How to give watch lovers more bang for their buck, according to Ulysse Nardin
For a long fourth dimension in the Swiss watch industry, watchmakers adopted a slightly aloof attitude. They fabricated watches, and scout enthusiasts were granted the privilege of owning them.
This is according to Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, a 172-year-old brand that became famous for its ultra-precise marine chronometers in the 19th century.
"Listening to the end-consumer was not a big concern," Pruniaux told CNA Lifestyle, during a visit to Singapore on Th (Aug 16). The Hr Drinking glass is the brand'due south exclusive retailer.
But times have changed, and the barrier that one time separated producer and consumer has dissolved. Social media brought on – and accelerated – this dissolution.
With so many channels of communication now open betwixt lookout man brands and picket lovers, at that place is no escaping the dialogue.
It is all part of the zeitgeist of inclusivity, and no one knows this more than Pruniaux. Prior to joining Ulysse Nardin in Sep 2017, he worked at Apple during the launch of the Apple Lookout man.
His tenure at the at present-trillion-dollar behemoth taught him the pros of a zero-ego civilisation.
"What matters is the brand and what we practice for the terminate-consumers and sentry lovers. Today we need to exist fast and agile, and mind to the end-consumer and the marketplace, non only in the watch industry, just also the rest of the world," he said.
And what the world wants are watches that are practiced-looking, functional, innovative, and total of personality or have stories to tell.
More chiefly, they demand to offer value for coin. Enthusiasts will still pay top dollar for the most prized tickers, but they need to know they are getting more bang for their buck.
"We make very complex, complicated watches, but making complicated watches only for the sake of information technology, I don't think it's relevant whatsoever longer. (Watches) should bring value to the end-consumer," said Pruniaux.
In Jan 2018, Ulysse Nardin announced the Freak Out, the kickoff Freak watch to cost a five, not half-dozen, figure sum. At S$73,900, it is half the price of the brand'southward Freak Vision, which retails at S$146,300.
Freaks typically cost S$120,000 or more, with the damage on the most complicated versions amounting to S$200,000 and up.
The Freak is an icon non merely for the brand but for the entire lookout man industry. When it start appeared in 2001, it was the globe'south commencement watch to display time using the movement itself. Curiously, it did not have a punch, a crown, or hands.
The mainplate – which housed the exposed movement parts – doubled upwardly as a punch and an hr hand, completing a full rotation in 12 hours. In place of a minute hand was an arrow-shaped bridge that rotated one time every hour. And the instance itself was used to engage the movement, in outcome becoming the crown.
The Freak was too notable for being the first lookout man to use silicon in its movement, paving the fashion for others to follow suit. Silicon allowed the motion to function without lubricant, which meant that the spotter needed less frequent servicing. This fabricated it more than durable and reliable in the long run.
Before the launch of Freak Out, Freaks were usually cased in gold. But Freak Out is sheathed in titanium, making it sportier and lighter both on the wrist and on the wallet.
Besides making prices more than amenable, Pruniaux believes that in social club to add value for consumers, watchmakers like Ulysse Nardin need to apply an innovative approach to every aspect of the watch. Even something basic like the power reserve can be improved upon.
Freak Vision, for case, is non only the first Freak with automatic winding, but it is likewise the beginning picket in Ulysse Nardin's lineup to characteristic Grinder, a new, patented winding system that is purportedly twice as efficient as regular winding systems.
Substantially, the winding machinery'due south architecture is more than sensitive to motion, so even a tiny jolt from your wrist volition activate the rotor. Less effort is needed to wind the watch. When fully wound, the power reserve lasts l hours – plenty to terminal the weekend.
Fans of the Freak will exist happy to know that Pruniaux plans to develop a full collection.
"(The Freak) used to be an iteration every couple of years. Every ii or three years, there would be a new textile or new design. Now, nosotros're preparing for the Freak to be a larger collection, with differentiated movements and slightly differentiated designs. The Freak has a very stiff brand name, also as a very clear story, blueprint and motion. It has true potential to get much more," he said.
Nosotros are already looking frontwards to January.
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