Europa Star: When one sees and visits the buildings of the old Zenith manufacturing facilities, one is struck by their enormity and by an industrial and spatial organization that is 'Zolaesque' - no longer of our time. Is it true that, upon your arrival here, you thought of the phrase by Plato 'Beauty is the splendour of truth'?

Thierry Nataf: Absolutely, and for a simple reason. These walls, these rooms, this apparently obsolete equipment produces some of the finest and most wonderful mechanical movements in the world. And the truth about this beauty was right there in these faded walls. But this 'splendour of truth' was and is, above all, due to the men and women who work here. I told myself that we needed to roll up our sleeves and awaken this 'sleeping beauty'.

ES: After having been a great brand, Zenith seemed to withdraw into its shell of supplying movements...

T.N: Upon my arrival, I realized that Zenith was making 'Rolls Royce' movements that were selling at dirt cheap prices. About 90% of production went outside. The brand itself was totally neglected. This had been going on for some 20 years, which resulted in the gradual obsolescence of the equipment and a slowdown in investment. However, it is a brand that has enormous potential. We needed to completely reverse our priorities, and today, this has been done. Zenith only delivers but very few movements outside.

ES: Didn't the enterprise also risk losing its human savoir-faire?

T.N: Absolutely. The true value of the people who worked at Zenith was not highlighted. It was indispensable to reward them better as well as to improve the equipment they used to make these products. Without decisive action, we ran the risk of losing our best elements. It was an important savoir-faire that could have gone to other watchmaking companies. This savoir-faire is the most precious part of our activities. Our priorities in reconstructing the brand were to invest in production equipment and to create a school in order to attract new talent and create a sense of loyalty to the brand. I come from the foremost luxury group in the world, LVMH. Luxury means transmission. It means looking to the long term. And the long term involves essentially the people who can assure this continuity. It is necessary, therefore, to improve their working conditions and let them exercise their talents.

ES: People to make the products…On this level, we notice a definite effort with your new collections.

T.N: Using our savoir-faire of movements for our own brand, in other words, rebuilding the enterprise, passes by a radical rethink in terms of the design and quality of our models. The renaissance of Zenith begins now with 50 new models, four new movements, great care for the smallest detail, scrupulous attention to decoration, to the dials and the cases. But to have Zenith regain its zenith will take some time and I don't try to hide it, nor does LVMH.

ES: We have noticed a strong rise in the prices of Zenith watches. Aren't you walking on a tightrope here?

T.N: It is true that we have raised prices, but they correspond to a substantial improvement in our products. To give you a few concrete examples, I have replaced all the simple buckles by fold-over buckles. This means 30 grams of gold instead of 3 grams. The same is true for the rotor. Earlier, the rotors were in metal. From now on they are in gold, which means 22 or 26 grams more. The same is true for the cases. The horns used to be hollow but now they are solid. The decoration of the dials, which are also in gold, has been considerably improved. To sum it up, I wanted to reach true watchmaking integrity. The increase in price is perfectly justified. With an entry-level price of 4,000 Swiss francs for a steel 'Classe Elite', with power reserve indicator, to very sophisticated and ornate pieces costing 40, 50 or even 60,000 francs, we are on a par with our competition. Having said that, our new positioning requires an increased effort in the information intended for our clients.

ES: But precisely, don't you run the risk of scaring these same clients?

T.N: Zenith's 'old' clients only saw the brand in terms of a strict price/quality ratio. Today, though, Zenith offers much more. Our collections and our products are not only prestige and authentic watchmaking, they go beyond this framework to become, from Haute Horlogerie, the emanation of a brand, of a universe. I willingly recognize that we still have a long way to go to become as well known as we deserve. Zenith is still largely unknown to many consumers who have forgotten its past reputation. We have to re-conquer them, by and thanks to our products. I also continually ask myself the question: Will people like our products? Everything depends on that, on the power of attraction, which I firmly believe our products have. Look, put it on, you need to wear the watches... [Thierry Nataf puts a model on the wrist of his interlocutor. It is true... the piece has a proud allure! It is large but comfortable, distinguished but not ostentatious, classic and contemporary at the same time.]

ES: You have also radically transformed your distribution network...

T.N: We have become much more selective than in the past and, even if I regret to say so, I frankly cannot allow myself to be a friend to everyone in the world. The store window is only an apparent face of distribution. Upstream, there is a considerable amount of work in training the sales force, in creating an understanding of the brand. We have had to greatly work on the presentation, which we re-created from top to bottom. We have also reorganized our after-sales service that must be irreproachable from a quality standpoint, while still ensuring rapidity and cost containment. The brand, during its long and wonderful history, was globally present. We have to now reinvest in areas that were left fallow. Today we have re-opened Zenith USA. We are in Miami for the Caribbean area and Latin America. We are also in Paris, Germany, London, and have reorganized Italy. In Asia, we are enjoying excellent results in Japan and we are also present in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. We plan on moving into Australia and India. This is all possible because of the LVMH infrastructure already in place, which ensures not only logistical support but also allows us to better communicate our message. This expansion is a huge undertaking, certainly delicate and difficult to manage, but yet it is a wondrous and passionate adventure to awaken the sleeping beauty.