling to see three-quarters of them wearing an Urwerk watch on their wrist! In mature markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong, contemporary haute horlgoerie is well perceived and relatively well known. However, on more traditional markets such as Mexico City and Bangkok, we still have a lot to do to explain what we are putting in place. But as you know, even in Geneva when we launched the brand 13 years ago, people thought we were crazy and nobody knew what we were aiming for !

So we're not yet likely to see you open a monobrand boutique ?

Indeed not. I've thought about it a lot over the last three years, but I have finally decided that we won't take that route. I am a watchmaker, a creator of watches, and so I prefer to concentrate on watch production rather than retailing. It's another whole profession and I don't see blending the two as very healthy. If you begin mixing the two worlds and end up wanting to create products with retailing in mind, this approach is liable to generate conflicts in terms of the products and you're no longer properly exercising your profession as a watchmaker. I might for example envisage opening a showroom, such as in Manhattan, but one where the watches would not be for sale.

You attended the Opus 10th anniversary celebration at HarryWinston; could you see yourself creating another such model ?

I did indeed meet Harry Winston's new CEO at this event, and I appreciated his approach in both human and professional terms. We got on well and I humorously suggested a great challenge for a future Opus: an Opus created for women by a woman. But I wasn't referring to an Opus such as the no. 5 we made together, and I don't think a repeat experience is part of the Harry Winston philosophy without an additional dimension.

Has the Urwerk philosophy evolved since your first showing at Baeselworld in 1997 ?

To be perfectly honest, it has. In our early days we were thinking of a more affordable watch (priced between 5,000 and 10,000 Swiss francs) produced in larger quantities. Our original concept was above all technical and did not feature a particularly complex movement. After a few years, I realised that large volumes would distance me from my trade as a watchmaker. I am intrinsically a watchmaker and not a businessman. Conceiving the mechanical innovations we currently offer and which involve such complex mechanisms simply does not enable us to produce large quantities. We prefer to stick to about 150 to 200 watches a year.

How important to the brand are today's social networks on the internet ?

There are only a handful of serious forums, and they are platforms for exchanges between collectors, devotees and professionals with whom I am not looking for direct contacts. As a watchmaker, I cannot simply ignore them, since our models are often the topic of debate, but I don't think it's up to me to actually get involved. For small brands such as Urwerk, these forums are a great opportunity and considerably help to spread our reputation among collectors.

The turn of the third millennium witnessed the emergence of a new generation of creative watchmakers such as Urwerk, Richard Mille, MB&F and F.P. Journe: do you expect to see this phenomenon repeated in the coming years ?

I hear a lot of people saying there are too many brands and that the market is nearing saturation, but I don't really agree with that. On the contrary, I feel a breach has been opened in the watch industry and which enables people to see it from a whole new angle involving new mechanisms, new materials and new aesthetics. I believe we are in fact only seeing the beginnings of this new contemporary watchmaking, and that the phenomenon will continue, even of only two out of every ten new brands being launched actually survive !

What can we expect to see from Urwerk in 2011 ?

In January we will present an evolved version of our Satellite Hour line through the 110 model, nicknamed Torpedo, inspired by the 103 and the 200, but without aiming to replace them. We always work this way, by looking to take our creations to the next level. We are also working on a one-of-a-kind model for the Only Watch auction and we hope that the concept will be accepted. And finally, autumn 2011 will see the introduction of an Urwerk Grand Complication model representing the sum of our 13 years of existence. It will be a concentrated blend of the Urwerk expertise, issued in two eight-piece limited editions that are not intended to be worn on the wrist. 2011 will be a big year for Urwerk.

Where do you see Urwerk ten years from now ?

We currently have a team of 12 people working between Geneva and Zurich, one-third of which focus on the creation of new models. That will not change. My five- to ten-year vision does not involve increasing production quantities, but instead ensuring continuity of our creativity quality.