Roger Dubuis in exuberant mood

Over the past ten years, Asia has emerged as the fastest-growing market for Swiss watches and, as Jean-Marc Pontroué, Chief Executive of Roger Dubuis, confirms, this hasn’t been without consequence. “Over the same period of time, we’ve witnessed a high level of concentration within the industry, leading to the formation of major groups. This explains our presence at Watches&Wonders in Hong Kong. If Richemont, which owns Roger Dubuis, hadn’t been in a position to stage the event, who else could have? In this respect, it’s interesting that the group took this initiative and is working to establish itself as the reference in Fine Watchmaking and for the Poinçon de Genève. Claims such as these are important as they give a certain edge to whoever is first, which of course benefits the brands.”

Even though Asia represents a smaller proportion of sales for Roger Dubuis than for many other brands, the company spares no effort. “We aren’t looking for new retailers on the continent, we’re making adjustments,” says Jean-Marc Pontroué. “Having said that, we have taken this first rendezvous with Asia very seriously indeed. We’ve developed communication specifically for these markets with particular focus on the brand’s history, given the public’s love of luxury. We are also presenting new watches for men and for women. In a word, we have every reason to be here, especially as this Asian clientele is beginning to travel more widely.”

Hommage to take centre-stage

A “calling card” for Roger Dubuis at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, has the Quatuor – with its four inclined sprung balances connected by five differentials – lived up to its promise? Yes, says Jean-Marc Pontroué: “It wonderfully captures Roger Dubuis’ exuberance, and our capacity for innovation, research and development, all of which define the brand. Without going over the top, in view of the current trend for complications and the limited number of pieces available, I’d say it’s almost easy to find a buyer for this type of product. All six Quatuor watches in silicon have already found takers, and we will have sold the remaining thirty pieces by the end of the year. But actually, the real surprise has been our Velvet collection of women’s gem-set watches, launched in 2012, which this year has confirmed its appeal even among men. We’re currently working on our fifth and last collection, Hommage, in reference to the man who founded the brand. We unveiled a first rendition, a minute repeater, earlier in the year. Hommage will be the Roger Dubuis watch for 2014.”

Is Jean-Marc Pontroué in any way concerned by the marked slowdown observed this year in Swiss watch exports? “We’re not in the least worried. In fact this consolidation phase isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering recent years’ double-digit growth. Roger Dubuis is a brand under construction hence we still have tremendous room for expansion.” Clearly the brand has much to feel exuberant about.