New Beginnings Our focus right now is to have a collection that is easy to read, easy to understand... and easier to explain for our retailers

New Beginnings

Our focus right now is to have a collection that is easy to read, easy to understand... and easier to explain for our retailers

With a history that dates back to 1791, Girard-Perregaux (GP) is one of the oldest and most storied high-end timepiece manufacturers in Switzerland. At the time it was founded in Geneva by Jean-Francois Bautte, GP was perhaps the first integrated watchmaker in the world, handling everything from engineering to assembly and finishing. Last year, the Sowind Group that owns both GP and sister brand JeanRichard became a subsidiary of PPR, the french luxury conglomerate that owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. This makes the 2012 edition of SIHH GP’s last. Starting 2013, GP will be unveiling novelties, meeting the press and booking orders at the world watch and jewellery fair held in Basel later in the year. At Geneva, Indulge met with Stefano Macaluso, the brand’s managing director and a scion of the Macaluso family that runs the Sowind Group. Macaluso spoke about the future of watch design, what the changes mean for GP and the Indian market. Edited excerpts:
What do you think is going to happen to watch design in the next three or four years? Do you see any large trends?

Watchmakers at work at a GP facility.

Today, we have definitely two main trends, and I am talking about men’s watches here. You have very strong sporty men’s watches, and the other trend is very classical—I would say even neo-classical—watches. It is difficult to predict what will happen in the next three years. But my feeling is that the mechanisms will get more emphasis. Also, external cases are going to get more and more complicated. They will look like machines.The neo-classical trend, of course, will be targeted at traditional people looking for traditional designs. The design trends in watchmaking are a little strange actually. Ten years ago, watches were inspired by things like cars and accessories... And some of these inspirations I find quite strange and unoriginal. You see this even now.
But overall, I think sports watches will get more complicated, (they will have) multi-faceted three dimensional cases, and traditional designs will remain pure and clean but with, I think, a more modern aesthetic. This is partly because new designers are coming into this industry. And they want to leave their mark on the business.
You are someone who likes classical designs. Do you enjoy some of these new trends and designs?
I have to split my personal tastes from the tastes of the industry as a whole. For a brand like us, it is good to see classical designs being trendy. Because we are a very old brand and execute classical designs very well. This trend fits very well with us. Look at our minute repeater this year, for example. It has an enamel dial, Breguet numerals, small seconds…it is beautiful.
I am a passionate designer. So I like to look at global trends in design not just in watches but in all kinds of things—lamps, furniture, architecture, cars. I want to have a lot of connection with other brands. But there is a danger here. If you look at how some brands take inspiration from, say, cars, they may copy the design of an engine head and put in on their watch. There is nothing wrong with this. But to me it seems like a gimmick. To see real innovation, you look inside the latest Lamborghini or Aston Martin. You see the way it has been updated. You look at the way the edges are cut on these cars. That is real innovation.
What we need in watches right now is real innovation, not some gimmick.
This year’s collection from GP seems much more confident than previous years. You seem to have taken more risk. Is this confidence a reflection of greater confidence within the brand itself?

Transition mode: Stefano Macaluso, managing director, Girard-Perregaux

First of all, 2011 was a year of changes for us. This is a time of great transition for us. So what you see is just a small section of what we are working on right now. We haven’t unveiled everything. But the response this year has been good. There has been an acceleration in demand…which is great news for us. Our focus right now is to have a collection that is easy to read, easy to understand, easy to appreciate in the boutiques, and easier to explain for our retailers. We are getting there. I am happy you like the collection. But there is also the matter of generations. These collections were developed after I took over running the company. And each generation has to start a new cycle. Therefore, the brand is now starting a fresh, new cycle. Maybe that is why you see more confidence.
Are you bringing in a new set of values and a new philosophy to the company?
You have to be very careful when you are dealing with a brand like GP. The DNA must be kept consistent. My job is to work like a bridge. I need to connect the history, the last 20 or 40 years, to the next 20 years, to the next new cycle. So it is not giving up the past. But staying connected to it. Even today, we are making contemporary versions of the Three (Gold) Bridges design. This is a great example of how to combine old and new. It is a classic design. So we need to take the design, maintain the spirit of the brand, but bring in new designs, materials and methods.
We are working on new mechanisms, new custom escapements. All things that will come in the years to come. The mission for me involves all these things—keep working on research, keep pushing for innovation, but keep maintaining the heritage and history.
How difficult or eventful is the transition into the PPR group for you?
I am very excited for the brand. And also, I think I am lucky to be here when this historic transition is happening. The PPR group is passionate about watches. François- Henri Pinault (chief executive of PPR) takes his watches seriously. I think we will be able to capitalize on the strengths of the PPR group. Already we have started working with new people and are launching new projects. For instance, we are working with a very exciting watchmaker called Dominique Loiseau, who is now working on a super complicated watch that will be presented next year.
We are also working on projects with, what I like to call, “rockstar watchmakers”. These are people who are less than 30 or 40 years old, but have already worked on our tourbillons for 10 years. And we are asking these young, dynamic guys to make watches for us.