Eberhard & Co - Looking ahead with Mario Peserico
WorldTempus: You have a very striking poster that splits your Contograf model in half, showing the original 1960s version on the left half and the modern interpretation on the right. What do you think of the current revival trend?
Mario Peserico: I think it's important in this respect to mention the notion of "entitlement", in other words whether you have the right to talk about heritage. We have been in continuous operation since 1887 and have always been family-owned, so I think we have the right to do so. Our heritage is becoming increasingly important. At one of this year's watch auctions in Geneva, two Eberhard split-seconds chronographs were sold for 40,000 Swiss francs. This is far from Patek Philippe territory but it is still a considerable sum.
Is there any particular Eberhard collection that is more popular than the others?
I think the families are all different. The Chrono4 is patented and quite sporty, while the 8 days is also patented but more classic. The Extra-Fort recalls vintage watches and the Tazio Nuvolari is dedicated to an unforgettable racing driver. So each has its own history and some collectors will go for a different area, whether its sports watches or classic watches, so we try to cover all areas.
How masculine is the brand's DNA?
We are more a brand for men than women and our DNA lies in the chronograph, but the Gilda Ladies' watch is very elegant on the wrist and we need to cover some ground to gain acceptance in the field of ladies' watches. There are, of course, a number of brands that have been established for some time and are a "must" for the ladies. So to come on to the market with four new ladies' watches at the same time would have been ridiculous. We wanted to launch just one, but one that was done very well and which we could use as a solid platform to build up a collection.
What is your outlook for next year?
I have no certainty about next year. I don't think the situation in Europe or China is likely to improve rapidly. Even if the middle class there is continuing to grow, the anti-corruption campaign is affecting the sell-out.
And what about trends in product development?
I see steel-gold models gaining in popularity. We don't do any steel-gold models but I see the trend emerging and I think these models will become even more popular. I think that there is definitely a trend for reviving models from the past but I think the market is also open to any form of inspiration, whether from a particular geographic area or the history of a brand. At the moment you can find everything and its opposite on the market. We have colours or no colour, complications or no complication. Previously you either had one or the other. It is like with automobiles, where you used to have either a sports car or a utility vehicle. Now the SUV (sports utility vehicle) is a segment in its own right.
Do you plan to stick to your core price segment?
Brands are emerging from a period of growth with both a distribution network and a customer base that are very clearly defined. Ten years ago brands were falling over themselves to launch tourbillons. But we never did this because our upper price limit was around 7,000 Swiss francs and the gap between this and 70,000 Swiss francs for a tourbillon was too big for us. This may be restrictive, but many brands that moved up range are now having problems selling their more expensive models.
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