Next we meet Antonio Calce, CEO of Greubel Forsey. With a reputation at the cutting edge of haute horlogerie, Antonio has been tasked with the long-term development of the brand and ensuring they remain at the summit of luxury watchmaking.
With a background in microtechnology and business management, he began his career at Piaguet, moving to Panerai and then on to Corum, rising to CEO.
We hear Antonio’s opinions on the future direction of the company which he tells us is new models and a new ‘price segment’ for the brand.
MWM: How is business?
AC: Business is doing great this year! The addition of various elements has enabled us to achieve significant progress both quantitatively and qualitatively.
MWM: What are you currently working on?
AC: The task today is that of charting new territories by working on different areas such as achieving a long-term strategy and vision; a new product offer with timepieces in a new price segment; by focusing on our communication with new content and finally, by working on our distribution, especially regarding our POS.
MWM: Tell us something we don’t know about Greubel Forsey watches?
AC: I think that people do not realise the level of excellence that we have at Greubel Forsey. We produce about 120 watches per year for about 120 people and from these, more than 20 work only on hand finishing. It shows how far we go into detail, it is just astonishing.
MWM: Which watch do you wear?
AC: I wear a Double Tourbillon 30° Asymétrique that I love (above).
MWM: Which watch would you like to own?
AC: I really like the GMT Sport – below – we launched at the beginning of this year. It has a very modern look, fits perfectly on the wrist and is light to wear because of the titanium.
MWM: What do you like best about the Watch business?
AC: First of all, I like the emotions that watches procure, because of their design. The creativity that is found in each timepiece is also something that I like in the watchmaking industry. I am a product person, so I also love all the technical aspects.
MWM: What don’t you like about the Watch business?
AC: What bothers me the most in the watch industry is that it remains very conservative. However, we see changes and evolutions, and this is good for the future of the industry.
MWM: What is next on the horizon for you?
AC: We are working on our launches for 2022 which will be part of a new product offering. The brand is entering a new stage of maturity, with interesting evolutions ahead. We want to reach new end consumers, open new doors with new opportunities.
Antonio Calce is a Friend of MrWatchMaster