The vision of Chronoswiss
Renowned for its onion-style crown, Chronoswiss is a young Swiss watch-maker that operates from a site based in Lucerne, Switzerland. Founded in 1983 by Gerd R. Lang, the brand held a vision to create the most extraordinary mechanical timepieces in the horology industry, until it was purchased by Oliver Ebstein and his wife Eva, who have carried the torch of horological excellence to a new level
Chronoswiss maintains exclusivity by producing around 5,000 impeccably hand-finished watches per year. For 2015, the brand has unveiled a new collection of stunningly detailed timepieces that were showcased at Baselworld where ‘Day and Night’ magazine caught up with the CEO of Chronoswiss, Oliver Ebstein, for a detailed insight into the brand’s history, visions and future plans.
How did the purchase of the brand come around?
The company was bought around three years ago and it was a complete coincidence, like so many other things in life. One evening, a friend who knew of my enthusiasm and had seen my existing Chronoswiss watch collection, rang me asking if I wanted to meet the owner of Chronoswiss. As I was a big Chronoswiss fan, I couldn’t afford to say no and jumped at the chance. Mr Lang, the previous owner of the brand is a remarkable man – In one meeting we bonded and discussed many things in life including the sale of his passion. He wanted to sell Chronoswiss as his own sons did not want to follow in his footsteps, so over the next few months, our discussions intensified and the sale was agreed. Back then, I never would have imagined being the owner of such a prestigious company, which directly speaks to my heart and passion for watches. It was a coincidence but destiny at the same time.
Why did you choose to keep the DNA of the brand and not instil your own designs and values?
I chose to keep the original DNA of the brand, because it is also my DNA and my ideal designs that were already being produced – so why would I need to change them? I have been an avid fan of the brand for the last 30 years, so am fully aware of its mission and goals, also I did not want to lose the valuable history that has made the brand what it is today. I adore the existing designs, the crown, the shape of the case and the materials used in the creation of our watches, and as often seen with other companies, when a new CEO takes over, the entire company is re-structured to suit the vision of that owner. This was something that I did not want to happen to the brand that has been a long-term passion of mine and therefore I decided to keep the DNA which has been a proven success throughout the brand’s life time.
What has been the best-selling watch in the last three years since you bought the company?
For the 30th anniversary of the brand, we launched a special watch -The Régulateur 30 – which took its design and technical aspects from past models. The Régulateur 30 is available in a limited edition of 130 pieces in the red gold case and 300 pieces in the stainless steel case, and has sold extremely well as our clients enjoy the jumping hours, the large minutes counter and the small seconds counter which is positioned at 6 o’clock. The Delphis timepiece has also been well received by the public, as it too features jumping hours, a semi-circular minute’s counter and a small second’s disc.
What has the feedback been like on your collection of sports watches?
The sports watches began around 15 to 20 years ago, but were never actively pushed into the market because Chronoswiss has always been known for its classical watches, as they are more popular with our older selection of clientele. However, our strategy is changing as we are trying to bridge the gap between our existing clients and the younger generation by supplying them with what they really want, for example, in western countries there are many first time investors who are keen to purchase a good quality sports watch, especially ladies who prefer a watch they can wear for all occasions. So our new goal is to push the sports line, which we have been doing over the last two years, to raise product awareness. So far the feedback has been positive and we are looking forward to catering for sports watch enthusiasts with a variety of timepieces in the future, including bespoke watches where we can change the colour of the dial and add diamonds, should the client prefer a dressier exterior.
Where is your biggest market?
The biggest market is where we are based- in Europe. Switzerland, Germany and Austria are the core countries where our products sell the most. The second biggest market is Asia because we have been present in some of the countries, such as Singapore, Korea, and Japan for over 20 years.
Which market would you like to have a larger presence in?
It has to be the Middle East, as this region is key for tourists and locals who have the purchasing power for luxury goods. The United Arab Emirates is a cosmopolitan city, where numerous people live and travel to for work purposes and for us to succeed in this market will be an amazing achievement because it is a thriving city where anything is possible
In your opinion, do you think customers in the Middle East have different preferences than customers in Europe?
Yes, definitely. There is a huge difference between both groups of customers, as men in the Middle East prefer to showcase diamonds on their wrist-wear, whilst men in Europe desire a simple exterior that blends in with their choice of outfit. Generally customers in the Middle East purchase watches with emotions rather than rational thinking, as they want their personality to shine through the accessories they wear, but in Europe functionality takes precedence.
