Rising to the challenge: Hermès wants to make its men's watches as famous as its bags and silks
Video. Hermès Executive Vice President Guillaume des Seynes wants more men to buy the brand's watches in the French firm's stores in order to emulate its enormous success with silks and leathers.
In the watch industry, Hermès is a challenger, because we were born in Paris, and we are a very strong brand, but known for silk and leather activities, leather accessories. So, in watchmaking, we try to be at the highest technical level, matching the best of the best, and at the same time, bringing... This strong creativity that we have, this sense of originality, and maybe try to do things a little bit different, like our booth, where we have always a piece that is quite spectacular, but a bit unusual, I would say.
The purpose of Hermes regarding watches, it was my uncle, we are a family company, so it was uncle who created the watch division in Switzerland nearly 50 years ago. And since then we've always tried to combine the best of the best in the watchmaking in tradition of Swiss watchmaking and the audacity in the shapes and strengths of colours and try to combine that to make a unique proposition.
I would like it to be even more respected and considered by watch connoisseurs, watch specialists. And also I would love, which has started to happen, that people, especially men, come to Hermès specifically to buy a watch and not just to come with their wife for a Birkin bag.
