features


The rebirth of Roger Dubuis

Español Pусский
January 2012


Roger Dubuis, now a part of the Richemont Group, as a brand and a movement manufacturer, is poised to be relaunched, with Georges Kern supervising the brand (in addition to Baume & Mercier and IWC) and Jean-Marc Pontroué set to take over the reins officially as CEO from next year. Europa Star caught up with Kern during a short break in his intense schedule to talk about Roger Dubuis.

Europa Star: How are things going with Roger Dubuis?

Georges Kern: What is very important and the key element of Roger Dubuis is that we keep that huge point of differentiation, which is a unique combination of classical watchmaking in a highly innovative way (like the Excalibur Double Tourbillon or the Skeleton). We have to continue to come with exceptional horological novelties, but with the sense of great watchmaking. The second element is at our price point to have a design that is totally different. We are not in classic design, here, so both elements together make the product so different. What we have to do is fine tune that idea, formalise that idea, establish it and make it sustainable over the years, and independent of any creator, designer or CEO.
The typical creator’s brand was Roger Dubuis under the direction of Carlos Dias, and now we have to formalise it and make it sustainable. We have to re-establish it as a specific segment in high watchmaking.
I’m not worried about bringing Roger Dubuis back. We have a strong background which is giving us the time and the means to follow our strategy. Roger Dubuis is highly complementary to the other brands in the group. We have a huge capacity for development and innovation, which is why Richemont was so interested in the brand. We are on the right track, results are good.
The feeling in the market is still very positive. This brand was successful around the world, and it never had the structure around the world we have now. This is a different situation, in terms of follow up and professionalism, and we have a region, Asia, which likes this type of product and is growing very strongly.

The rebirth of Roger Dubuis

ES: What product represents Roger Dubuis best?

GK: The Excalibur Double Tourbillon Skeleton is the ultimate product that represents Roger Dubuis. This is innovative, with a great cutting edge design, and features the high watchmaking complication of the double tourbillon.

ES: How do ambassadors fit into the Dubuis plan moving forward?

GK: We will be working with more ambassadors like Gerard Butler. We recently did a photo shoot with him while he was visiting the manufacture. We are looking for more ambassadors – they will not be part of our advertising, but they will be wearing the watches, going to events, and more.

ES: What do you enjoy about working on Roger Dubuis?

GK: I can do stuff I personally like that I can’t do with IWC and Baume & Mercier. As a manager, I have to be dedicated to the DNA. You cannot do everything with every brand, but with Dubuis we can do really interesting things that are truly part of the DNA and customers expect you to do. That’s what makes it exciting to work on three brands.
My job is to give impulses to each maison in terms of marketing ideas, distribution concepts, products, but we have excellent management in each of the companies.

ES: What do you like about watches?

GK: What strikes me with watches, and cars, is the emotional impact that they can have on you, much more than anything else. For some reason, which I cannot explain, watches have high emotional value for the wearer. When you look at it, the watch industry is very small, compared to other businesses, but when you are at a dinner and you sit with CEOs of the biggest companies in the world, at the end of the day you talk about watches. The emotional impact of watches is phenomenal and this is quite interesting.

The rebirth of Roger Dubuis LA MONÉGASQUE PERPETUAL CALENDAR, LA MONÉGASQUE FLYING TOURBILLON, LA MONÉGASQUE CHRONOGRAPH

ES: How did you get interested in watches?

GK: My father was a jeweller. I was raised in watches and jewellery. The stores of my father were my second biggest customers in Germany.

ES: What is your favourite watch?

GK: I like the watches that I was involved with. The ones I contributed to, I have a more emotional connection with. I like all the IWC watches, because I had ten years to work on the collection. I am wearing the new Portofino right now and I also wear the new Monégasque Tourbillon in platinum.

ES: Do you remember your first watch? What was it?

GK: I got my first nice watch from my father, and it was an Ingenieur from IWC when I was 19 years old. It was stolen in Geneva a while ago.

ES: What do you enjoy about your job?

GK: I love the creative aspect. I can have an idea, implement it and see the result and the success, and the emotion it creates in people. When people tell me they love something and it took me three years to do it, it’s very satisfying. We create something real and we create an emotion.

Roger Dubuis celebrates 125 years of the Geneva Seal
The celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the Geneva Seal on 9 November 2011 were accompanied by the announcement of new requirements for obtaining the prestigious hallmark. While the existing criteria regarding movement production, assembly and decoration remain unchanged, from June 2012 the entire watch will be subject to the certification procedure in order to certify that the timepiece lives up to its manufacturer’s claims, particularly with regard to precision, water-resistance and power reserve.
One day after this important announcement Roger Dubuis—the only manufacture to certify every one of its products with the Geneva Seal—announced a limited edition of eight timepieces to commemorate the century and a quarter existence of the Seal, which since 1886 has stood as proof that a mechanical watch movement stamped with the Seal has been produced, assembled and regulated in Geneva and that it has been meticulously hand finished and decorated in accordance with strict requirements.
The Excalibur Flying Tourbillon Chronograph produced by Roger Dubuis to celebrate this important milestone in the Geneva Seal’s history has a 45-mm diameter rose-gold case that houses the new RD580 calibre with monopusher chronograph and power reserve display. Special permission has been granted to the brand to display the Geneva Seal emblem on the platinum micro-rotor, which is visible from the dial side of the watch. This timepiece is the brand’s first to fulfil the new requirements of the Geneva Seal, with all other Roger Dubuis models set to meet these new criteria from 2012.

The rebirth of Roger Dubuis

Roger Dubuis returns to the brand he created
Seven years after leaving the company he founded in 1995, Roger Dubuis is set to return to the Geneva-based manufacture in order to pass on his experience to the young watchmaking teams led by Gregory Bruttin, Head of Movement Development. “I am both happy and moved to be back at the heart of the firm I gave everything to, from my passion, to my name and to support the revival of this remarkable house,” Dubuis said of the news. “I see a glittering future for Roger Dubuis. As I see it, the strong values that have been and are the strength of the brand continue to be upheld.”

Source: Europa Star December - January 2012 Magazine Issue