On the runway to success - MCH Group

PAGE 17
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 2012
Building on change
Fast-growing Ice-Watch aims for new heights
Belgian watch brand Ice-Watch is
only five years old, but already in
10,000 points of sale in 105 countries.
Jean-Pierre Lutgen, founder,
tells BWDN how it became a
major player in the global watch
market, talks about upgrades in
new watches and service, and
a major goal he hopes to reach
soon.
BWDN: Mr. Lutgen, why did you
create Ice-Watch? What is the
story behind?
Jean-Pierre Lutgen: My company
in Belgium made promotional
items for companies, including
watches. But it was my dream to
create my own brand, which I did
in 2006. I sold the promotional
part of my business to focus only
on Ice-Watch.
The brand is built on two pillars:
One is change − I mean, peoples’
frequent changing preferences
today − and the other is a strong
identity. For us, that’s colour, reenforced
by our colourful transparent
silicon watch boxes.
With Ice-Watch, people have a
variety of colourful watches to
buy and change to, depending on
their mood and activity, whenever
they want. We have 20 different
collections, with 400 watches
in a broad range of colours and
combinations, all at accessible
prices (59 to 99 euros).
BWDN: Why do you call it ‘Ice-
Watch’?
Lutgen: The word ‘ice’ represents
purity and transparency for us.
Also, our first watches were transparent.
BWDN: Who is your target audience?
Lutgen: Trendy people of any age,
culture or country. We don’t make
watches for a specific audience; we
make them for the large public.
BWDN: Ice-Watch is a Belgian
brand. Is it made there?
Lutgen: No, our headquarters and
designers are in Belgium − and
I provide much input to make a
nice design even nicer. We select
all materials, bands and parts,
and we work with four assembly
operations in Shenzhen, China.
BWDN: Tells us something about
the 12 new collections you’re
debuting at BASELWORLD.
Lutgen: Quality is important to
us. So, all the new watches are
water-resistant to 10 atm or 330
Sandoz pulls out all the stops
New products on display at BASELWORLD
Since the seventeenth century,
Sandoz has been a key player in
the development and perfection
of Swiss watch mechanisms. The
brand has created some exceptional
pieces over the years, such
as the ‘Oignon’ watch, now on
permanent display at the La-
Chaux-de-Fonds clock museum.
The brand has created numerous
patents and has obtained several
medals in a number of international
exhibitions.
The Sandoz family’s first manufacture,
a clock factory, was
founded in 1870, and the company
was among the earliest brands
to pioneer wristwatch production
capabilities when these timepiec-
Sandoz Caractère Collection.
Jean-Pierre Lutgen, founder of Ice-Watch.
es became fashionable in the
twentieth century.
In 2000, Sandoz was acquired by
Grupo Munreco, a leading company
in the Spanish watch industry
with more than 30 years of
experience, which officially presented
the brand on the Spanish
market. Continuing the tradition
of Sandoz’s master watchmakers,
Grupo Munreco still achieves a
balance between the technical
excellence of traditional Swiss
watchmaking and highly avantgarde
designs, aiming at the most
commercial part of the Swiss
watch segment by offering exceptional
value for money in all the
Sandoz collections.
The quartz movements in each
Sandoz watch are certified by the
Swiss Made quality seal, and each
watch undergoes thorough quality
controls, ensuring the utmost
precision and reliability. In addition,
traditional mechanical
mechanisms are used in several
of its most representative collections.
Sandoz watches are painstakingly
finished with quality
features such as the scratch-proof
sapphire crystal that protects the
faces, high-quality, meticulously
Sandoz has a long tradition in the world of Swiss watchmaking.
designed bracelets and straps,
as well as distinguished, elegant
touches, such as mother-of-pearl
dials and diamonds, which are
used in some women’s models.
This attention to quality and
design is reflected in the comprehensive,
distinctive, timeless
Sandoz watch collections that are
launched every year at BASEL-
WORLD. They are designed to
stand the test of time, and to
stand as real emblems for the
brand. Collections include the
iconic, avant-garde Caractère
Collection with its elegant, sports
style men’s and ladies’ watches,
the Légendaire collection, with a
feet, have screwback cases and
silicon-based polyamide bands.
We’re also working with our distributors
worldwide to improve
in-store presentations, and
there’s an important upgrade this
year in customer service, which
is always very important to us,
called ‘Repair Tracker’.
BWDN: What is it?
Lutgen: When an Ice-Watch owner
takes the watch back to the
store for repair or servicing by us,
they get a log-in and password to
track its progress on our website.
They also get an e-mail when it’s
ready to be picked up. No other
watch brand we know does this.
BWDN: What are your major
goals for 2012 and 2013?
Lutgen: One major goal is to
improve our U.S. market, and
also in Scandinavia, Brazil, Russia,
India and China. Another is
to get over 1 million Facebook
fan and we want to reach our
five-year total sales goal of 10
million watches since 2007. It was
six million in 2011, when we sold
4.2 million watches. When we
reach it, we will celebrate − and
then do more in 2013.
Interview: William G. Shuster ■
sophisticated retro air, the masculine,
elegant, classic Portobello
Collection and the more recent,
glamorous ceramic collection for
women, the Chic Collection.
Sandoz presents a new line of
watches with square cases in the
Caractère family − worn by men
and women of character. They
are models with a lot of personality
− with the ‘character’ that
gives the collection its name, a
line that is recognizable from its
signature large square cases. The
new models feature black and
white rubber straps which make
these watches especially comfortable
to wear. (cb) ■ 1.1, C13
WATCHES
■ NEWS.TRENDS
Classical watches with the indication
of the day and the date are in
clear demand at this year’s show.
Swiss brand Roamer introduces a
casual yet chic line showing off these
indications. The Mercury debuts in a
41 mm stainless steel or bicolour case,
which is watertight to 100 metres.
It features an ETA 2824 automatic
movement and is available in different
style options. (sz) 1.1, D75
Mercury from Roamer.
From Skagen Designs the focus is
decidedly feminine; the women’s line
of fashionable Stretch Mesh series
unveils three completely new styles
with dainty demi-square cases in
silver, gold and charcoal tones bordered
by glittering Swarovski Elements
crystals, a mirrored border and
sunray brushed dials with a precise
Japanese quartz movement within.
To add supreme comfort to fashion,
Skagen Designs have incorporated
the company’s immensely popular
stretch mesh band to elegantly wrap
around the wrist without the need for
clasps or adjustment. (nh) 5.0, C11
Skagen Design’s Stretch Mesh series.
The Wenger Terragraph is designed
to capture the neoclassical spirit of
beauty, functionality and precision. For
sport or for every day, the Terragraph
is available in a variety of dial colours.
The Terragraph is a full collection,
with seven men’s versions and five
women’s versions. The strap comes
in textures and colours ranging from
genuine leather to silver-toned steel.
Hands and hour markers are treated
with a luminescent coating. The movement
is quartz. (cb) 1.1, E61
Wenger Terragraph.