MCT prefers quality over quantity
With a manufacture situated in the historic heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, it is no surprise that MCT – Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps – is a firm believer in the ethos of Swiss watchmaking that prizes the horological quality of its products rather than the quantity. Pierre Jacques – CEO of MCT – talks to “Day & Night” of the marque
Q: What has the feedback been about the Dodekal One from retailers and others who have seen the watch?
A: We have received very enthusiastic and positive feedback for the Dodekal One; MCT is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and horologists and retailers have been waiting as they believe that MCT would come up with something very new and innovative. What we did, in terms of technique, is a great achievement for us and the way we have displayed the time is unique and very easy to read.
Q: How long did the project take to come to fruition?
A:As you know, Denis Giguet and I joined the company one year ago and as the time frame was very short, we dedicated most of our time to this project. It therefore took us slightly less than one year – to start from the scratch to the finished product. We were able to do that because MCT is an integrated company where we have our own research and development team, watchmaker, watchmaker-engineers, and the very smart and bright Denis Giguet.
Q: When and why did you make the decision to bring out the Sequential Two Sport?
A:We have been working on it since last summer; it has not been that much of a technical challenge as we just had to re-design the case. We did not have to develop a new caliber; we just had to design a new bezel, and a new strap. In terms of time, it was quite fast.
Q: What will the Sequential Two Sport be called?
A:It will be called the S210 because the 10 in the MCT collection indicates that it is made of titanium – so it will be called the S210 Sport.
Q: Why is that the new releases in Sequential One and Sequential Two are more in titanium than gold?
A: Certain markets prefer to wear lighter materials; titanium is a lighter and strong material with more technical attributes, and is not sensitive to oxidation. There are many benefits to using titanium in a watch. In certain regional markets, such as the Middle East, gold or rose gold are not so popular.
Q: How is your partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons in Dubai, which began recently, working out?
A:We are very proud and happy to be working with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons; they are the best retailer platform to represent us in the Middle East. They are watch enthusiasts, very professional, and a nice family – we couldn’t get a greater and more respectful partner to launch MCT in the region than them.
Q: In an earlier interview, you had mentioned 500 as the magic number for the number of pieces that MCT would produce in a year; do you still hold to that?
A:No, I think I must have been very optimistic. For a brand such as MCT, with that kind of technical specificities and price points, we could target – at a maximum – 150 pieces a year. There are two reasons for this: It is very difficult to make highly technical watches such as these because you have to put in the same effort and attention to detail in each of the watches. It would also be difficult to get the clientele numbering a few hundred who would be willing to pay $100,000 for a watch. You have to choose your buttons: marketing or quality; our button is quality and for this kind of quality we cannot expect great production and big numbers.
