Sadry Keiser has probably the most unusually authored biographies of any watch business government. To be truthful, the Chief Advertising Officer of Roger Dubuis most likely shares this function with a few of his colleagues as a result of it’s so very Roger Dubuis. The corporate calls itself the “dangerous boy of the Geneva watch business,” and it isn’t troublesome to see why. Simply take a look at the watches, and Keiser’s official portrait. In Keiser’s personal official biography, which fits out to anybody who interviews him, Roger Dubuis can be described because the Richemont Group’s “maverick” whereas Keiser is described as a person with an “unexplained attraction to watchmaking.” Keiser himself described Roger Dubuis because the “wild little one” of Richemont in an interview with the retailer Watches of Switzerland within the UK. Properly, the watches actually elevate the decibel degree, typically fairly actually.

In case your first encounter with Roger Dubuis is at a watch truthful, corresponding to Watches and Wonders Geneva, you would possibly really uncover the model once you hear a racket of some type someplace across the Van Cleef & Arpels and IWC cubicles. Otherwise you may be having a gathering over at A. Lange & Söhne solely to seek out your self speaking over a cacophony of what completely can’t be something associated to Swiss watchmaking. Besides in fact that’s, and it’s all performed on goal. Keiser tells us, in no way sheepishly, that Roger Dubuis creates a spectacle on the truthful to attract a crowd; “I can let you know that 80 p.c of the individuals we see…in our boutiques are usually not solely new to Roger Dubuis, they’re new to watchmaking!” Keiser met with us on the Singapore ION boutique late final yr (2023) to interact in a free-ranging dialog in regards to the novelties of 2023; Roger Dubuis additionally inaugurated a brand new retailer at Marina Bay Sands late final yr however that could be a story for one more time.

The youthful Keiser – his official info doesn’t record his age however that’s as anticipated of Roger Dubuis as a result of age is nothing however a quantity right here – likes to consider himself as a bridge between the technical aspect of the story and the design group. In his function as Chief Advertising Officer, he’s additionally a bridge between the model and the media, and by extension, the general public. Keiser lower his tooth within the technical enviornment of watchmaking at TAG Heuer’s manufacturing finish, and that model’s analysis and improvement division. This expertise would show useful to his later stint as Head of Product Advertising at Roger Dubuis the place he was “overcome by a wild need to return to advertising – and inject it along with his personal inflammatory watchmaking ardour…”

It was this promise of inflammatory rhetoric that drew our curiosity to participating in a prolonged chat with Keiser, who was on the town to introduce the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph particularly. Fortunately, neither he nor the watch dissatisfied us!

Earlier than we get into issues correctly, inform us if the Spider Flyback Chronograph is the primary manufacturing chronograph for the reason that Sympathy assortment?

No, there was a chronograph with a plain dial round 2011 or 2012, and it was the piece celebrating the one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of the Poincon de Geneve <this was a restricted version of eight – Ed>. It’s much less attribute than (our now signature model) with up to date skeletonizing (though it did have a tourbillon). The group at the moment thought it was good to grasp the assorted problems however recognised that there are additionally different gamers doing the identical, possibly higher than us or extra recognized than us. So, we would have liked to carry further worth…we centered on the tourbillon for easy causes: there are fewer parts so there may be more room to have transparency and to discover totally different types. Then we went with automatics, then double tourbillons, and so forth. It took time to get again on observe with chronograph problems, and to return to the roots of Roger Dubuis <in relation to the well-known Sympathy case chronographs that the founder created – Ed>. It’s a totally different type of sport enjoying with a skeletonized method on the chronograph complication. There was little question for us on bringing again that complication however only a query of discovering the correct option to do it. Now could be the correct time to launch the Flyback Chronograph, as a result of you may have by no means seen this type of watch earlier than!

No, in fact not, so let’s dive proper into it!

For me, the Flyback Chronograph is an attention-grabbing method as a result of I feel we maintain the philosophy of the corporate – placing the mechanics first (and fully seen). Evidently, having an built-in calibre for us, that was completely necessary. Additionally, enjoying with the structure of the calibre, preserving the liberty of aesthetics that we like, whereas being respectful of custom…and preserving the Poincon de Geneve in play.

What I imply by enjoying with the structure whereas preserving components of custom is that the column wheel (have to be current) for positive, however we put this on the entrance of the calibre <this distinctive ingredient is generally bridge-side – Ed>. So, as soon as once more reengineering the structure of the calibre to carry (and ship) particular signatures on the best way that persons are seeing it.

And final however not least, we speak in regards to the vertical clutch, in fact, as a result of as soon as once more, it’s following the great thing about, and respect for, custom. However on the finish of the day, throughout the very (up to date) type of design that follows the spirit of the Excalibur Spider, there may be additionally an apparent to hyperlink to motorsport actions, paying tribute to our Italian pals (that’s to say Lamborghini, a long- time period companion to Roger Dubuis – Ed).

Why wait until later within the yr to debut the Flyback Chronograph once you had the possibility to pair it with the Monovortex Cut up-Seconds Chronograph at Watches and Wonders?

A part of my reply must do with the Monovortex… (as a result of) it speaks to the philosophy of the corporate: to showcase the experience of the watchmaking business and to incubate a fraction of our improvements in a single single piece. However once you put the whole lot in a single single watch – I’m speaking a few new regulator a brand new winding system, alongside a brand new show system as properly…after which a split-second chronograph complication (a excessive complication that’s arguably extra complicated than the tourbillon – Ed) – the bar is ready fairly excessive. To be frank with you, we would have liked to go to the true and tangible world, to see if the whole lot works because it ought to. However no less than at the moment (through the present in Geneva), we received to display to the world and positively to the connoisseur, as a result of each single particular person attending Watches and Wonders is delicate to fantastic watchmaking, who Roger Dubuis is and what we’re about. You’ll be able to see that Roger Dubuis is a severe participant.

Then once more, Roger Dubuis just isn’t a basis so all of us anticipated a industrial providing sooner or later…

That’s proper! And we determined that the Goodwood Pageant of Pace was philosophical match with the Spider Flyback Chronograph; motorsports normally are match for the chronograph. We additionally didn’t need to fireplace all our (advertising) bullets at one time…as an alternative we needed to create a dialog with the neighborhood that helped everybody perceive the sequence that we take into consideration, from idea to commercially obtainable piece. As a result of (each the Monovortex and the Flyback Chronograph) are new ideas, in a manner. You’ll be able to see from the Flyback Chronograph if now we have captured properly that actuality behind (a few of) the ideas within the Monovortex.

How do you method Watches and Wonders, or any truthful actually, from the attitude of introducing watches to the general public, or introducing it to companions? Is it gross sales first? Presentation first?

It’s a superb query. I feel these exhibits are transferring, allow us to say from enterprise to enterprise to client to turn into extra enterprise to client. For a few years now, we see the content material of such exhibits transferring on this course as properly. As one of many operators at Watches and Wonders, we’re additionally following this pattern to (orientate) extra in direction of being enterprise to client. You already know, we’re in that place the place we have to be seen by a big viewers, however speak solely to a couple, if you recognize what I imply. From a advertising perspective, (the query is) how I can make sure to attain a bigger viewers, the place that bigger viewers can perceive the explanation why Roger Dubuis exists. What’s our distinctive proposition and does my viewers get it? You already know, if everybody understands that we’re a pure participant doing up to date skeletonised problems with Poincon de Geneve, then I’m in heaven!

Alternatively, there are a number of individuals the place we have to go a bit additional and dig into our personal worlds and produce further stuff to the desk. This implies explanations on the watches in a manner that we are able to make certain that we nourish and we domesticate the exceptional expertise (of Roger Dubuis). We all know that we’re not the primary model throughout the collections of these individuals…and but there are these newcomers who’re very curious, not solely about Roger Dubuis however about watchmaking.

This can be a reference to what we spoke about: the individuals you draw with spectacle, just like the robotic canine that was the spotlight of Watches and Wonders? How do you talk the values of the model correctly as a result of these individuals could know what a skeletonised motion is, as a result of they’ll see it, however they actually won’t know what the Poincon de Geneve is…

As soon as once more, one other good query! To be clear with you, I feel half is construction (the communications technique together with all means from promoting to partnerships) and the opposite half is way more spontaneous. There’s a option to talk the truth that we’re a improbable various to the classical operators. At Roger Dubuis, we’re a bit schizophrenic. A fraction of what we’re doing is, allow us to say, very Swiss; the opposite half is ultra-contemporary (and that is the place conversations like this one are available). From my perspective, that is the great thing about a model of our measurement: now we have the posh of getting the time to converse with our shoppers and pals. We’re not at all times in pushing mode in a market the place we’re speaking about line extensions and the whole lot is transactional. As we mentioned, Roger Dubuis just isn’t a basis however we nonetheless have to construct (particular person) conversations to begin relationships!

This text first appeared on WOW’s Festive 2024 challenge.

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