by Elizabeth Doerr
When long-time aficionados consider Blancpain, most think of elegant, round, classic timepieces and the words of former CEO Jean-Claude Biver ringing in one’s ears: “We will never make a quartz watch!” While battery-operated timepieces remain thus far taboo at Blancpain, the company’s current CEO, Marc A. Hayek, is now leading this Swatch Group firm in a fairly new direction.
New feel for luxury
The new vision didn’t happen overnight. It’s a strategy that has probably been a long time coming. Luxury—like everything else in life—is subject to trends. Many solvent young professionals no longer enjoy the “stuffy” side of luxury as much as the previous generation. They are looking for luxury that fits their lifestyle and doesn’t need to conform to preconceived ideas.
Hayek started working at Blancpain in 2001 at the age of 30 and became its CEO one year later. Needless to say, Hayek is a prime example of his own target group. One might even say that he would know better than anyone else what someone in his own shoes is going to buy.
Visibility
Visitors to BaselWorld 2009 were already treated to a harbinger of the new concept: one of the Lamborghinis racing in the Super Trofeo series graced the vestibule of the centrally located booth, causing quite a stir among passersby. Neighboring booths were additionally treated to a periodic engine roar emanating from loudspeakers.
The automobile theme did not end there: once inside the Blancpain booth, the new watches presented were far different from those introduced at Basel in years past. The classic Fifty Fathoms sports watch concept was taken a step further, and the L-evolution was introduced to the waiting watch world along with the Super Trofeo Chronograph.
