e recently interviewed a broad selection of managers, active in a variety of segments, to help us identify the major trends within the watch industry.

Our Q&A with Hugues Souparis – Pequignet.

Europa Star: What are your strategic priorities for 2023?

Hugues Souparis: For several years, Pequignet has been posting double-digit growth and increased profitability. In this context, we took time in 2022 to conduct an in-depth strategic reflection, and refocused on the company’s core values. As a result of this reflection, 2023 is a year of significant changes: a new brand image, a modernised logo, the launch of a new e-commerce site, the opening of a boutique in Paris, and the development of media content to better communicate our collections and brand values. All of this goes hand in hand with the launch of new products and, above all, a strong international presence, which culminated in our attendance at the Watches and Wonders international trade fair in Geneva back in March, alongside the most prestigious Haute Horlogerie houses.

Hugues Souparis

Which new products or lines will be your main focus this year?

We want to highlight what makes us exclusive: our automatic movements designed and assembled in France. That is why all of this year’s releases are in collections driven by the Initial and Royal calibres. This year we’re launching a new collection, Concorde, equipped with the Initial calibre, available in six colours and two diameters – 36mm and 40mm. The Concorde is distinguished by a new cushion-shaped case and a signature steel bracelet whose links are inspired by both Emile Pequignet’s iconic Moorea watch and the Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde. We’re also expanding the depth of our existing ranges, introducing bold colour variations to our Attitude and Royale Saphir collections, which also feature movements developed and assembled in France. Finally, we are completing our iconic Royale Paris range by offering several levels of complications.

Pequignet Concorde

The emergence of the secondary market represents a major new development. Are you taking any steps to build a presence in preowned?

With its 50-year history, Pequignet is already present on the second-hand market, but in an unstructured way. For us, in order to be reliable, the market needs a robust authentication and traceability system. This is not the case with the systems currently used by the brands. In fact, in general, what is secure is the certificate of authenticity, not the watch. If you present a fake watch with a real number engraved on it, you bypass the system. As of this year, Pequignet will be equipped with an authentication and traceability system that we have developed jointly with the company ATT. It is based on the use of a Sealvector® engraved on the lugs or body of the watch. This code cannot be copied or forged. It can be read with a smartphone equipped with a proprietary app. All watches manufactured from this summer onwards will be equipped with it. A web app will be available for warranty registration, tracking and secure transactions. We will then offer re-authentication of our older models so that they can benefit from the same platform and enter the second-hand market in a secure way.