A cool and collected Thierry Stern shares his thoughts on the crisis (no big deal), and the release of anniversary watch models (there is such a thing as too much).

The President of Patek Philippe recently sat down with Europa Star and provided us with some perspective.

First on the docket was the latest offering by the brand, the legendary Nautilus Annual Calendar wristwatch, which we saw at Baselworld 2016.

Being the 40th anniversary of the watch, many expected a limited anniversary edition. But this isn’t a special edition, just an exclusive one. The latest iteration of the watch means you can now have it in rose gold for around 40,000 Swiss francs.

After the big celebrations for the 175th anniversary last year, Stern was reluctant to release another anniversary edition for the Nautilus. Good decision in my mind, because when everything is a “special edition”, nothing is really a special edition.

Another issue relevant to all Swiss brands was the economic crisis hitting the industry. But Stern’s outlook remains quite balanced, which you’d expect for a family business that’s seen about 5 crises so far. He’s relaxed and optimistic about the future, admitting that the recent slowdown in Swiss watch exports is just a “part of the game”.

It’s true that every year cannot be a record year. Even Stern admits that this year has been a weaker one, but “not a catastrophe at all”.

And it’s also true that a brand like Patek is a bit more insulated from a crisis. They have a solid reputation and a relatively small production, meaning they can navigate rough waters a bit easier than most brands.

How to get out of the crisis? Stern offered some thoughts: brands must be more creative and just listen to the client, “It’s not a magic recipe, but it will help to get out of the crisis.” Sometimes it’s the simple things.

I suppose when you’re at the helm of one of the most established and iconic Swiss watch brands, it’s not too difficult to keep calm and carry on.