00:00Thank you so much for joining us. I mean the anticipation buildup was actually quite extraordinary until the moment that
00:07the you know everything was sold in store. In light of what we know now could and should have swatched
00:14handle this better.
00:18Thank you for having me here Francine. Indeed we had a huge interest for this release that led to the
00:28launch date with many crowds outside the stores and Swatch had to really manage real time the operations on the
00:38ground to ensure that everything run as smoothly as possible with safety.
00:43Now I must say a week after the situation normalized and we are very excited to reveal and continue talking
00:52about this bold and incredible collaboration with the Swatch.
00:58It was certainly very very bold and so so very much anticipated. How much input did AP watches have on
01:06the launch and did the images of people queuing and some of the chaos is hurt the halo effect.
01:12Or do you think people will forget quite quickly.
01:17Lisa we see it already that our website received more than 10 times the visitors that we have in a
01:24year in one day.
01:25We have sold out our master classes where we explain watchmaking and very interestingly exciting.
01:33We have sold out all the visits at the AP lab which is a new format that we launched recently
01:41where we explain watchmaking where we engage with the new generations and explain our movement is assembled.
01:49And it's a very important part of our strategy of openness and connection with the new audiences with intent really
01:58to create the love for watchmaking.
02:02Why a pocket watch and not a wristwatch.
02:06Indeed the pocket watch was really to go back to the historical piece that started watchmaking long ago and then
02:15we started playing with it because yes indeed it's a pocket watch at the start.
02:19But also we like to see it on the neck around the neck as a pin even on the hair
02:26like it was the case when when watches were invented there was lots of creativity of use just outside of
02:35the pocket itself.
02:36And we love to see so much creativity for people that are creating new ways to use the pocket watch.
02:44Yesterday I saw it as a cover for the phone case.
02:48So creativity is really galloring now.
02:52I was going to ask you you know what if somebody develops a way of putting the watch into a
02:57strap to make it actually a wristwatch would that bother you.
03:01Well everybody will do whatever they want but indeed the intent for us was to bring time outside of the
03:09wrist and to play with the many ways to engage on the time.
03:15And for us importantly was really to put a mechanical watch in the hands of people who will never use
03:23a mechanical watch.
03:24We would love to see the crown being used to rewind the watch is a manual movement so after 90
03:31hours of power reserve it stops so they need to use the crown to make sure it's winded again.
03:39And that's an important way for us to in a way teach the use of mechanical watches in a context
03:45where nobody needs a watch to tell the time.
03:48And we need to preserve this wonderful industry that over the last 50 years has been disrupted multiple times.
03:56And it's it's an industry that is anyway suffering a significant volume demand.
04:03Is there first of all is this program actually you know continuing indefinitely or is it a one off.
04:11It's a one off that will be though continuing for a few months.
04:15So that's why I invite really people to to wait and not rush because in the next months these watches
04:21will will be available.
04:24I mean it was very interesting hearing you say about you know the volume and actually how there's a lot
04:29of scarcity for these really beautiful high-end products that you make.
04:34Is there a worry I mean how much do you think about you know the risk of cheapening the brand
04:38because of some of these collaborations.
04:40I know you mentioned that you're trying to also appeal to a younger generation.
04:43It's a very fine balance so how do you think about the two.
04:48I think the biggest threat for watchmaking in general and for Audemars Piguet is irrelevance rather than broad availability.
04:57We will continue producing Audemars Piguet watches in the way we've always done with an important component of hand design.
05:06This is critical that's why we produce limited numbers we our watches offer a completely different movement.
05:15We are investing in elevating the watchmaking innovation actually this very year we've launched the most complicated the pocket watch
05:23in the history of Audemars Piguet with the universal calendar which is a patented new movement.
05:29And the intent is really to continue investing and pushing forward the urological excellence.
05:36One other example on the other spectrum of this cultural relevance movement is everything we are doing to open up
05:44the doors to education.
05:45I'm a true believer that learn and love are connected you need to learn what it is using a mechanical
05:54watch what's behind the mechanical watch before you can we can love it and collect it.
06:00And that's been proven over and over again when people come visit our manufacturer and they see the way we
06:06produce watches the watchmakers artistic abilities and the time it takes to assemble the most complicated watches they become collectors
06:15they become fun.
06:16And we are really trying to use the opportunity to have a megaphone to talk about the wonderful craft of
06:23watchmaking.
06:24For us the most important part of this operation though is donating one percent of the proceeds of these collaboration
06:31to support the watchmaking sourfair especially the ones that are at risk of disappearing and this is the biggest threat
06:40for watchmaking is an industry that has been disrupted so many times.
06:45Two thirds of the industry disappeared after the quartz crisis and there are jobs sourfair expertise that can disappear so
06:54we have created a fund using all the proceeds to support these artisans and we will come back to you
07:01with more news about this operation.
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