The world is not going through very
good times now. When we last met,
things were much better. How do you
see the effects of recession on a brand
like Tissot and address them?
At Tissot, we do not yet feel recession
the way we see worldwide in many different
fields. Of course, we don’t have as
many orders as we had last year. But if I
look at the first two months of this year,
we are just slightly below 2008 levels. But
we are well ahead of 2007, which was also
a great year. The Swiss watch export has
been excellent since 2004, when it was 11
billion Swiss pounds. We expect it to be
about 18 billion Swiss pounds in 2011.
Maybe, now is the time to be more reasonable,
look at the details, be closer to
the end consumer and the trade and see
what has to be modified to be even more
qualitative and more in line with the expectations
of the end consumer. A crisis
brings a way of thinking differently. A difficulty
is challenging and I love it. If life is
too easy, then you do not have to make
your mind work.
What are you looking at in 2009?
If we want to be still good and welcomed
worldwide, we should see how we |
|
can be even more innovative. The economy
will certainly bring a lot of damages
to the trade. Some companies are closing
while some retailers are having financial
problems. So, we must create what is
needed. Last year, with the tactile technology,
we launched a new product, T-Touch
Expert, that brings something
additional. So, let us say that we have
things that we did not have earlier and we
are still offering products at an attractive
price point.
You are now launching a newer
and upgraded version of T-Touch:
T-Touch Sport. Can you tell us what
this is all about and the need to launch
it now?
When we launched the T-Touch, the
idea was to implement the tactile technology
to our product to show that we can
look at time in different ways and can provide
some more accurate multi-functions
that you may need to use compass, altimeter,
barometer, etc. Then we saw that
because of the chip inside, it was possible
to bring some additional functions. And
we had some request from an alpinist who
said that if he knew where he was and
what the altitude was, it would be good to know how much he |
|
could go up or down
in the day with an altimeter. We implemented
a technology for that. So you now
know how much you climbed or descended
in a day even if you are sking,
biking or are on foot. So, it is a second
function that is linked with the altimeter.
And how much would this be priced
at?
Rs. 37,000
If I understand correctly, your heart is
still very traditional but all your functions
are innovative and ahead of time.
We provide functions and facilities
that are ahead of time. Tissot was a
family name in the beginning. But then it
became a watch name. Tissot, to me,
means we have to make time that can
really be in line with what has been in the
last models but more qualitative, affordable
and very innovative. Innovation can
be in the design, the technology or even
in the materials used. We always try to
bring some additional value, but still we
do not forget that we are not a fashion
brand; we are a traditional brand with
a watch name. So, we have to respect
our DNA.
|
