Recently, an online interview took place between the successful CEO of Omega, Raynald Aeschlimann, who introduced the 2022 novelties, and representatives of distinguished media. Click in for all questions and answers about the pleasant interview, where the brand's new models and future goals are discussed.
Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO of OMEGA, said: “I am very happy to be here today in this diverse community of people from different countries. You can send me an e-mail, write a comment or ask a question. I will read them all and enjoy answering them.”
Can you talk about the importance of new models, taking into account the history of Omega?
This is a really good question because the Speedmaster 57, launched after our Speedmaster model that you all know, has achieved great success. It became a model that is connected with the history of our brand and gives a vintage feel. Our brand history is very important to us for 2 reasons: First of all, we should not forget the past completely, but at the same time, it would be a big mistake for luxury brands like us to be completely stuck on the past. We cannot live in the past. We need to be able to consider both the past and the future. We have had iconic pieces such as The Master Chronometer and MoonWatch. But every iconic piece needs renewal and appealing to the present.
I am proud to be able to present to you "Ultra Deep". Ultra Deep is an amazing OMEGA watch. I'd even call it an amazing Seamaster watch. An Ultra Deep Icon and the true OMEGA of the Seamaster series. Because it is not just one of the concept watches with all its components. Perfect with everything. Sometimes you come across an incredible piece in the watch industry and you ask where it was inspired. But you are not getting any response. Because it is just a concept or you see a beautiful watch, but there is no story behind it. It just becomes a concept watch. Of course, you can buy such a watch, but the "special" identity of that watch is debatable. When we look at the history of OMEGA, we see very clearly drawn design lines. At the same time, OMEGA has excellent technology. When I look at our technology, I cannot talk about a single watch or a single design. The new technology consists of a mixture of retro and new materials that are waterproof to a depth of 6,000 meters. When we list them all, the Seamaster emerges.
When we look at the Seamaster, we see a lot of colors. What is their role in OMEGA history?
I think the first thing to discuss is the place of colors in the industry and OMEGA. Let's take a look at OMEGA women's watches. When we first discovered the use of orange, especially in women, 20 years ago, it was introduced to the market for the first time in the world. We were very proud. OMEGA is constantly evolving. The luxury watch has now become a luxury accessory. Considering the men's models, the important thing is the use of the customer. Even the timekeeping feature can be an example of this. My explanation for this is generally always the same. When we look at Animal patterns, we see that they are always more feminine. Impressive and colorful. Time is a way to make yourself an addressee. This evolution over time has shown how we can integrate colors into our own brand. We were color pioneers when we introduced the Speedmaster Schumacher 5 years ago. We used colors such as red, yellow, and blue. Stones such as rubies and sapphires bring out the colors. With Aqua Terra, we made this a question of thought. You have to find the right colors and tones. As OMEGA, we always hope to progress. We designed very luxurious pieces with colors. It also takes time to offer extra colors.
The latest Seamaster and Speedmaster collections are different from other OMEGA collections. Can you explain the elements that distinguish these collections from other collections?
OMEGA is a luxury fashion brand. We change and evolve. We are pioneers in terms of design. We need to ensure sustainability. I always talk about Speedmaster. As I speak, I come across people showing me their father's Speedmaster. When looking at those watches, I never see a vintage watch. When I look, I see a modern clock. This is a design dating back 60 years. This is an indication that we are not a brand that changes design and form a lot. This idea creates a vision for each collection. Seamaster has a very famous DNA. We do not change the DNA of designs when renewing. We are touching. The DNA of our brand remains the same, we just modernize. We are trying to find the right balance in this regard. This perspective successfully develops OMEGA. We have the wealth of our four collections. Why design something new when we can maintain the richness of these four collections? We exchange ideas with our engineers and designers. As an example, we wanted to design the watch used in Daniel Craig's movie "No Time To Die" with the creator of James Bond. This watch is called James Bond's watch. In that sense, in my view, we can achieve a lot of success. The new dials are also very special.
What do you think is the difficulty of making a watch for the customer? You have made a watch that can be used at a depth of 6,000 meters. Why did you make such an investment? Who would go to that level of the world?
There are two answers: As I said at the beginning of this interview, quality is very important to me. Quality is the DNA of OMEGA. The investment we make in this collection is very important for OMEGA. You know this iconic collection is OMEGA because OMEGA has invested in making this watch not only look good on the outside but also be good on the inside. This is our identity. Normally, a watch of this quality is four or five times more expensive than our regular watches. But that's not what we're looking for. We used advanced technology to make this watch. We worked with technology companies. This is our spirit in the process of developing our watches, and I was very insistent on this progress. This is one of our responsibilities. You cannot be one of the leaders in the watch industry if you just change the design and don't care about technology. As with many luxury accessories, emphasis should be placed on rising values. This is the path we follow when making OMEGA watches. Yes, we have worked hard for our consumers. It's just as precious as enjoying a fantastic piece of art and with OMEGA, you can wear it on your wrist. We have invested in a watch that can be used at a depth of 6,000 meters. This was not an easy target. We wanted to be at that level. We wanted to show how dedicated we are to diving. This process goes back many years. I call it the OMEGA journey. We got very good feedback from many customers. Even if you are not using a watch to its full capacity, it is very important to know its strengths and quality.
Competition has increased a lot. We saw this in the Morgan Stanley report. What is your response to that report and the position of OMEGA in that report? And what will you do to follow the summit?
We must continue to grow and maintain our vision. We must keep our average price constant and at the same time keep our quality and privileged stance alive. At the same time, we must maintain our pricing policy and our vision in technology. Last year we broke our own record for sales. And we did it with local customers because there were no tourists. We must keep our DNA constant and always aim ahead in our products. That's why people want to visit us and buy our products. This is our most important strategy for me. As for how we will continue to keep the attention on us, I can say by keeping the same things we have done over the years. Of course, we will also make some changes in this process.
E-commerce is one of them. We only sell through e-commerce in 12 countries because we didn't want to make e-commerce just a way to sell. We want people to participate in this experience and be able to receive service from us. This is one of the things that makes us different. What matters in all these rankings and analyzes is not how to react to your competitors, how to approach them through competition or copy others, but to be on the right track. And today we are doing this with our 4 collections. The most important thing to me is inspiration, last year was a perfect year for that.
Following what you said, I would like to ask the following. Of course, you are product-oriented. What do you think about staying only in the physical product world, while brands are talking about NFTs and Metaverse, and even yesterday, a global watch brand launched a watch with NFT attached?
This is a reality in today's world. Being a pioneer is in the DNA of our brand. I'm not saying "never" but the important thing here is competence. Knowing who you are and what you have to offer. It is very important not to put your brand at risk with a quick decision. At the same time, I know that there are realities of the market, but we have to consider that it is very different from what we do. Maybe a fashion-oriented luxury brand will get there faster. Because what they offer is more diverse and it's easier to get involved everywhere. I think we should have priority and act accordingly.
What is the role of the brand ambassadors for OMEGA?
Our industry is made up of people. I am always very happy to meet people. If we gather all of our stakeholders such as our employees, managers, and commercial partners, we will be happy to be together. It's part of our DNA. We are not an arrogant brand, we are customer-oriented. Our representatives are also a reflection of this identity. We started working with our first brand representative, James Bond and continued with names like Cindy Crawford. We are very happy to work together because we have not only produced beautiful watches but also wonderful children have joined us. Currently, Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia also represents our brand. A brand representative is a person who represents you to the world. Compared to many of our competitors, these collaborations
