Baume & Mercier CEO Alain Zimmermann Interview

AndrewD's interview with Baume & Mercier CEO Alain Zimmermann offers a valuable look into the brand's strategy and identity from 2013. This discussion provides context on how Baume & Mercier positioned itself within the luxury watch market, emphasizing its heritage and 'gateway to luxury' approach. It highlights the brand's focus on timeless elegance and accessibility, particularly with the then-new Clifton collection.

Baume & Mercier traces its history back to 1830. It is part of the Richemont luxury goods group and positions itself as the ‘gateway to luxury’. With worldwide distribution and a production of 200,000 watches per year one could argue that it is every bit as important as the major Manufactures at the haute horlogerie end of the market. Recent collections, particularly the Clifton and Hampton lines, have been very well accepted in the market place and Baume & Mercier have a strong presence in the ladies watch segment too. Alain Zimmermann has been CEO for more than three years, building on a long career particularly with Cartier and IWC. Alain recently answered a few questions about his company and the watches they produce. I hope this interview gives you a few insights into Baume & Mercier and an added appreciation of their products.

Andrew

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How would you describe Baume & Mercier to someone who knew nothing about the brand?

I would describe it as a brand loyal to its extensive history that seeks to provide a timeless, elegant luxury product to a consumer as either a casual purchase or to commemorate a special moment.  Baume & Mercier gives clients Swiss made expertise and high quality at an affordable price. It is a brand that fosters a long-term relationship with its clients, continuing to service the watch and maintaining its functionality.

What are the current directions of Baume & Mercier?

After 183+ years, Baume & Mercier remains loyal to the brand values defined by its founders by offering the client a well-made watch with great value. Our new men’s collection, Clifton, is a great example of that. Two years in the making, the design was inspired by a watch from the 1950’s found in our archives. Timeless and elegant, with a classic design, the Clifton collection was introduced in April and has been received most positively. Looking towards the future we will continue to expand our existing collections while increasing our focus on the feminine segment in many of our projects. 

The inspiration for the Clifton range from the 1950's

Can you tell us what your day-to-day role is with the company?

As the CEO for Baume & Mercier, I have the pleasure of working with our offices around the globe as well as those in our headquarters here in Geneva, Switzerland, to design, promote, market and sell Baume & Mercier watches in many countries. I view my role as a conductor. I seek to ensure we have the infrastructure needed to be successful and a strong partner to our wholesale network. And then make certain that we have the tools and resources to bring it all to life. 

What is the best part of your job?

There are so many best parts in my job! To name just a few, I so enjoy the many retailers across the globe who sell and support our brand. In many cases, we’ve been doing business together for many, many years so it is a pleasure to spend time with them and determine how we can best work together for mutual success. Another best part of my job that I would like to highlight is remaining loyal to the brand values inherited from 183 years of history, always placing them in a contemporary context. That’s really fascinating! Introducing new designs and building new pages in Baume & Mercier history remains an exciting part of my job.

The worst?

There is no worst part in my job but only challenges!

You have been the CEO of Baume & Mercier for over 3 years. Are you satisfied with progress and have you reached the point you planned for when you started?

When I joined Baume & Mercier, I knew that we needed to develop a new strategy for moving the brand and business forward. And that strategy was designed for the long-term to ensure sustainability. This is a continuous journey that inspires all of us and encourages us to reach farther and greater.

What is it like to part of the Richemont conglomerate? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this group of more than 10 horology companies? Do you have to be strategic in your product design and placement within the group, or are you left to 'do your own thing'?

All the Richemont Maisons have their distinctive and unique character, vision and product DNA and it is important and our role to protect and develop this uniqueness, while benefiting of all advantages of being part of a big group.

How do you go about promoting a brand like Baume & Mercier?

We focus on the heritage of Baume & Mercier because it is our past that has inspired our future. We spend great time training sales associates in the stores so that they can confidently share the story of Baume & Mercier and the many qualities and benefits of our watches. These initiatives along with strong public relations outreach, a robust website, consistent in-store brand visibility, digital marketing and social media activities and special events are how we go about promoting Baume & Mercier around the world.

Baume & Mercier is fortunate in that many of our customers select one of our watches to celebrate a special moment – birthday, anniversary, wedding, Father’s Day, Christmas, Hannukah and more. So it is often our very own customers who proudly promote the brand.

The Linea 10114 37mm ladies watch

Baume & Mercier are often described as an affordable luxury brand and a gateway to other watches. Is that how you view yourself?

Absolutely! We offer the finest quality Swiss made watches that deliver value in terms of their price.  And yes, very often a Baume & Mercier is the start of a beautiful collection of timepieces for our customers.

What is the business strategy for Baume & Mercier? Do you feel the need to push up sales numbers, increase prices, quality, or broaden the range, or have you reached the right balance of sales, revenue, quality and costs?

When I joined Baume & Mercier a few years ago, we took a very close look at our distribution and took the necessary steps to be sure we were in the right stores which meant that we reduced our distribution. This actually improved our productivity because it kept our watches exclusive. We continue to refine our strategies in terms of watch design, pricing and marketing so that we can experience continued, yet steady growth. I am seeking sustainable growth for the years to come while remaining loyal to the accessible positioning of our luxury brand on both segments, masculine and feminine.

It has been said in the past that your most important markets are Italy, Spain and France, but are you trying to break into other markets? There seems to be a strong American theme in the recent Hampton and Clifton campaigns. How important is Asia in your strategy?

As a global brand, all the regions of the world are important for our Maison. The US market is and will remain a top priority with a growing potential in our price segment. Brand development in Asia and more especially in China is another key priority for the year to come.

When thinking about a new watch or line of watches, do you look for a niche and design into it, or do you find ideas in other areas?

We often look back to move us forward meaning that our own archives often serve as inspiration for the collections we introduce each year. The Baume & Mercier historical collection is a unique brand heritage in terms of style since 183 years, an amazing source of inspiration! For example, our Hampton collection takes its inspiration from a rectangular watch launched in the 1940s, featuring typically Art Deco lines and details. The more recent Clifton collection was inspired by a 1950 historical model in the brand’s museum collection.

How important are celebrity ambassadors to the brand and how do you go about finding them? Is it necessary for them to be passionate about the watches, or is it all marketing and fluff?

Baume & Mercier is worn by celebrities and notables around the world. That is the beauty of being a timeless and elegant watch brand. Whether it is Caroline Kennedy in the United States or Anna de la Reguera in Mexico, Baume & Mercier watches are enjoyed by a multitude of people. Celebrities create desirability and it is great when they choose to wear our watches but we prefer that the star-power of our watches is what catches the consumer’s attention!

How important is the history of Baume & Mercier and do you draw inspiration from that?

As the seventh oldest Swiss watch brand, we continue to respect our heritage and draw on it for inspiration. I look to our history of credibility, innovation, and to our vintage designs for inspiration. I’m especially inspired by our continuity – we have never stopped creating watches during our 183+ years and we have always maintained a strong after-sales service.

The original company had a reputation for complications and performance in chronometry competitions. Is this something you could focus on in the future?

Our customer is looking to make an intelligent choice that represents excellent value. Affordable luxury is the cornerstone of the Baume & Mercier brand essence so it is important to remain true to this brand principle. Clifton is aligned with it and combined affordable price, excellence, watchmaking expertise (with complications and small complications) and aesthetic elegance. Yet in each collection we are proud to present what we call “emblematic pieces”, such as the Clifton 1830 and the Capeland emblematic pieces with flyback chronograph, which in terms of movement and material exemplify our expertise as Maison d’Horlogerie.

The Capeland Flyback Chronograph

Your recent watch lines, particularly the Clifton and Hampton series have been inspired by vintage classics and an earlier more elegant style. Is that a current trend in watchmaking and where else can you take this?

Yes, it is part of our strategy and you will continue to see watch collections that pay homage to historical designs from Baume & Mercier. Right now, there is a preference for more timeless watches and Baume & Mercier is proud to deliver on that.

Beside the historical pieces from our museum, our studio design also draws constant inspiration from everything around. Any scene, any object and any event can fire their imagination. Their approach is to enrich their mind and to make sure it is constantly teeming with ideas, even sub-consciously, thus enabling them to give free rein to their creative instincts.  

The Clifton was released to very positive reviews and you have sensibly brought out a range of dials, complications, metals and sizes (from 39mm to 42mm). How would you describe the typical customer for a Clifton?

The Clifton gentleman is one who takes pride in his appearance and what goes on his wrist. He enjoys a wristwatch as a means to tell time. Whether firmly established in his professional life or just starting to experience success, the Clifton gentleman seeks a timeless and classic wristwatch that he can wear and enjoy for the years to come. He is also someone who wants to be initiated to watchmaking, who is keen on a technical savoir-faire, and who values the style, dimension, and elegance in the wearing of such a watch.

The Capeland Bicompax Chronograph was a particularly successful retro-inspired design and is still a favourite of mine. Do you have a favourite watch in the collection? Do you wear a particular Baume & Mercier watch yourself?

Very difficult to name only one favorite watch! The model I wear depends on my style. Today, I am wearing the Clifton 1830. I like this piece especially because of its refined finish which I think is a perfect combination of elegance and simplicity. The manual-winding mechanical movement with circular-grained bridges, the “Côtes de Genève” décor, and the 90-hour power reserve are a few of my favorite features of this model.

The Clifton 1830

Has the global financial crisis had an effect on your company and how are you positioned at the moment?

In 183+ years, Baume & Mercier has dealt with several crises while remaining loyal to its values. At the moment, the economic climate is an opportunity. Consumers are looking for a reassuring brand with strong values and they are mindful of their spending. Our elegant designs offered at a great value accommodate this desire for luxury at an affordable price.

Is the Internet an important part of watch selling or do you rely on bricks and mortar establishments? Your website, I must say, is a pleasure to navigate.

Thank you for recognizing the great amount of time and work that has gone into our website. We believe that baume-et-mercier.com is a wonderful environment that can delight, inspire and educate the consumer. We provide the ability to identify the retailers in one’s area so that they know where to go to get Baume & Mercier. And we now roll out e-commerce in the United States. Today’s client wants choice when making purchases so it is good to offer them sound options. It is important to find the right balance between promoting our product directly to the consumer via the internet and the promotion that has been done by our partners for many years.

Baume & Mercier has been well known for ladies watches. Is there a growing segment of women interested in mechanical watches or do you see it as mainly a fashion thing?

We have certainly seen an increased interest in mechanical watches for ladies in many of our key markets – China and the United States. As the amount of knowledge and education about mechanical watches has increased, women have come to appreciate the beauty of movements. Our Linea collection includes a number of automatic options.

The Linea 10072 automatic

The Linea 10073 32mm automatic

You have worked in various areas of what we might call the "luxury industry". How do watches compare? Is this a true passion for you or just another luxury item to find a customer for?

That’s a true passion! Watchmaking is fascinating and exciting. The perfect balance between the past, the heritage and the most modern techniques to ensure precision, high-quality and durability.

I often ask this question because I am not sure I know the answer myself: why do you think there is such an enduring interest in mechanical watches?

In a world of hyper-consumption, and where product lifecycles are reduced, luxury products and particularly mechanical watches including a savoir-faire fascination are a comforting, lasting and timeless product.

What can we expect from Baume & Mercier in the future?

Additional creations in existing lines and a specific attention on the feminine segment will for sure be at the center of our new developments. In terms of expansion, we will continue to ensure excellent Baume & Mercier presence within our entire network. And we will continue to focus on delivering an exceptional experience for our clients around the globe.

My thanks to Michelle Peranteau of Baume & Mercier, New York, for co-ordinating the interview with Alain.