Zurab Zazashvili

Swisswatches recently had the honour of meeting once again with the CEO of Breitling, Georges Kern, following the launch of the brand’s first own boutique located in Munich, Germany. Spanning over 220 square metres and two floors, the boutique in many ways embodies Breitling’s plans for the future – as Kern explains to our very…

Ben Küffer, CEO and co-founder of the Norqain brand, is the wunderkind of Swiss watch start-ups. No other young watch brand has been able to establish itself so successfully so quickly. Only founded in 2018, Küffer was already able to secure an exclusive partnership with the renowned movement manufacturer Kenissi in 2020. A short time…

At the beginning of April, we made our way to the French luxury ski resort of Courchevel, where Richard Mille gathered brand ambassadors such as professional skier Alexis Pinturault, biathlete Johannes Thingnes Bø and snowboarder Ester Ledecká as part of their "Ski Clinic". Tim Malachard, CMO of Richard Mille, was also there, of course. The…

A name to pass on through the generations: Jean-Claude Biver Having lunch with the man who bears this name is a sensation in itself. Not because Jean-Claude Biver doesn't take the time. The grand master of the Swiss watch industry has always made time for the media, and even at the age of 74, and…

It was exactly five years ago that Zurab Zazashvili, founder of Swisswatches, first met Raynald Aeschlimann, then newly appointed CEO and President of Omega, for an interview. He had been in office for 22 months and the brand was celebrating its 170th birthday. The planned interview became an extended lunch date and was published that…

Patek Philippe is taking things to a whole new level Swisswatches enjoyed a personal encounter with Patek Philippe owner Thierry Stern and Kim-Eva Wempe, managing partner of Gerhard D. Wempe GmbH & Co. KG, at the inauguration of the new Patek Philippe boutique in Hamburg. Patek Philippe operates only three salons across the globe: one…

Nicola Andreatta has a calm, collected persona, despite leading the most fast-paced and disruptive horology house in the industry: Roger Dubuis. Following on from our time spent together at Goodwood Festival of Speed last year and our catch-up during the extraordinary year of 2020, we sat down once more to chime in 2023 with lunch at Il Mirtillo,…

A travel diary in a watch magazine? I admit, this article deviates somewhat from our norm – but with good reason. In October 2022, Porsche and Porsche Design provided me with two products of their best luxury technology, the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (launched in 2022) and the Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC, both of…

Benjamin Comar has been CEO of Piaget since 2021 and is responsible not only for a whole range of highly complex watches, but also for extravagant jewellery. For although the manufacture originally started out as a supplier of watch movements, by the mid-20th century the maison had a desire to extend its expertise to other…

Everyone carries the desire to create connections with others and spread happiness. With this in mind, what could be more symbolic than the smiley? Little more than 50 years ago, a yellow circle, with two oval eyes and a broad, smiling mouth, established itself as a collective symbol of positivity and pop culture. Today, it…

Franz Linder has been president of the watch brand Mido, which is part of the Swatch Group, ever since 2002. In the watch industry, that’s a hell of a long time to stay at the helm of a single brand. His recipe for success? He simply has fun with Mido. The brand, founded in 1918,…

Guido Terreni has been at the helm of Parmigiani Fleurier since the beginning of last year. In this industry, which tends to refer to decades or even centuries of tradition and experience, this is ultimately only a blink of an eye in the history of watchmaking. But for Parmigiani Fleurier, it is one of the…