highlights


Partners in passion: Proellochs & De Witt

October 2006



Claude-Daniel Proellochs, the ex-CEO of Vacheron Constantin, joins forces with Jérôme de Witt to create a team brand totally focused on haute horlogerie, innovations and service.

After three very full years of development, during which time the DeWitt brand has established itself as leader in innovative hor-ological complications, Jérôme de Witt and his new partner Claude-Daniel Proellochs, look to develop the brand by creating its own mechanical movement and integrating more of the horological functions in-house.
To learn more about the ambitions and the relationship of the two, I visited the magnificent converted villa just outside Geneva in Vandoeuvres.

Claude-Daniel Proellochs
“It was purely by chance that Jérôme and I met,” Claude-Daniel Proellochs explains. “I knew about his brand, of course, but our paths didn’t cross until we were introduced by a mutual friend.
“Having left Vacheron, I had no special intention of getting back into the watch business because I was already busy with other projects including some charity work. But when we met I discovered he is more than just a businessman, he is a man with a vast culture who is absolutely passionate about his products … to use his by-line a ‘passionné d’exception’ (aficionado of the exceptional).
“The DeWitt brand is a very strong one, a de luxe brand that is easily identified. It’s a brand of the 21st century that respects the credo of haute horlogerie, using the appropriate ma-terials and techniques. Here they don’t make something just for something to do; there is a reason, usually an innovation. It’s a brand that respects quality. All of these factors combine to make the brand Jérôme developed and it is an approach that I share, just as I share his values.”
“Here we produce only Limited Series of watches, it gives them an added value. Here we are innovating and we can change direction quickly if need be and do something completely different. We don’t steal an idea from other brands, make a minor modification and then market it, we don’t need to do that because we are different, we create from scratch. Our customers understand this. Usually, they are people who have already purchased watches from the big brands, Audemars, Vacheron, Cartier, Omega and now want something completely different, and with DeWitt watches they find that difference not only in the complications, but also in the design – our distinctive columns, for example, they’re strong, instantly rec-ognizable, symbolic.”
Proellochs went on to talk about their aim to develop their own movement and integrate as much of the production in-house as pos-sible – which means that the DeWitt brand is inevitably going to get bigger.
“There’s a lot to do but we are going to get bigger, not too big, it will be a gradual development. Jérôme and I work as partners, we work with pleasure in a friendly environment surrounded by creativity and technique. It’s different to Vacheron Constantin, but the two houses have the same values and we know where we are going.”
At that point, Claude-Daniel Proellochs got up to leave and with a smile said, “I didn’t turn the page to come here, I simply changed books!”


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Claude-Daniel Proellochs & Jérôme de Witt


Jérome de Witt
At that point Jérôme de Witt bounded up the stairs of the DeWitt workshops showing no effects from the accident that had him hobbling around on crutches at BaselWorld.
It was interesting to observe that within just a few seconds together, both men were obviously on the same wavelength, for just before Proellochs left the room, there was a moment when they briefly looked at some new drawings, nodded and smiled, each understanding the other’s comments without anything being said.
“The DeWitt esprit is on two levels,” Jérôme de Witt declares, “technique and romanticism. We have made an enormous investment to be where we are today, and that investment is our passion for the product. In the three years that we have been creating and producing our watches, I have accumulated a huge book of some four to five hundred drawings of new watch designs.


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Two models of the DeWitt Tourbillon Différentiel Sport Academia in titanium, red gold and white rubber. The Chronographe Séquentiel Sport Academia titanium, red gold and white rubber.


“We have a love for what we do, a passion that has led us to create eighty models in just three years of existence. That’s a lot of inno-vations, a lot of creation and a lot of hard work in such a short period of time. But one of the most important words in our company philosophy is ‘respect’. There is the respect within the team, the respect for the work we do, the respect for haute horlogerie and our respect for the quality of our products.
“There are three types of watch companies in my opinion: fashion, mass production no need to mention names in either of these categories, and ‘the rest’. ‘The rest’ breaks down into two categories: those who want to earn money quickly and pure watchmakers. My aim was to be in the latter group and I had to create, produce and impose quickly, but at the same time remain honest to the haute horlogerie concept. Consequently, for three years now I have delivered quality timepieces to our clients, each and every one combining the highest workmanship, innovations and ‘service’.
“I’ll give you an example of the DeWitt service,” Jérôme de Witt said with a glint of pride in his eyes. “One of our clients purchased an important piece and some time later there was a glitch somewhere. It needed to be repaired by one of our watchmakers, so I sent one to the client on the next available flight, with his entire tool kit because we didn’t know what exactly was wrong.
“He repaired the watch fairly quickly, but then had more than a day’s delay before he could catch the return flight. So our client began to show him his watch collection, pointing out that this one didn’t work, or this one had a problem of some sort. My watchmaker repaired five watches for him while he was waiting for the flight home. Needless to say, I lost money on the deal, but I had a client for life … plus the other clients that would hear about what we did. Now that, is service, no?
“Today we are producing between 600-700 DeWitt watches with complications a year and with time I expect us to be able to achieve a maximum of 1,500 to 2,000 pieces annually, certainly not more. After all, we’re watchmakers here, not machines!”