MrWatchMaster Meets . . . An Interview with Stephane Waser

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Category: Men's Fashion, Grooming

Published on Saturday, 18 December 2021 20:38

Written by MrWatchMaster

Today MrWatchMaster meets up with Stephane Waser, CEO of Maurice Lacroix for an insider's look into the brand and business. He joined Maurice Lacroix in 2008 as International Marketing Director and has managed the brand since 2014.

Waser negotiated the FCB Barcelona partnership, won numerous Swiss and international marketing/communication awards for the social media campaign 'French Job' and developed the campaign 'Your Time is Now'. 

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We hear Stephane's opinions on business and the future direction of the Maurice Lacroix brand, which he tells us is to make it the most important luxury watch brand within the affordable watch segment.

MWM: How is business?

SW: If 2021 continues as such, we will close on a good note, despite the pandemic and the global challenges with supply chain & logistics.

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MWM: What are you currently working on?

SW: We are preparing our strategy for 2022. Lots of exciting things coming up, going after the 'GenZ' market with some sustainable projects, increasing the digitalisation of our processes, launching some supply chain projects to increase 'speed to market' of our watches and improving further our customer service

MWM: Tell us something we don't know about Maurice Lacroix watches?

SW: Usually people don't know that we develop and produce our own movements. These can be found on the Aikon 'manufacture' collection and the Masterpiece.

MWM: Which watch do you wear?

SW: The Aikon Venturer black dial on steel bracelet…because it's Aikon our bestseller, because it's the sporty variation, because I spent a lot of time with the development team to make it a true 'tomorrow's classic' design.

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MWM: Which watch would you like to own?

SW: I already own most of the nicest Maurice Lacroix watches and will certainly get the next ones coming up, so there is honestly nothing much more I would like to own…I'm a privileged and happy man.

MWM: What do you like best about the Watch business?

SW: It's an interesting small microcosm, when you take the sum of the Swiss watch brands sold, it's 8 to 10 times less than major FMCG companies. So it's actually a small industry, very contradictory from the appearance of a very slow and traditional but sometimes very innovative business, and changes can happen very fast. In my position, I have a level of freedom of decision-making that is not very common in other industries. 

MWM: What don't you like about the Watch business?

SW: We are relatively small versus other industries and there are numerous small and mid-sized companies. In such a situation, the logic would be that we have to co-operate and stick together, well it's the contrary! We lose so much by not co-operating and are of the firm belief that competition is a threat. I see competition as a positive and a potential booster for the business.

MWM: What is next on the horizon for you?

SW: Definitely our sustainability project for 2022.

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Stephane Waser is a Friend of MrWatchMaster

Bio: MrWatchMaster (MWM) presents a uniquely authoritative resource, covering news, opinion, reviews, and entertainment about the watch sector. We share our opinions and new 'points of view' from a range of leading watch makers, industry professionals, collectors, and other practitioners of horology. We keep you updated with the most interesting developments and provide our own take on new watches, trends, and anything else that will define the future direction of the sector.  Andrew Canter is the Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of MrWatchMaster and a hugely passionate horologist and collector of watches and clocks. His fascination with watches started at an early age and purchased his first watch when still at school. He is a member of the Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers, British Horological Institute (BHI), Antiquarian Horological Society (AHS), National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), Horological Society of New York and RedBar Group.