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125-year Jubilee<br />
A Swiss history of time<br />
N o7<br />
BY CARL F. BUCHERER
INSIGHT Nº7<br />
3 EDITORIAL:<br />
Sascha Moeri, CEO<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
4 FEATURE STORY:<br />
125-year Jubilee<br />
10 TALKING TO:<br />
Sylvie Ritter,<br />
Managing Director<br />
BASELWORLD<br />
12 NEW PRODUCTS:<br />
Manero PowerReserve<br />
2 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
12<br />
20<br />
28<br />
14 CATCHING UP WITH:<br />
Abraham Koshy,<br />
Group Manager<br />
Rivoli Group LLC<br />
18 SPONSORSHIP:<br />
Fashion for Floors<br />
20 Q&A:<br />
Q&A with Sylvester<br />
Stallone<br />
22 IMPRESSIONS:<br />
People<br />
24 DROPPING IN ON:<br />
Christian Both, Manager<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Berlin Kudamm<br />
4 14<br />
10<br />
26 DROPPING IN ON:<br />
Jacqueline Schröder,<br />
Manager <strong>Bucherer</strong> Berlin<br />
Friedrichstrasse<br />
28 NEW PRODUCTS:<br />
Patravi TravelTec FourX<br />
Limited Edition<br />
30 VIEWPOINT:<br />
Daring to be different<br />
31 NEW PRODUCTS:<br />
Alacria RoyalRose<br />
Impressum<br />
INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
Issue 7 | April 2013<br />
Published by<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
a brand of <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
Langensandstrasse 27<br />
CH-6002 Luzern<br />
Tel. +41 41 369 70 70<br />
Fax +41 41 369 70 72<br />
insight@carl-f-bucherer.com<br />
www.carl-f-bucherer.com<br />
Project management and<br />
Editorial Team<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A., Luzern<br />
Convensis Group, Stuttgart<br />
Art Direction<br />
Kerstin Vorwalter, Ulm
EDITORIAL<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
In 2013, we celebrate the 125th anniversary of <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s foundation.<br />
And that means we can look forward to even more excitement<br />
in a year already destined to be a memorable one. Because, following<br />
the redesign and opening of BASELWORLD in 2013 after<br />
several years’ planning and preparation, the world’s biggest fair for<br />
the watch and jewelry industry enters a new era. Under the motto<br />
“Brilliance Meets”, the fair has created more room for innovative<br />
ideas. In this issue of Insight, we talk about them to Managing<br />
Director Sylvie Ritter. To mark the event, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has<br />
an impressive new stand concept: it is a fitting way to celebrate –<br />
and to maintain – 125 years of Swiss watchmaking history.<br />
The fact that <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> is firmly on the right track is reflected<br />
in an award won by the Manero ChronoPerpetual in October<br />
2012, when it was voted best chronograph at the “Middle East<br />
Premier Awards for Watches, Jewellery and Pens” held in Bahrain.<br />
The timepiece’s integrated perpetual calendar aptly summarizes<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s philosophy: a philosophy that brings together an<br />
impressive corporate history with technical innovation and uses this<br />
as the foundation of its future. With the same exemplary dedication<br />
and passion demonstrated by our interviewees Jacqueline Schröder<br />
and Christian Both, the General Managers at <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s stores in<br />
Berlin, or Abraham Koshy, Group Manager at the Dubai Rivoli<br />
Group.<br />
But apart from our own staff, we have to thank the people who wear<br />
watches by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. They are the individuals who particularly<br />
appreciate the brand spirit and take it out to the rest of the<br />
world. One prominent fan is American actor Sylvester Stallone, who<br />
shares his enthusiasm for the Patravi TravelTec with us in this edition.<br />
I’m delighted that we are able to show you the latest addition<br />
to the line, the Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited Edition, on the<br />
following pages, together with other new products like the Manero<br />
PowerReserve and the Alacria RoyalRose. I’d also like to invite you<br />
to pay a visit with me to the incredibly diverse world of carpets on<br />
display at the Monte <strong>Carl</strong>o FASHION FOR FLOORS store owned<br />
and run by design specialist and floorcovering couturier Kamyar<br />
Moghadam, who is currently transforming the world’s floors.<br />
After all, space and time are two of the most essential aspects of our<br />
existence.<br />
I wish you fascinating reading.<br />
Yours truly,<br />
Sascha Moeri,<br />
CEO <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 3
FEATURE STORY<br />
125-year jubilee<br />
A Swiss<br />
history of time<br />
4 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7
The year 1888 was an extraordinary one.<br />
It was a year of change, of upheaval, and of<br />
transformation. It was also the start of a<br />
new era in the history of Swiss watches. Together<br />
with his wife Luise, <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> opened his first store under the<br />
name of <strong>Bucherer</strong> at Lucerne’s Falkenplatz.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich obtained the necessary startup<br />
capital, together with a finely developed<br />
sense of aesthetics, from his father, who had<br />
already established a thriving toy business<br />
in Basel. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s first years in Lucerne<br />
were marked by economic upturn and expansion.<br />
The boutique at Falkenplatz soon<br />
proved to be too small, and<br />
the <strong>Bucherer</strong>s found new<br />
premises at Kapellplatz and<br />
in Kapelgasse. Wisely, <strong>Carl</strong><br />
Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> chose to<br />
give his sons the benefit of a<br />
good education. Ernst spent<br />
three years at a watchmaking<br />
school in St. Imier while <strong>Carl</strong><br />
Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong> embarked<br />
on an apprenticeship as a<br />
goldsmith in London. In<br />
1913, after completing their<br />
training, the two brothers<br />
joined the family-owned<br />
company. Ernst and <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard complemented<br />
each other perfectly, so it came as<br />
no surprise when they decided to open a<br />
jewelry-making workshop and store in Berlin.<br />
The shop at number 47, Unter den Linden,<br />
rapidly established an extremely good<br />
reputation, which attracted a great deal of<br />
customers and even the attention of the<br />
Emperor himself. Soon, the two brothers<br />
had been appointed official purveyors to the<br />
imperial court. The crowning glory of these<br />
successful years came with the launch of<br />
their first ladies’ collection in 1919.<br />
It was, above all, political unrest in Berlin<br />
that prompted <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and Ernst<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> to give up their business and leave<br />
the country. But Ernst <strong>Bucherer</strong> also had<br />
the itch to travel. So, in the 1920s, together<br />
with his brother <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and sister-<br />
in-law Wilhelmina, he founded wholesale<br />
trading operations in Argentina and Chile.<br />
These successful years, however, were to be<br />
marred by a cruel blow of fate.<br />
Wilhelmina<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong>-Heeb<br />
would regularly<br />
commute between<br />
the continents to<br />
purchase the watches<br />
and jewelry needed<br />
for their South<br />
American operations.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 5
FEATURE STORY<br />
6 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7
During one crossing, in fall 1927, the ship<br />
she was traveling on sank, and Wilhelmina,<br />
together with 313 other passengers, perished.<br />
This was one twist of fortune too<br />
many for <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and Ernst, and they<br />
returned to the family business. In the following<br />
years, thanks also to their experience<br />
and resolve, the company continued to<br />
grow. Its popularity with customers and the<br />
economic upturn of the 1930s culminated in<br />
the brothers’ acquisition of spacious premises<br />
at Schwanenplatz 5, which has remained<br />
the flagship store to this day. This<br />
successful era was overshadowed by the<br />
death of founder <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong>.<br />
From now on, <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and Ernst took<br />
over the day-to-day running of the company.<br />
During times of economic crisis and the<br />
war years, the brothers clung firmly to their<br />
father’s vision. Driven by a quest for absolute<br />
quality and the desire to ensure the individuality<br />
and uniqueness of their jewelry<br />
and watches, the two men consolidated<br />
their position. In the following years,<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> established itself both as a specialist<br />
for gold and silver products and for its<br />
sales of quality timepieces.<br />
The 1950s began with a severe setback<br />
for the family and the company:<br />
on February 2, 1951, <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> died. From this point on,<br />
Ernst <strong>Bucherer</strong> assumed sole responsibility<br />
for the firm, which had by now<br />
been converted into a limited company.<br />
But he upheld his father’s vision and<br />
worked with a will of iron at building it<br />
up for the future. The prosperity of the<br />
1950s and his unflagging hard work did<br />
the rest.<br />
In 1966, <strong>Bucherer</strong> opened a branch in Basel,<br />
the city of its founding fathers. From this<br />
point on, more and more branches were<br />
added. In <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s watchmaking workshops,<br />
the main emphasis was on chronometers.<br />
These certified, high-precision<br />
watches are considered to be iconic for their<br />
time. Around 15,000 of them left the workshops<br />
in the period up to 1968, securing<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> a place in the top three Swiss<br />
manufacturers of chronometers.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 7
FEATURE STORY<br />
8 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
The 1970s are regarded as a decade that<br />
saw a generation change. This was true for<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong>, too. As space got tighter and<br />
tighter at the Lucerne headquarters on<br />
Schwanenplatz, the company started work<br />
in 1970 on the construction of new head offices<br />
in Schönbühl, which it moved into in<br />
August 1973. The new head offices were a<br />
symbol of <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s forward-looking belief<br />
and its determination to continue<br />
expanding, as attested by the more<br />
than 800 employees. In 1972, Ernst<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> decided to retire from<br />
day-to-day operations and left<br />
management to his son, Erich, and<br />
nephew, Jörg G. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. Ernst<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> died on March 26, 1977.<br />
The company remained under<br />
family control with Jörg G.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> at the helm. In the<br />
1970s, despite the quartz<br />
invasion and economic crisis, <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
watches remains one of the top-selling<br />
brands in Switzerland. One of the technological<br />
highlights of the decade was the<br />
Archimedes: combined with a world time<br />
mechanism, it was a diver’s watch that took<br />
the plunge into another dimension.<br />
In the 1980s, <strong>Bucherer</strong> achieved one of the<br />
highest retail sales in the Swiss watch and<br />
jewelry industry. It owes its large circle of<br />
loyal customers mainly to the outstanding<br />
service offered by its staff, but also to its<br />
adaptability and independence. For, at one<br />
and the same time, Bucher was retailer,<br />
wholesaler, and producer, and could offer its<br />
customers unusual, top-quality products.<br />
Among the many different ladies’ and men’s<br />
models made by the <strong>Bucherer</strong> brand was the<br />
Grand Tonneau. It was an unconventional<br />
creation in 18 K gold, and the latest addition<br />
to the Archimedes family. But <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s<br />
workforce was also growing: on the<br />
occasion of the company’s centenary in<br />
1988, it had around 840 employees. Sixty<br />
watchmakers alone were responsible for service<br />
and repair work. Another thing that<br />
became increasingly apparent for <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
was the importance of its mechanical wristwatches.<br />
But the enormous popularity of<br />
the Archimedes line amongst its customers,<br />
prompted <strong>Bucherer</strong> to invest more funds in<br />
research and the development of this special<br />
watch.<br />
At <strong>Bucherer</strong>, the year 2000 heralded a new<br />
age. And in 2001, as a tribute to his own<br />
grandfather and company founder <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong>, Jörg G. <strong>Bucherer</strong> repositioned the<br />
in-house brand of the same name. It was a<br />
masterly stroke that enabled the company to<br />
strengthen its watchmaking professionalism<br />
and place greater emphasis than ever before<br />
on mechanical timepieces.<br />
In 2013, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> now prides itself<br />
on an exceptional reputation in the watch<br />
industry, with the focus largely on the 125th<br />
jubilee. Thanks to its innovative flair, which<br />
consistently combines traditional values and<br />
technological expertise with impeccable<br />
style, the company is ideally equipped for<br />
the future.
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INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 9
TALKING TO<br />
Insight: Mrs. Ritter, you are one of the<br />
most important individuals in the international<br />
luxury goods industry. Did you<br />
always want to work in this sector?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: I’d always wanted an interesting<br />
and varied position in an international<br />
environment, and I was fortunate<br />
enough to achieve that some time ago.<br />
As with so many other aspects of life, you<br />
can’t always plan your career in advance.<br />
The fact that I work in the fair industry,<br />
and more specifically for BASEL-<br />
WORLD, is bound up with a great deal of<br />
serendipity. But after nearly 20 years, I feel<br />
very much at home in my surroundings.<br />
Insight: This year, Baselworld 2013 is all<br />
about new premises and a new image. Are<br />
you satisfied with the results of the new design<br />
and the extension?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: I think we can be extremely<br />
pleased. The new building was completed<br />
on time and on budget, and we are over the<br />
moon with the result. Now we have a<br />
10 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
unique, modern infrastructure that offers<br />
the ideal setting for our exhibitors and for<br />
BASELWORLD.<br />
Insight: Is there any particular aspect of the<br />
new design for the fair complex that has remained<br />
in your memory?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: When we first saw the plans<br />
for the new halls a few years ago, we really<br />
had no idea what lay in store for us. It was<br />
Sylvie Ritter<br />
Managing Director BASELWORLD<br />
IN SPRING 2013, THE CURTAIN RISES ON THE NEW MESSE<br />
BASEL BUILDING, THE FAIR VENUE THAT ATTRACTS AROUND<br />
1,500 COMPANIES EVERY YEAR TO BASELWORLD. IN OUR INTERVIEW,<br />
FAIR DIRECTOR SYLVIE RITTER TALKS TO US ABOUT THE NEW<br />
DESIGN AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORLD’S MOST<br />
IMPORTANT MEETUP FOR THE WATCH AND JEWELRY INDUSTRIES,<br />
AS WELL AS THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE THE FAIR IN THE FUTURE.<br />
only when we paid our first visit to the<br />
building site in late fall that we got a sense<br />
of the scale involved in a hall that’s 420 meters<br />
– nearly 1,400 feet! – long. Personally<br />
experiencing the dimensions for myself was<br />
really very impressive.<br />
Insight: Apart from the big-name watch<br />
groups, smaller independent brands like<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> also play a significant role<br />
in the market. How important are these<br />
brands to BASELWORLD?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: For many years now,<br />
BASELWORLD has aimed to represent<br />
the entire global market, and that will re-
main so in the future. We are unable and<br />
have no desire to present only the big<br />
groups. And through their presence here,<br />
independent and important brands like <strong>Carl</strong><br />
F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> help us to live up to this ideal.<br />
Insight: The world’s luxury goods industry<br />
has been enjoying a boom for years now.<br />
Even crises have had little effect on demand.<br />
How do you expect things to develop<br />
in this industry in the future?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: In the years ahead I think<br />
we’ll see even more concentration in the<br />
market than we have now, which means<br />
that new or relatively young brands could be<br />
in for a tough time. Apart from that, I’m<br />
convinced that factors such as the brand element,<br />
the brand world and brand products<br />
will become increasingly important. And<br />
even more than in the past, I think consumers<br />
will take their lead from brands that<br />
represent values they can rely on.<br />
Insight: What are your personal goals in<br />
the years ahead?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: Without false modesty, I can<br />
safely say that we’ve succeeded in positioning<br />
BASELWORLD as the industry’s most<br />
important event worldwide. Our task now is<br />
to maintain and consolidate our Number<br />
One position. In future, we must – and will<br />
– continuously improve BASELWORLD to<br />
ensure that we stay well ahead of the rest.<br />
My own personal goal on the way to achieving<br />
that – after consulting our exhibitors, of<br />
course – is to make the right decisions and<br />
to get the best people on board.<br />
Insight: The fair business calls for a lot of<br />
organization and sales talent, but creative<br />
ideas are also very important. Where do you<br />
get your inspiration?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: If you look beyond the fair<br />
sector and pay attention to what’s going on<br />
generally in the business world, and if you<br />
listen carefully to what customers and suppliers<br />
have to tell you, you’ll find no shortage<br />
of inspiring ideas. When other watch<br />
and jewelry fairs start using our ideas, we<br />
can be certain that we’re on the right track<br />
with our fair and design concepts.<br />
Insight: Has anything ever happened at<br />
BASELWORLD that you’ll never forget?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: It’s mainly the challenging<br />
situations, where you need to find a solution<br />
quickly, that remain imprinted in your<br />
memory. But I can also remember plenty of<br />
happy moments. For me personally, the absolute<br />
highlight of every fair comes after all<br />
the hard work of preparation, at the opening<br />
ceremony. This gives me a chance to greet<br />
our guests from all over the world, many of<br />
whom I know well.<br />
Insight: What was the funniest experience<br />
you’ve had in your capacity as Fair Director?<br />
Sylvie Ritter: I’m always very pleased that<br />
amusing things can happen even when<br />
you’re involved in something as deadly earnest<br />
as a fair for the equally serious luxury<br />
goods industry. For all that, there are many<br />
incidents that only seem funny in retrospect.<br />
Insight: Let’s talk about you personally.<br />
A good week starts …<br />
Sylvie Ritter: …when the previous week<br />
never stopped.<br />
Insight: For me, time is …<br />
Sylvie Ritter: … even more valuable than<br />
for most other people, because it’s only<br />
thanks to time as a dimension that we need<br />
clocks and watches to measure it. And, ultimately,<br />
they are my daily bread.<br />
Insight: Money makes me …<br />
Sylvie Ritter: … not happier, and not unhappier.<br />
But it does make me more independent.<br />
Insight: The last book I read was …<br />
Sylvie Ritter: … “Digital Dementia” by<br />
Manfred Spitzer.<br />
Insight: When I’m 60, I want …<br />
Sylvie Ritter: ... deep laughter lines.<br />
«WHEN I'M 60,<br />
I WANT DEEP<br />
LAUGHTER<br />
LINES»<br />
Sylvie Ritter,<br />
Managing Director<br />
BASELWORLD<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 11
NEW PRODUCTS<br />
Manero PowerReserve<br />
Keeping Track<br />
of time<br />
The Manero PowerReserve is the latest addition<br />
to the Manero line. With an integrated<br />
power reserve display and a precision<br />
CFB A1011 in-house movement, the timepiece<br />
combines high-level functionality with<br />
sophisticated technology and lets the wearer<br />
know how much tension remains in the<br />
spring. The power reserve display is a design<br />
element with a long tradition: the feature<br />
originally found use in marine chronometers.<br />
Longitude can only be calculated<br />
accurately if a watch's power reserve remains<br />
more or less constant, because a<br />
mainspring that is fully wound or no longer<br />
12 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
under tension can cause inaccuracies. The<br />
display rapidly established itself in wristwatches,<br />
too. It shows both the tension in<br />
the mainspring and the remaining running<br />
time.<br />
FUNCTIONALITY AT A GLANCE<br />
A single indicator on a semicircular display<br />
at 3 o'clock shows the wearer how much<br />
power remains in the watch's mainspring.<br />
When the reserve is getting low, the indicator<br />
moves into an area with red markings.<br />
Likewise visible at a glance are the day of<br />
the week display at nine o'clock, the distinctive<br />
big date display at eleven o'clock and<br />
the small seconds at six o'clock. The silvercolored<br />
dial is divided into inner and outer<br />
rings that differ slightly in color. The pale<br />
inner circle accommodates all the functions<br />
while the outer ring is slightly darker in color<br />
and punctuated by silver indices. The eye<br />
moves easily across the changing surfaces of<br />
the dial to the stainless steel case, which is<br />
42 millimeters in diameter and 12.54 mm<br />
high. The watch is suitably rounded off<br />
with a brown alligator leather strap or a<br />
stainless steel bracelet.<br />
A CLASSICALLY INSPIRED<br />
MOVEMENT<br />
Beating away at the heart of the Manero<br />
PowerReserve is the in-house CFB A1011<br />
automatic caliber, which is used here in a<br />
Manero for the first time. As a further development<br />
of the in-house CFB A1002 caliber,<br />
the CFB A1011 shows remaining power<br />
on an indicator and thus references one of<br />
the classical elements in watch design. One<br />
of the watch's most noteworthy features is<br />
the peripheral, bidirectionally winding rotor,<br />
which supplies the automatic movement<br />
with energy. The patented dynamic shock<br />
absorption system is extremely efficient and<br />
reliable.
All in all, the Manero PowerReserve skilfully<br />
combines the classic with the modern and is thus<br />
perfectly in tune with the spirit of the time.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 13
CATCHING UP WITH<br />
Abraham Koshy<br />
Group Manager Rivoli Group<br />
“Tick, tock, tick, tock: The regular beat of<br />
my father’s wristwatch was to have a major<br />
influence on my career. From an early age,<br />
I was utterly fascinated by everything to do<br />
with watches: the sound, the technology<br />
and, not least, the beauty of the materials<br />
and the design. Being able to forget time<br />
occasionally is wonderful,” enthuses Abraham<br />
Koshy, Group Manager of the Rivoli<br />
Group, “but I also like being in the right<br />
place at the right time.” For him, his decision<br />
to join the Rivoli Group is a case in<br />
point. Headquartered in Dubai’s Sheikh<br />
Zayed Road, and with over 110 international<br />
brands on its books, the Rivoli Group is<br />
synonymous with retailing in luxury and<br />
upmarket lifestyle items in the Arabian<br />
Peninsula. It is there, since 1988, that Abraham<br />
has been in charge of all the world’s<br />
leading luxury watch brands, among them<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. The range of top-quality<br />
items includes eyewear and leather accessories<br />
and extend all the way to writing instruments.<br />
In the United Arab Emirates,<br />
Qatar, Oman and Bahrain , no fewer than<br />
385 retail stores belong to the Rivoli Group.<br />
The widest choice of luxury watch brands<br />
can be found at the Dubai Mall, the world’s<br />
largest shopping complex. This is also the<br />
location of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s own boutique,<br />
which, with neighbors like Breguet,<br />
14 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
Glashütte Original, Blancpain,<br />
Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith, is in<br />
the very best of company.<br />
But it is not only an exclusive brand portfolio<br />
that has made the Group the force it is<br />
today. Its successful management of a<br />
1,600-strong workforce is exemplary. The<br />
central idea behind it is that the personal<br />
commitment of every single member of staff<br />
contributes to the company’s overall success<br />
and strengthens the foundations on which it<br />
stands. Apart from this, principles such as<br />
professionalism and a strong sense of affinity<br />
with the products are a further bond for<br />
the highly qualified team. To enable them<br />
to provide the impeccable service demanded<br />
by a discerning clientele from many different<br />
cultural backgrounds, the company’s<br />
employees receive regular training in empathizing<br />
with customers and their needs. In<br />
the Middle East, for instance, it is a widely<br />
held tenet that “nothing is impossible, and if<br />
it is not yet possible, then someone will<br />
make it possible. It’s essential for people to<br />
grasp this if they are to understand developments<br />
in the region,” explains Koshy. As a<br />
perfect expression of the principle in action,<br />
he points to the Emirate of Dubai itself,<br />
which astutely combines tradition with modernity.<br />
The souks – the traditional markets that are<br />
both a prominent feature and the business<br />
center of any Arabian town or village –<br />
demonstrate how harmoniously opposites<br />
can be combined. “Particularly worthy of<br />
note is the gold souk in the Deira district of<br />
Dubai. With over 300 retailers, it is the<br />
world’s biggest conglomeration of gold dealers,<br />
so its nickname – City of Gold – is well<br />
deserved,” says Koshy. The tradespeople<br />
and artisans who work in the vibrant atmosphere<br />
of the souks share a philosophy that<br />
makes a modern approach to business as<br />
important as traditional flair. The combination<br />
also typifies the spirit of the <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> brand. While never losing sight of<br />
its invaluable Swiss roots, it coherently combines<br />
the traditional with the modern.
A vivid contrast to the hustle and bustle of<br />
Dubai’s souks is the impressive backdrop of<br />
recently completed buildings and their extravagantly<br />
futuristic architecture. As functional<br />
units and attractions for visitors from<br />
all over the world, Dubai’s monumental<br />
masterpieces soar into the sky and radiate<br />
the allure of a high-end metropolis. Probably<br />
the most recent addition to the city’s attractions<br />
is the “At.mosphere”, which Koshy<br />
mentions as a particularly hot inside tip.<br />
“Apart from its forward-looking approach to<br />
food, it also boasts staggering views,” he<br />
says, in raptures. Up on the 122nd floor of<br />
the 442-meter-high Burj Khalifa, it has already<br />
secured its place as the world’s highest<br />
gourmet restaurant – at least in a building.<br />
Last year, fashion designer Giorgio Armani<br />
opened his first hotel in the same high-rise.<br />
As in his eight restaurants worldwide,<br />
among them the legendary Peck Deli in<br />
Milan, the interior is the work of the designer<br />
himself. All 160 luxuriously fitted<br />
hotel rooms echo the theme of Armani’s<br />
personal fashion philosophy and are thus an<br />
architectural reflection of his approach to<br />
style. Koshy believes this is the expertise<br />
that marks out <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. “The singular<br />
design of the watches is symbolic of<br />
their inner value: for sophisticated, intelligent<br />
technology that is developed in-house<br />
and deserves an appropriate setting.”<br />
Apart from the Armani Hotels, there is no<br />
shortage of other chic places to stay. The<br />
hotels and apartments on the man-made<br />
Palm Island, offer no end of upmarket residential<br />
facilities. The concept has shown<br />
that Dubai is good for more than a onenight<br />
stopover. “It’s rapidly developing into<br />
one of the world’s most exclusive leisure<br />
time and vacation centers,” explains Koshy.<br />
“This means that the local tourism industry<br />
is becoming more and more important for<br />
the economy as a whole.” Consisting of a<br />
five-kilometer “trunk” with a total of 17<br />
fronds, Palm Jumeirah is protected<br />
against incoming waves by a crescent-shaped<br />
breakwater and has plenty of<br />
prime-location space to make it a particularly<br />
desirable residential location.<br />
For Koshy, it is clear that they symbolize<br />
Dubai’s economic strength. “The positive<br />
trend we are experiencing at the moment<br />
shows that the Middle East will remain a<br />
very important market for the luxury industry:<br />
the figures speak for themselves,” he<br />
explains. “It’s very satisfying when you can<br />
combine a forward-looking industry like<br />
this one with your own passion. In my case,<br />
that’s watches. Behind every watch there’s a<br />
story that links it to your own situation in<br />
life and makes it a valuable memento for as<br />
long as you live,” says Koshy. “This intangible<br />
quality is a source of inspiration to me,<br />
and I find it gratifying that as part of my<br />
job I can pass it on to our international customers.<br />
And they, in turn, spread the message<br />
to the rest of the world.”<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 15
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SPONSORSHIP<br />
Fashion for Floors<br />
Fashion Beneath<br />
Your Feet<br />
Whether it’s the Prince’s Palace of Monaco,<br />
London’s Saatchi Gallery, luxury yachts, or<br />
penthouses and up-market suites around the<br />
globe, FASHION FOR FLOORS is taking<br />
the world’s floor space by storm. The brains<br />
behind the brand is Kamyar Moghadam,<br />
who we caught up with at his imposing<br />
flagship store in Frankfurt, Germany. A<br />
gleam in his eyes and bubbling over with<br />
energy, he invited us to explore the shop’s<br />
500+ square meter expanse of opulent living<br />
space. “We have a dynamic store concept<br />
here. Please feel free to touch things,” quips<br />
the proprietor, a native of nearby Hanau.<br />
His launch of FASHION FOR FLOORS<br />
in 2006 marked the realization of a longcherished<br />
dream.<br />
The seed of Kamyar’s passion for carpets<br />
was sown in early childhood. His father,<br />
Alexander Moghadam, had run a Persian<br />
carpet store in Monaco since 1970 and was<br />
18 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
officially appointed as a purveyor to the ruling<br />
house of Grimaldi by Grace Kelly herself.<br />
His son and self-made man was a classmate<br />
of Tom Ford at the Parsons School in<br />
Paris, where the foundations of his future<br />
success were laid. He then spent many years<br />
drawing inspiration from every corner of the<br />
globe before returning to Monaco. Since<br />
2006, he has carried the Moghadam tradition<br />
forward with FASHION FOR<br />
FLOORS.<br />
The newly founded brand, which has a<br />
deeply rooted emotional tie with carpet as<br />
an accouterment, rapidly became Official<br />
Purveyor to the Prince’s Palace. The partnership<br />
reached its high point on July 2,<br />
2011. After exchanging the words ‘I do’ in<br />
Monte <strong>Carl</strong>o, Prince Albert II and Charlene<br />
Wittstock began their journey as man<br />
and wife by stepping out onto an unusual<br />
wedding present: a 103-meter length of cus-<br />
tom-designed carpet from the house of<br />
FASHION FOR FLOORS. This objet<br />
d’art revolutionized the concept of the red<br />
carpet. Woven in the finest silk, it was resplendent<br />
in red and white, the Principality’s<br />
national colors.<br />
The splendid full-scale artwork is but one of<br />
many impressive carpet creations dreamt up<br />
by the couturier of floorcovering. In the<br />
Frankfurt store and in the original Monte<br />
<strong>Carl</strong>o boutique, vintage patchworks, 3Dlook<br />
carpets with honeycomb structures,<br />
colorful fleece cushions and luxurious cashmere<br />
plaids combine to create a vibrant setting.<br />
The in-store Color Lab gives free rein
to customers eager to express their own<br />
ideas and create their own personalized versions.<br />
To guarantee the right outfit for the<br />
floor, FASHION FOR FLOORS also offers<br />
an on-site service. “On request, our carpet<br />
designers will visit your home to measure<br />
up and gain their own impression of<br />
your spaces for recarpeting,” explains<br />
Moghadam. “People<br />
are also welcome to<br />
take carpets away ‘on<br />
trial.’ All hand-knotted<br />
carpets can be returned<br />
for a full refund<br />
of the selling<br />
price within one year<br />
of purchase, because<br />
personal tastes in<br />
fitting and furnishing<br />
are prone to rapid change.”<br />
Moghadam numbers his vintage patchworks<br />
made from old Persian rugs among the<br />
house specialties. Redolent of past life, as<br />
single-piece carpets they become sought-after<br />
items that appeal to the present-day nostalgia<br />
for things of the past. “Themes such<br />
as time, levels of reality and boundaries are<br />
the keys to my concept,” explains Moghadam<br />
as he elucidates the brand vision. “The<br />
store setting blurs the dividing line between<br />
dream and reality, and nurtures a longing<br />
for the must-have item. A visit to us is like<br />
dropping in to a tale from One Thousand<br />
and One Nights, a magic fable retold. Besides,<br />
the future owners know our creations<br />
are made to last a lifetime.” Several epochs<br />
of contemporary history also inspire<br />
the design of FASHION FOR<br />
FLOORS. For example, the brashly<br />
patterned carpets with their poster-like<br />
motifs hark back to the Pop Art culture of<br />
the 1960s and 70s, recreating the utopia of a<br />
brighter world. They appeal to the senses<br />
and evoke the cheerful colors of nature writ<br />
large. Then there are 3D-look carpets with<br />
their filigree honeycomb and net structures,<br />
which also offer special perspectives. Their<br />
impact on living space is like that of multidimensional<br />
sculptures, which redefine the<br />
sense of space and its limits. Destruction<br />
and reconstruction become core features of<br />
the design. Other carpets are inspired by<br />
“sliced” precious stones, while fine hide<br />
plaids stuffed with cashmere epitomize<br />
elegance and material quality. Moghadam<br />
waxes lyrical: “Go ahead. Wrap yourself in<br />
one. The desire to linger becomes overwhelming.<br />
In a time when we increasingly<br />
equate being alive with being on the move,<br />
I prize intangible commodities such as<br />
‘having time’ or ‘feeling secure’. It’s wonderful<br />
when a tangible object can instill these<br />
feelings.”<br />
Moghadam chooses not to dwell on the<br />
scale of his brand and focuses instead on<br />
his ongoing mission to conquer the floor<br />
space of the world. After opening stores<br />
in Monte <strong>Carl</strong>o and Frankfurt in 2011,<br />
further boutiques are in the pipeline in<br />
Munich, Hamburg, Geneva, Milan and<br />
London. His new vision of carpet is destined<br />
to spread.<br />
FASHION FOR FLOORS<br />
Win a shopping voucher worth<br />
CHF 2,500<br />
CONTEST<br />
FASHION FOR YOUR FLOORS<br />
As a reader of<br />
“INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>”,<br />
you can win a voucher<br />
worth CHF 2,500 from<br />
FASHION FOR FLOORS<br />
and select your own customized carpet<br />
from the enormous range available.<br />
Enter today! Simply click<br />
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complete and send off.<br />
Closing date for entries: July 31, 2013<br />
The way to dress your floors.<br />
Kamyar Moghadam and the team from<br />
FASHION FOR FLOORS<br />
will only be too happy to help:<br />
Fashion For Floors<br />
Hanauer Landstrasse 196<br />
60314 Frankfurt • Germany<br />
Phone + 49 (0) 69 43 05 87 06<br />
www.fashionforfloors.com<br />
Employees of FASHION FOR FLOORS and <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
Montres S.A. are not eligible for the competition. The<br />
draw will take place in the presence of a notary. The prize<br />
may not be taken in cash. The judges’ decision is final.<br />
Only one entry per person.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 19
Q&A<br />
20 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
Q&A with<br />
Sylvester Stallone<br />
Actor Michael Sylvester “Sly” Gardenzio<br />
Stallone is one of Hollywood’s all-time<br />
greats. The characters he has portrayed,<br />
such as small-time boxer Rocky Balboa or<br />
Vietnam veteran John Rambo, have helped<br />
to write film history.<br />
Stallone is not only an actor but also a director,<br />
screenwriter and entrepreneur. His<br />
latest project is a new production of the<br />
legendary “Rocky” movies as a stage musical,<br />
for which he wrote the score. Audiences<br />
can look forward to classic Rocky numbers<br />
like “Eye of the Tiger” or “Gonna Fly<br />
Now” as well as many new songs. There<br />
are also reencounters with some of the cult<br />
figures from the original films. No effort<br />
has been spared to make the performance<br />
as authentic as possible. Complex boxing<br />
sequences reminiscent of the exciting action<br />
scenes in the movie were choreographed<br />
specially for the musical. Here,<br />
the producers benefited from the experience<br />
of two professional boxers, brothers<br />
Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, who are<br />
both on board as co-producers. The musical<br />
premiered in Hamburg, Germany, in<br />
November 2012.<br />
We talked to Sylvester Stallone about<br />
“Rocky – the Musical”, his private life and,<br />
of course, the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> watches he<br />
wears himself.<br />
ROCKY THE MUSICAL<br />
Want fascinates you about music and<br />
musicals?<br />
Musicals allow you to hear the souls of the<br />
characters through music.<br />
What is your relationship to “Rocky”?<br />
“Rocky” is my way of expressing my philosophy<br />
through another source that provides
PERSONAL<br />
As a boy, what did you want to be when<br />
you grew up?<br />
At first, I wanted to be an athlete, then a<br />
professional horseman, until I discovered<br />
acting.<br />
CARL F. BUCHERER/WATCHES<br />
What is your favorite model out of the<br />
CFB Collection?<br />
PATRAVI TravelTec is an incredible watch<br />
and I love the way it looks and feels.<br />
(1)<br />
entertainment. Rocky is very biographical<br />
What was your first watch? Was it a gift?<br />
and reflects the ups and downs in my life. What was your first job?<br />
My first good watch was a solid gold Rolex<br />
Driving trucks in Philadelphia, unloading Submariner, that I received on the anniver- Bernhardt<br />
What is special about working with ships and eventually, cleaning out the lion sary of “Rocky”.<br />
Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko?<br />
cages at the New York Zoo.<br />
Daniel<br />
They are real world champions and were<br />
What made you wear a <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> (2),<br />
influenced by watching “Rocky” when they How do you define success?<br />
watch when attending the premiere of<br />
Press<br />
were young.<br />
And what makes a strong will?<br />
“The Expendables 2” in London?<br />
Success is being able to project your feelings Sascha Moeri, a great guy, and I share the Stage<br />
When casting the roles for the musical, and have people understand your feelings. A same passion for our work. When we met (2),<br />
what was important to you?<br />
strong will, to me, is not listening to other peo- in London for the Expendables 2 Premiere,<br />
It was not important that the characters ple but only to what your heart is telling you. Sascha said, a fantastic franchise deserves a Images<br />
were identical to the movie. It was impor-<br />
fantastic watch.<br />
Getty<br />
tant that the characters had heart to them; What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?<br />
to make the audience care about them. I enjoy painting and sculpting most of all.<br />
Photo:<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 21
IMPRESSIONS PEOPLE<br />
CHINA HOSTS A<br />
GALA EVENT: CARL F.<br />
BUCHERER SPONSORS<br />
THE FILM PREMIERS<br />
OF “SPIDERMAN” AND<br />
“1911” WITH A CHARITY<br />
GALA FOR THEDRAGON<br />
FOUNDATION. AMONG<br />
THE MANY GUESTS<br />
WAS LEGENDARY<br />
ACTOR JACKIE CHAN.<br />
1 2<br />
3 5<br />
22 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
4<br />
1. (from left) Dr. Peter Tsoi, President of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth<br />
Groups; Jerry Tsang, CEO <strong>Bucherer</strong> Hong Kong Limited; Jackie Chan, actor and<br />
producer; Dr. Rosanna Wong, Director of the Dragon Foundation and of the Hong<br />
Kong Federation of Youth Groups; Wang Zhimin, Deputy Director of the Central<br />
Government Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;<br />
Henry Tang, First Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Lu<br />
Xinhua, Member of the Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s<br />
Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Lee<br />
Bing Bing, leading actress in the movie “1911”; Peter Lam, Chairman of the Media<br />
Asia Entertainment Group; Winston Chao, leading actor in “1911”; Shelley<br />
Lee, Director of the Dragon Foundation; Nina Lam, Vice Chairperson of the<br />
“1911” Charity Premiere Organizing Committee.<br />
2. <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> presents a check for its donation to the Dragon Foundation,<br />
represented by Dr. Rosanna Wong, Director of the Dragon Foundation and of the<br />
Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (left), together with Shelley Lee, Director<br />
of the Dragon Foundation.<br />
3. Chong Chan-yau, President of the Hong Kong Blind Union.<br />
4. John Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative<br />
Region, with Jerry Tsang, CEO <strong>Bucherer</strong> Hong Kong Limited.<br />
5. The Leader of the Year event was held in a magnificently appointed ballroom.
1 2<br />
3 4<br />
INTERNATIONAL PR MEETING,<br />
LUCERNE: CARL F. BUCHERER’S<br />
INTERNATIONAL PR REPRESENTA-<br />
TIVES MET IN LUCERNE FROM<br />
OCTOBER 16 TO 21, 2012.<br />
MANERO CHRONOPERPETUAL:<br />
VOTED BEST CHRONOGRAPH AT<br />
THE “MIDDLE EAST PREMIER<br />
AWARDS FOR WATCHES,<br />
JEWELLERY AND PENS” IN<br />
THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN.<br />
1. The Manero ChronoPerpetual features a perpetual<br />
calendar with correction-free display of the date,<br />
day, month and phase of the moon. Its movement<br />
recognizes the differing lengths of the months and<br />
knows exactly when the next leap year is due.<br />
2. The awards were announced at a ceremony held on October<br />
16, 2012, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Three hundred guests,<br />
including royalty, dignitaries, celebrities, and diplomats, as well<br />
as journalists and experts from the watch and jewelry industries,<br />
attended the glamorous event.<br />
1. One of the items on the program was a guided tour of Lucerne with a<br />
photo opportunity at the Chapel Bridge, the city’s most famous hallmark.<br />
2. Participants boarded a vintage bus for a journey back in time to the<br />
founding year of the first <strong>Bucherer</strong> store in 1888.<br />
3. The <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> PR family.<br />
4. Yashika Kumar Agarwal (Dubai) and Léa Peterselle (France)<br />
1<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 23<br />
2
DROPPING IN ON<br />
Christian Both<br />
Manager <strong>Bucherer</strong> Berlin Kudamm<br />
As the main artery running through the<br />
West of Berlin, the Kurfürstendamm, or<br />
Kudamm for short, is one of the most famous<br />
shopping streets in the world. It was<br />
laid out in the mid-16th century as a bridleway<br />
along which the Electors of Brandenburg<br />
could ride into the Grunewald forest.<br />
Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck<br />
developed it into a broad boulevard on the<br />
French model from 1886. The mile-long<br />
promenade remains in vogue to this day and<br />
is even experiencing a building boom. Elegant<br />
shop windows line its wide pavements:<br />
the world-famous KaDeWe department<br />
store, exclusive brand-owned boutiques,<br />
warehouses and retail chain outlets. The array<br />
exerts a magnetic attraction on tourists<br />
and Berliners alike. Since 1996, this thriving<br />
setting has been home to the city’s first<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> store, which has already clocked<br />
up one relocation. In 2006 the boutique<br />
moved the short distance from no. 26 to no.<br />
45, thus reaffirming its loyalty to the Kudamm.<br />
In 2010 Christian Both took over as the<br />
store’s General Manager. As we walk into<br />
the shop, which has about 100 square me-<br />
24 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
ters of floor space, he is deep<br />
in conversation with a customer.<br />
Close customer relationships<br />
and excellent service are especially<br />
important to him, as he<br />
reveals later while talking to us.<br />
“We don’t define ourselves by<br />
price, but by our service and the exceptional<br />
experience we offer.” After training as an<br />
electrician and computer technician, he decided<br />
to launch out in a third direction and<br />
served an apprenticeship as a goldsmith.<br />
Together with his wife, the fifth generation<br />
of her family to work for Both jewelers in<br />
Saarbrücken, he continued to run the store<br />
before opening his own jeweler’s shop in<br />
Munich. His next move was to Bermuda,<br />
where he spent six memorable years, still in<br />
the jewelry trade, working in two shops.<br />
Work then took him to Hansen, another<br />
jeweler’s, in Hamburg, and on to Bremen, to<br />
Koch & Bergfeld, a manufacturer of silverware.<br />
As their Sales & Marketing Manager,<br />
he contributed to the construction of the<br />
company’s glass factory building. Then<br />
Tiffany & Co. recruited him for the Berlin<br />
department store, KaDeWe. Finally his<br />
move to <strong>Bucherer</strong> brought him into contact<br />
with high-quality watches for the first time.<br />
He finds watchmaking every bit as fascinating<br />
as the world of jewelry. But, as a goldsmith<br />
by trade, he cannot imagine a life<br />
without the latter. It is a source of great satisfaction<br />
to him that the Kudamm branch<br />
records the highest percentage of jewelry<br />
sales of all <strong>Bucherer</strong> shops in Germany.<br />
His arrival has not only marked an improvement<br />
in customer service in the Kudamm<br />
shop but also altered the focus on the<br />
jewelry. Two nonproprietary jewelry brands
complement <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s own, and there is<br />
a sparkling range of jewelry made to order<br />
exclusively for <strong>Bucherer</strong>. The <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
brands are especially important to Both,<br />
and he would like to push them more actively<br />
in future – through special events, for<br />
example. “Our brands are doing fantastically<br />
well,” enthuses Both. His ideas for the<br />
future include inviting his exclusive clientele<br />
on visits to manufacturers of Swiss<br />
watches from the <strong>Bucherer</strong> portfolio, and<br />
extending these tours to the jewelry side of<br />
the business.<br />
As for the watch range, the General Manager<br />
admits that <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> holds a<br />
special fascination for him. He is lavish in<br />
his praise: “The brand is simply fresh, different<br />
and highly innovative. It’s also managed<br />
to ignore the pressure put on watch<br />
manufacturers to invent new features for the<br />
annual trade fairs. <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> stands<br />
for engineering brilliance and, in design<br />
terms, its models strike exactly the right<br />
note.” Both’s own Manero RetroGrade is<br />
never missing from his wrist. He describes it<br />
as “simply marvelous”. However, for the interview<br />
he’s wearing the Patravi EvoTec<br />
PowerReserve. “What a statement on my<br />
wrist”, he declares. He’s also very taken by<br />
the Manero MoonPhase, which he describes<br />
as “right on the nail.” He also believes that<br />
there is a “stroke of genius” behind the<br />
Patravi TravelTec. His top recommendations<br />
for ladies are the Manero MonoGraph,<br />
which epitomizes the brand’s independence,<br />
and all the Adamavi models. These, he<br />
points out, offer excellent value for money.<br />
But, in Both’s opinion, there is no such<br />
thing as a ‘typical’ <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> client.<br />
“The brand is too diverse, the range too versatile,”<br />
he insists, referring to the current<br />
collection. “One thing is sure: the classic<br />
buyer of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> timepieces is no<br />
stranger to watches and watchmaking. This<br />
client usually owns a watch, but is looking<br />
for something extra-special, something the<br />
other watch brands do not have.”<br />
It is a source of pleasure to him that he and<br />
his 14-strong team are able to offer this extra-special<br />
something consistently. He is also<br />
proud of the certified watch workshop<br />
annexed to the boutique, in which two<br />
watchmakers offer professional service on<br />
the premises. A goldsmith handles firstclass<br />
jewelry creations externally. Local<br />
customers account for the lion’s share of total<br />
footfall, precisely because they appreciate<br />
the high quality of service associated<br />
with this support. “They come to us because<br />
the <strong>Bucherer</strong> store has a permanent<br />
and much-valued presence on the Kudamm,”<br />
explains Both with satisfaction.<br />
“WE DON’T DEFINE<br />
OURSELVES BY PRICE,<br />
BUT BY OUR SERVICE<br />
AND THE EXCEPTIONAL<br />
EXPERIENCE WE OFFER.”<br />
Foreign customers are still a minority at the<br />
shop on the Kudamm. Those tourists who<br />
do drop in are mostly from Asia or Russia.<br />
Both himself revels in direct customer contact,<br />
though this can lead to some odd moments.<br />
He tells the story of one gentleman<br />
who walked into the shop with an enormous<br />
painting under one arm, hoping to<br />
barter it for a watch. Firmly believing that<br />
the watch was worth less, he wanted to take<br />
his ‘change’ in cash. Both keeps his a sense<br />
of humor in these situations. “I’m sorry, but<br />
the painting won’t fit our till.”<br />
Both finds it vital that he has the resources<br />
necessary to offer first-class service to the<br />
relatively large crowds of people who visit<br />
the Kudamm and the <strong>Bucherer</strong> store. He<br />
spares no effort to maintain and deserve the<br />
trust and confidence customers have in him<br />
and his team. “I want us to stay the place we<br />
are today: a place where customers can look<br />
forward to receiving the best service possible.”<br />
In summer 2013, Christian Both will be<br />
leaving the company. We would like to<br />
thank him for his hard work and untiring<br />
commitment to the company and to wish<br />
him every happiness and success for the<br />
next stage of his career.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 25
DROPPING IN ON<br />
Jacqueline Schröder<br />
Manager <strong>Bucherer</strong> Berlin Friedrichstrasse<br />
BUCHERER’S SECOND<br />
STORE IN BERLIN OPENED<br />
FIVE YEARS AGO AT THE<br />
HEART OF THE GERMAN<br />
CAPITAL’S NEWEST SHOPPING<br />
DISTRICT IN FRIEDRICH-<br />
STRASSE. “IT’S STILL THE<br />
TALK OF TOWN,” ENTHUSES<br />
JACQUELINE SCHRÖDER,<br />
WHO TOOK OVER AS GENE-<br />
RAL MANAGER IN 2012.<br />
With neighbors like Galeries Lafayette and<br />
Quartier 205, the store is in the very best of<br />
company and attracts not only prestige customers<br />
but also tourists from every corner<br />
of the globe. “Genuine Berliners” are also<br />
regular visitors to the prime-location store,<br />
where we meet up with Jacqueline Schröder<br />
the day before the start of Fashion Week in<br />
January. “I feel good here,” she says, “It’s a<br />
great location, and I just love being here.”<br />
During this period, she has her work cut<br />
out. Alongside the store’s lively day-to-day<br />
business, she’s supplied fashion designer<br />
Guido Maria Kretschmer with <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
jewelry for his show. The project was<br />
Schröder’s brainchild and, apart from the<br />
massive amount of coordination involved,<br />
calls for a sophisticated security concept.<br />
Nevertheless, her eyes sparkle as she explains<br />
the idea. “I’m the sort of person who<br />
adores enthusiasm and passion. Movement<br />
of all kinds, particularly flying, high-quality<br />
materials, classic cars – these are the things<br />
I love. And I actively seek out fascinating<br />
things.” As in November, barely five<br />
months after she took over. Under the motto<br />
“Magic Luxury”, she invited “Berlin to a<br />
glittering event.” During the opening celebrations,<br />
she and her team presented the entire<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> portfolio and left many of her<br />
26 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
guests simply astonished.<br />
“’I’d no idea that <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
made such<br />
amazing products!’<br />
People were incredulous,<br />
and I kept hearing<br />
things like that all<br />
evening.”<br />
Some months have<br />
passed since Schröder<br />
joined <strong>Bucherer</strong>. Berlinborn<br />
and mother of two<br />
sons, she had previously<br />
spent three years working<br />
in the city and on an international<br />
platform for MEISSEN. Thanks<br />
to her background in PR and marketing,<br />
she was not only active in the brand's relaunch<br />
but also in the introduction of its<br />
first jewelry collection. It was a step that<br />
took her to Baselworld where she happened<br />
to be at precisely the right moment. After<br />
joining <strong>Bucherer</strong>, she spent her first month<br />
at company headquarters in Lucerne before<br />
taking off on a tour of Germany and ending<br />
up at Friedrichstrasse. This has given her an<br />
anchor point, as she puts it, and today, that<br />
is a rare blessing. "It's not just that boats in<br />
general fascinate me, and that the style of<br />
the store is similar to a boat’s interior,” ex-<br />
plains Schröder with a smile. “<strong>Bucherer</strong> as<br />
a brand is everything the name stands for: a<br />
family tradition with real values. All its professionalism,<br />
both as a brand and as a retailer,<br />
comes together, and I like that.”<br />
In December, Schröder and her sales force<br />
served 60 percent local and 40 percent foreign<br />
customers. She takes particular pleasure<br />
in the fact that she has pushed up the<br />
proportion of local clientele by 10 percent<br />
since July. Her heart lies in impeccable service,<br />
such as the arrangements the store can<br />
lay on for prominent hotel guests, who prefer<br />
to make purchases in the privacy of their
own rooms. Typical customers at the store<br />
include lawyers, doctors, guests at prestigious<br />
hotels and business people, especially<br />
individuals with an interest in culture: “Berlin,<br />
with all its aspirations, and the many<br />
people who have moved to the city,” says<br />
Schröder, summing up her regular clientele.<br />
“Our classic customer is discerning. He appreciates<br />
peace and quiet and professional<br />
advice, but he also likes to chat about culture<br />
and travel.” Her staff must be able to<br />
meet these needs. Apart from an appreciation<br />
of culture and values, she expects them<br />
to have a sound knowledge of the business,<br />
and to be professional and flexible. “They<br />
need to be ready to go if we get a call,” she<br />
explains. Foreign languages are another essential<br />
requirement for Schröder. Thanks to<br />
the Chinese course offered to employees,<br />
every single one of them speaks enough<br />
Chinese to be able to handle a sale..<br />
When we ask her for an anecdote specifically<br />
about the store, she tells us about one of<br />
her most memorable sales experiences. “It<br />
was one of those gray Monday mornings,<br />
and nothing much was happening. At some<br />
point, a man came into the store while I was<br />
busy dealing with another customer, so all I<br />
heard was his deep, gravelly voice. I remember<br />
thinking “Wow!” When I approached<br />
him, I was taken by his appearance,<br />
which was a bit like<br />
a rock star’s. He was looking<br />
for a watch, he told me, and<br />
had been impressed by the <strong>Carl</strong><br />
F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> models. In the end,<br />
he left with a watchstrap, but<br />
promised he’d be back. It was<br />
only later that I discovered he<br />
was a world-famous jazz musician.”<br />
At the Berlin Fashion Week in January 2013,<br />
the outfits for Guido Maria Kretschmer's show were<br />
perfectly complemented by jewels from <strong>Bucherer</strong>.<br />
Although she’s at home with jewelry,<br />
Jacqueline Schröder is in uncharted terri-<br />
tory when it comes to watches. But they fascinate<br />
and intrigue her. <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>,<br />
Patek Philippe, Omega and Rolex are the<br />
brands that most readily appeal to her because<br />
they represent the values that are closest<br />
to those held dear by <strong>Bucherer</strong>. She is<br />
particularly impressed by the quality and<br />
singular character of the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
brand. She believes these are the attributes<br />
that appeal to the typical customers of the<br />
Lucerne watch manufacturing company. In<br />
rare case she will be dealing with first-time<br />
buyers, she explains, and during the sales<br />
pitch she likes to go into the values behind<br />
the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> brand.<br />
For 2013, <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s jubilee year, Schröder<br />
has big plans. She is naturally delighted that<br />
the jubilee roadshow to mark 125 years of<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> will be starting out at Friedrichstrasse<br />
from March the 11th to the 15th.<br />
Her five-year plan is simple, but honest.<br />
“I’d like to ensure that the good reputation<br />
of our branch remains intact.” Beyond that,<br />
she’s looking forward to the day when<br />
Friedrichstrasse is simply a “magnificent av-<br />
“I’M THE SORT OF<br />
PERSON WHO ADORES<br />
ENTHUSIASM AND PASSION”<br />
enue with no building sites”, and to installing<br />
Berlin’s first watch lounge. To achieve<br />
this, she wants to remove the counters from<br />
the sales area and install discreet lighting to<br />
create a more intimate hotel or lounge-like<br />
atmosphere. “We need to get those customers<br />
in,” she explains. In 2013, she will be organizing<br />
her first “brand lounges”, as she<br />
calls them, with merchandising elements<br />
chosen specifically to suit the brands in<br />
question. The idea is to bring representatives<br />
and customers of the brand together,<br />
so they can talk about the products over<br />
drinks and snacks. “I’m not hoping for it to<br />
become something big, just efficient,” she<br />
explains. For June, she’s planning an evening<br />
devoted to the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> brand.<br />
Thanks to her close contacts with high-profile<br />
travel organizers, a regular flow of exclusive<br />
travel groups come to the store. This<br />
is something she plans to build on in the future.<br />
Like her local clientele, group travelers<br />
will feel very much at home there. Particularly<br />
those customers in search of something<br />
special, like the man with the twinkle in his<br />
eye, who comes into the shop looking for<br />
something special for the love of his life.<br />
For her, sales experiences like these are the<br />
most special of them all: for Jacqueline<br />
Schröder adores nothing more than the “the<br />
fairytales that can still be told here, when a<br />
man is able to delight the most special person<br />
in his life.”<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 27
NEW PRODUCTS<br />
Patravi TravelTec FourX<br />
Limited Edition<br />
In the Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited<br />
Edition, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s watchmakers<br />
have succeeded in creating a common denominator<br />
not only of the various time<br />
zones but also of several exquisite and very<br />
different materials. Combined with finest<br />
18 K rose gold, extra-hard high-tech ceramic<br />
is elaborately formed into a bezel that will<br />
satisfy even the most exacting demands.<br />
The unusual concept also involves the use of<br />
top-quality titanium and tough, high-resilience<br />
rubber. These select materials are<br />
united in a timepiece that celebrates <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s<br />
125th anniversary and seems destined<br />
to be a talking point for watch lovers.<br />
FIRST-TIME INTEGRATION OF<br />
MOVEMENT AND CASE<br />
The development of the Patravi TravelTec,<br />
unveiled in 2006, faced the company’s engineers,<br />
watchmakers and designers with a set<br />
of completely new challenges. The specification<br />
sheet called for the legible display of<br />
three time zones simultaneously, which in<br />
28 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
Time assumes a<br />
new dimension<br />
turn required a higher level of integration<br />
between movement and case than ever before.<br />
In the Patravi TravelTec, part of the<br />
mechanism needed to select the time zone is<br />
contained in the case and can be moved in<br />
two directions by an unusual push-piece.<br />
The entire process can be observed through<br />
an aperture in the side.<br />
FOR FREQUENT FLYERS AND<br />
GLOBETROTTERS<br />
The effort invested in the design was intended<br />
solely to make the watch easier to<br />
operate. The wearer uses the multifunctional<br />
push-piece to select the direction of travel,<br />
east or west, and presses it to skip a particular<br />
time zone. The flange, which<br />
features an imprinted 24-hour scale, rotates<br />
in both directions and guarantees that the<br />
red hour hand always shows the correct local<br />
time.<br />
Unlike other “world time watches”, the<br />
Patravi TravelTec is suitable both for<br />
frequent-flyers and for individuals who need<br />
to communicate with other people all over<br />
the world. Travelers moving into another<br />
time zone will appreciate the ease with<br />
which the arrow-shaped hour hand can be<br />
turned forward or backward instantaneously,<br />
an hour at a time. People who frequently<br />
phone other time zones will find the combination<br />
of the 24-hour hand with the patented<br />
Patravi TravelTec mechanism extremely<br />
useful: they can use it to select the time<br />
zone for the person they wish to contact and<br />
see whether it is day or night.<br />
A COMBINATION OF LUXURY<br />
AND HIGH TECH<br />
With its instrument-inspired design cues,<br />
the Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited Edition<br />
has nothing to hide. The watchmakers<br />
gave it a skeletonized dial, which provides a<br />
view of the intricately decorated automatic<br />
movement. One eye-catcher in particular is<br />
the smartly designed date display with magnifying<br />
glass: the figures are milled out of
the date ring and remain invisible<br />
until they appear in the date<br />
window, set off against the red<br />
background. The choice of colors<br />
underscores and intensifies<br />
the overall technical look and<br />
feel of the watch. Matte black contrasts<br />
starkly with the fine rose gold, while a vibrant<br />
red indicates the important information<br />
on the dial.<br />
The new Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited<br />
Edition is limited to 125 watches and pays<br />
tribute to <strong>Bucherer</strong>: to its tradition, innovation<br />
and complexity. The founding year<br />
of the first <strong>Bucherer</strong> retail store is engraved<br />
in the back of the case. So, let us embark<br />
on our journey through time (zones).<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 29
VIEWPOINT<br />
When slicing an apple, most people start at<br />
the top and cut lengthwise from the stalk<br />
down. But if you put the apple on its side and<br />
slice it laterally through the middle, you’ll<br />
find a star shape on the cut surface. This may<br />
come as a surprise, because you would never<br />
expect to find a star pattern inside an apple.<br />
Merely changing the direction of the cut<br />
gives you a completely new way of looking at<br />
things. This ability to change perspective –<br />
“to think outside the box” in modern business<br />
jargon – is one of the central principles<br />
of creativity and innovation, and applies to<br />
many different areas of our lives.<br />
Being successful in business is often a question<br />
of spotting a new way of presenting<br />
and marketing the same product. Take the<br />
story of the coffee shop owner in Tokyo,<br />
who used the suggestiveness of color as a<br />
means of reducing the amount of coffee<br />
needed for each cup and maximizing his<br />
profit. He invited 30 friends to taste four<br />
coffees, served in four cups of different colors:<br />
red, brown, cyan and yellow. Each cup<br />
contained the same amount of the same<br />
blend of freshly ground coffee, prepared in<br />
exactly the same way. His friends, of course,<br />
were not told this. After tasting the coffee,<br />
they gave him their verdict. Many thought<br />
the coffee in the cyan cup was too mild;<br />
others found the strength of the coffee in<br />
the yellow cups acceptable; but the coffee<br />
served in both the red and brown cups was<br />
judged to be the strongest, with over 90<br />
percent of respondents agreeing that the<br />
30 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7<br />
Daring to<br />
be different By<br />
coffee in the red cup tasted the richest.<br />
From then on the café served coffee exclusively<br />
in red cups, which allowed the owner<br />
to serve a great product with lower overhead.<br />
The result? A win-win situation: satisfied<br />
customers and a very satisfied entrepreneur.<br />
Another shrewd businessman spotted a<br />
Ming Dynasty bronze dragon washbasin in<br />
a museum on a television program. When<br />
the handle of the basin was turned by hand,<br />
it splashed water around. Splashing water is<br />
an important part of many Chinese rituals<br />
and festivals, and the entrepreneur saw a<br />
golden opportunity. After carrying out market<br />
analysis and research, he had imitation<br />
basins made and placed at busy tourist locations,<br />
where people actually paid to turn the<br />
handle and splash water. Revenues exceeded<br />
all expectations, and the businessman profited<br />
simply from seeing things from a different<br />
point of view. Where others saw only<br />
the basin’s aesthetic and ornamental aspects,<br />
our entrepreneur spotted its economic and<br />
business potential.<br />
The lesson to be learned from these two<br />
everyday examples is simple. If we insist on<br />
Phillip Ng L.K.<br />
Well-known watch expert<br />
and founder of Watch Report<br />
thinking in the same old, timeworn ways, we<br />
will remain stuck in the past and never create<br />
anything new. Or as one American inventor<br />
put it: “If you're doing something the same<br />
way you have been doing it for ten years, the<br />
chances are you are doing it wrong.” Innovation<br />
is a matter of breaking out of a fixed<br />
mindset and taking a step in a new direction.<br />
Cutting the apple to create the unexpected<br />
star shape is a perfect example.<br />
Which brings us to <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> and<br />
the philosophy behind the brand. As its<br />
strapline declares, the company’s watches<br />
are made expressly “For people who do not<br />
go with the times”, for individuals who<br />
break out of the mold and dare to be different,<br />
for people who shape their own futures.<br />
Achieving this has meant cultivating<br />
a corporate culture and ways of thinking<br />
and acting in which everyone is an entrepreneur,<br />
working towards the success of<br />
the company and its products. This spurs<br />
on <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> and its employees<br />
every single day, with every single model.<br />
Twelve years after the decision was made to<br />
launch the brand internationally, <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> is quite clearly on the right track<br />
to achieving its ambitious goals.<br />
“FOR PEOPLE WHO DO<br />
NOT GO WITH THE TIMES”
NEW PRODUCTS<br />
Alacria RoyalRose<br />
A majestic charm<br />
in the sign of the rose<br />
With its incomparable elegance and appeal,<br />
the rose has traditionally been a symbol of<br />
love, beauty and the sheer joy of existence.<br />
For centuries, it has been revered as a divine<br />
phenomenon, extolled by poets and treasured<br />
by couples in love as a witness to their<br />
eternal bond. The myths and sagas of antiquity<br />
sing the praises of the flower’s magic.<br />
Their creators wax lyrical, describing the<br />
rose as the remnants of Aurora on Earth, or<br />
fashioned from the blood of Adonis. But<br />
even in the more down-to-earth gardens of<br />
ancient advanced civilizations, the queen of<br />
flowers was always a favorite. Whether in<br />
Persia, China or Babylon, the rose has always<br />
been cherished for its beauty and its<br />
fascinating fragrance. The Persians in particular<br />
began producing rose oils in an attempt<br />
to preserve the blossoms’ intoxicating<br />
fragrance. The flower soon became a favorite<br />
at royal and imperial courts, where it be-<br />
came the emblem and coat of arms of many<br />
a king and emperor. Inspired by the rose’s<br />
symbolism and majesty, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has<br />
created a timepiece that radiates a force all of<br />
its own: the Alacria RoyalRose. Elaborately<br />
encircled by blossoms, the dial eloquently<br />
expresses all the rose’s beauty and elegance.<br />
ORNAMENTAL ELEGANCE<br />
The Alacria’s classical form has been retained<br />
for this model: the concave flanks<br />
underscore the stylish watch’s unmistakably<br />
feminine contours. The superb case, set<br />
with 137 red sapphires and an equal number<br />
of brilliant diamonds, is made of 18 K white<br />
gold. The silver hands underscore the elegance<br />
of a genuinely distinctive timepiece.<br />
The Swiss CFB 1850 precision movement<br />
ticks away inside the case. A gem of its<br />
kind, it is set off to perfection by the relieflike<br />
floral elements running across the entire<br />
dial. The blossoms, comprising 89<br />
sapphires and 26 brilliant diamonds, harmonize<br />
exquisitely with the mother-of-pearl<br />
dial. A beautifully grained calfskin wrist<br />
strap rounds off the model. Made of such<br />
high-quality materials, the result is a wristwatch<br />
that – almost literally – causes time<br />
to blossom.<br />
SIGN OF THE TIMES<br />
As a metaphor for all life’s rich and varied<br />
colors, flowers assume an air of immutability<br />
in the Alacria RoyalRose, as they daintily<br />
and elegantly entwine the wearer’s<br />
wrist. The watch is a piece of jewelry worthy<br />
of a queen, a declaration of love that<br />
will resonate forever.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7 – 31
32 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº7