CEO Talks

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…

Niels Eggerding has been with Frederique Constant for almost ten years. He experienced the both time before and after the company’s takeover by the Japanese Citizen Group. As of 2018, he has been Managing Director of the Swiss watch brand, which was founded by Peter Stas and his wife Aletta in Hong Kong. Ever since…

Upon hearing the word Montblanc, not everyone automatically first thinks of its high quality wristwatches. This is no bad thing, says Nikolas Baretzki, who has been at the helm of the Germany's best known luxury manufacture since April 2017. Alongside its famous fountain pens such as the Meisterstück, Montblanc is a universe of luxury products,…

The transformation of Breitling over the past three years is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting recent developments in the watch industry. In the spotlight is CEO and co-owner Georges Kern, who both initiated and is responsible for his brand’s transformation. Major expansion plans were also put into place for 2020, with a…

It was exactly 70 years ago that Panerai first presented its watches equipped with a tritium-based luminous material. “Luminor” was the name of this innovative substance of the hour, and it then promptly appeared in Panerai’s collection of the same name. In the 60 or so years that followed, the iconic line hardly changed, and…

When genius and madness come together in watchmaking, Greubel Forsey is the place to be. While some people feel satisfied once they have understood the fundamental principles of a mechanical three-hand watch, even the most complex complications cannot really challenge Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey any longer. Their company logo reads: "Art of Invention" –…

While many Swiss brands have been around for over a century, Roger Dubuis is not amongst them. In fact, the highly exclusive brand was founded less than three decades ago, back in 1995. Perhaps this is one reason for the brand producing some of the most striking, even outrageous horological creations out there. In its…

On this afternoon, Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith, is treating himself to a glass of rosé. Not because it is part of his daily routine, but because he wants to propose a toast with his guests in the small digital session taking place. But what, in these current times, are we celebrating? First and foremost,…

Our conversation with Chabi Nouri took place back in January – so before COVID-19 and all that followed with it. Nouri’s optimistic views on watchmaking and the sector itself are remarkable. She speaks with passion and enthusiasm about the rich heritage of the company she inherited three years ago, when she became CEO of Piaget.…

Since Georges Kern took the helm at Breitling almost three years ago, realigning collections and the brand’s strategy, annual sales have increased significantly. Kern recently revealed just how the brand will stay on the path to success with an intriguing, forward-looking perspective. A key theme is how we will consume in the future and the…

Jaquet Droz is all about emotions. Almost 300 years ago, Pierre Jaquet-Droz already knew how to excite people around the world, from France to China, with his snuff boxes, pocket watches and automata. Today, it's up to Christian Lattmann and his team to respectfully maintain the horology house’s heritage. However, it was Nicolas G. Hayek…