Sadry Keiser has probably the most unusually authored biographies of any watch trade government. To be truthful, the Chief Advertising and marketing Officer of Roger Dubuis most likely shares this characteristic with a few of his colleagues as a result of it’s so very Roger Dubuis. The corporate calls itself the “dangerous boy of the Geneva watch trade,” and it’s not tough to see why. Simply have a look at the watches, and Keiser’s official portrait. In Keiser’s personal official biography, which fits out to anybody who interviews him, Roger Dubuis can be described because the Richemont Group’s “maverick” whereas Keiser is described as a person with an “unexplained attraction to watchmaking.” Keiser himself described Roger Dubuis because the “wild little one” of Richemont in an interview with the retailer Watches of Switzerland within the UK. Effectively, the watches definitely increase the decibel stage, generally fairly actually.
In case your first encounter with Roger Dubuis is at a watch truthful, corresponding to Watches and Wonders Geneva, you would possibly truly uncover the model whenever you hear a racket of some kind someplace across the Van Cleef & Arpels and IWC cubicles. Otherwise you is likely to be having a gathering over at A. Lange & Söhne solely to seek out your self speaking over a cacophony of what completely can’t be something associated to Swiss watchmaking. Besides after all that’s, and it’s all carried out on function. Keiser tells us, by no means sheepishly, that Roger Dubuis creates a spectacle on the truthful to attract a crowd; “I can let you know that 80 p.c of the folks we see…in our boutiques will not be solely new to Roger Dubuis, they’re new to watchmaking!” Keiser met with us on the Singapore ION boutique late final yr (2023) to interact in a free-ranging dialog concerning the novelties of 2023; Roger Dubuis additionally inaugurated a brand new retailer at Marina Bay Sands late final yr however that may be a story for one more time.
The youthful Keiser – his official info doesn’t checklist his age however that’s as anticipated of Roger Dubuis as a result of age is nothing however a quantity right here – likes to consider himself as a bridge between the technical aspect of the story and the design workforce. In his function as Chief Advertising and marketing Officer, he’s additionally a bridge between the model and the media, and by extension, the general public. Keiser lower his enamel within the technical enviornment of watchmaking at TAG Heuer’s manufacturing finish, and that model’s analysis and improvement division. This expertise would show helpful to his later stint as Head of Product Advertising and marketing at Roger Dubuis the place he was “overcome by a wild need to return to advertising – and inject it together with his personal inflammatory watchmaking ardour…”
It was this promise of inflammatory rhetoric that drew our curiosity to partaking in a prolonged chat with Keiser, who was on the town to introduce the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph specifically. Fortunately, neither he nor the watch upset us!
Earlier than we get into issues correctly, inform us if the Spider Flyback Chronograph is the primary manufacturing chronograph because the Sympathy assortment?
No, there was a chronograph with a plain dial round 2011 or 2012, and it was the piece celebrating the a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of the Poincon de Geneve <this was a restricted version of eight – Ed>. It’s much less attribute than (our now signature model) with modern skeletonizing (though it did have a tourbillon). The workforce at the moment thought it was good to grasp the assorted issues however recognised that there are additionally different gamers doing the identical, perhaps higher than us or extra recognized than us. So, we wanted to deliver extra worth…we targeted on the tourbillon for easy causes: there are fewer elements so there may be extra space to have transparency and to discover completely different types. Then we went with automatics, then double tourbillons, and so forth. It took time to get again on monitor with chronograph issues, and to return to the roots of Roger Dubuis <in relation to the well-known Sympathy case chronographs that the founder created – Ed>. It’s a completely different sort of recreation enjoying with a skeletonized strategy on the chronograph complication. There was little doubt for us on bringing again that complication however only a query of discovering the best option to do it. Now’s the best time to launch the Flyback Chronograph, as a result of you have got by no means seen this sort of watch earlier than!
No, after all not, so let’s dive proper into it!
For me, the Flyback Chronograph is an fascinating strategy as a result of I feel we maintain the philosophy of the corporate – placing the mechanics first (and fully seen). Evidently, having an built-in calibre for us, that was completely necessary. Additionally, enjoying with the structure of the calibre, conserving the liberty of aesthetics that we like, whereas being respectful of custom…and conserving the Poincon de Geneve in play.
What I imply by enjoying with the structure whereas conserving components of custom is that the column wheel (have to be current) for certain, however we put this on the entrance of the calibre <this distinctive component is often bridge-side – Ed>. So, as soon as once more reengineering the structure of the calibre to deliver (and ship) particular signatures on the best way that individuals are seeing it.
And final however not least, we speak concerning the vertical clutch, after all, as a result of as soon as once more, it’s following the great thing about, and respect for, custom. However on the finish of the day, throughout the very (modern) sort of design that follows the spirit of the Excalibur Spider, there may be additionally an apparent to hyperlink to motorsport actions, paying tribute to our Italian pals (that’s to say Lamborghini, a long- time period companion to Roger Dubuis – Ed).
Why wait until later within the yr to debut the Flyback Chronograph whenever you had the possibility to pair it with the Monovortex Cut up-Seconds Chronograph at Watches and Wonders?
A part of my reply must do with the Monovortex… (as a result of) it speaks to the philosophy of the corporate: to showcase the experience of the watchmaking trade and to incubate a fraction of our improvements in a single single piece. However whenever you put all the things in a single single watch – I’m speaking a few new regulator a brand new winding system, alongside a brand new show system as effectively…after which a split-second chronograph complication (a excessive complication that’s arguably extra advanced than the tourbillon – Ed) – the bar is about fairly excessive. To be frank with you, we wanted to go to the true and tangible world, to see if all the things works because it ought to. However no less than at the moment (through the present in Geneva), we bought to reveal to the world and positively to the connoisseur, as a result of each single individual attending Watches and Wonders is delicate to effective watchmaking, who Roger Dubuis is and what we’re about. You’ll be able to see that Roger Dubuis is a severe participant.
Then once more, Roger Dubuis isn’t a basis so all of us anticipated a business providing in some unspecified time in the future…
That’s proper! And we determined that the Goodwood Pageant of Pace was a superb philosophical match with the Spider Flyback Chronograph; motorsports basically are a superb match for the chronograph. We additionally didn’t wish to hearth all our (advertising) bullets at one time…as an alternative we wished to create a dialog with the neighborhood that helped everybody perceive the sequence that we keep in mind, from idea to commercially accessible piece. As a result of (each the Monovortex and the Flyback Chronograph) are new ideas, in a approach. You’ll be able to see from the Flyback Chronograph if we now have captured effectively that actuality behind (a few of) the ideas within the Monovortex.
How do you strategy Watches and Wonders, or any truthful actually, from the angle of introducing watches to the general public, or introducing it to companions? Is it gross sales first? Presentation first?
It’s a excellent query. I feel these reveals are shifting, allow us to say from enterprise to enterprise to client to grow to be extra enterprise to client. For a few years now, we see the content material of such reveals shifting on this route as effectively. As one of many operators at Watches and Wonders, we’re additionally following this pattern to (orientate) extra in the direction of being enterprise to client. You realize, we’re in that place the place we should be seen by a big viewers, however speak solely to a couple, if you realize what I imply. From a advertising perspective, (the query is) how I can you’ll want to attain a bigger viewers, the place that bigger viewers can perceive the rationale why Roger Dubuis exists. What’s our distinctive proposition and does my viewers get it? You realize, if everybody understands that we’re a pure participant doing modern skeletonised issues with Poincon de Geneve, then I’m in heaven!
Then again, there are just a few folks the place we have to go a bit additional and dig into our personal worlds and convey extra stuff to the desk. This implies explanations on the watches in a approach that we are able to ensure that we nourish and we domesticate the outstanding expertise (of Roger Dubuis). We all know that we’re not the primary model throughout the collections of these folks…and but there are these newcomers who’re very curious, not solely about Roger Dubuis however about watchmaking.
This can be a reference to what we spoke about: the folks you draw with spectacle, just like the robotic canine that was the spotlight of Watches and Wonders? How do you talk the values of the model correctly as a result of these folks could know what a skeletonised motion is, as a result of they’ll see it, however they definitely is not going to know what the Poincon de Geneve is…
As soon as once more, one other good query! To be clear with you, I feel half is construction (the communications technique together with all means from promoting to partnerships) and the opposite half is far more spontaneous. There’s a option to talk the truth that we’re a unbelievable various to the classical operators. At Roger Dubuis, we’re a bit schizophrenic. A fraction of what we’re doing is, allow us to say, very Swiss; the opposite half is ultra-contemporary (and that is the place conversations like this one are available). From my perspective, that is the great thing about a model of our dimension: we now have the luxurious of getting the time to converse with our shoppers and pals. We’re not at all times in pushing mode in a market the place we’re speaking about line extensions and all the things is transactional. As we mentioned, Roger Dubuis isn’t a basis however we nonetheless must construct (particular person) conversations to begin relationships!
This text first appeared on WOW’s Festive 2024 concern.
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