Time traveller brings success story to event

Luxury watchmaker Philippe Charriol will share his knowledge of launching and building a global brand with industry players at this year's fair THE HIGHLIGHT OF the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair this year is the Asian Watch Conference 'The Star of Time Traveller - Philippe Charriol', hosted by the luxury watch brand owner on September 9. The fair opens next Wednesday and will end next Sunday. Charriol has enjoyed much success in its relatively short history of 23 years. It has a network of 2,500 retailers, 480 'Espace Charriol' and 71 Charriol brand boutiques in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. And it has extended its product range to include leather goods, jewellery, writing instruments and eyewear. More than 1 million Charriol watches have been sold around the world. Mr Charriol began his career promoting US investments in the south of France, and Greek wines and spirits throughout Europe. This led to his appointment in 1970 as export manager for Agrivin, a leading name in the wine trade. In 1972, he joined Cartier to promote its novel lighters in Europe's fashion capital, Paris. A year later, he became an ambassador at large for Les Must de Cartier - a relationship that would last for 10 years. In 1983, he took the bold decision to create his own watch brand in Geneva, and Charriol was born. Today, the company is known for its luxury and exclusivity around the world, with its intriguing collections of watches and other products. 'I got into the watch industry for more than 35 years,' Mr Charriol said. 'At that time, I wanted a job that allowed me to travel around the world and a job that could promote luxurious products of France.' Soon, Mr Charriol's business spread to the US and Asia. 'Asian countries have very good acceptance of my brand. We set Hong Kong as our important base. It was a free port and a very important centre of re-export.' Mr Charriol used his name as the brand name simply because it was easier to register. Charriol now operates in more than 60 countries. 'There are countries where no one has heard of my name, but there are also countries where I am extremely famous. In Thailand, the Philippines and in Hong Kong most people know my brand. But we try hard to get into new markets. All countries have different cultures and we have to adapt to different business environments. You have to be adaptable and your strategies have to be flexible. It requires creativity, talent, time and great effort. It is challenging at times, but like our brand philosophy, we value 'the art of living the difference'.' Through experience, Mr Charriol has found that it is easier to get into newly developed countries because people are more open to new products. 'The cost of penetrating the mind and market is high in Europe. People are very conservative; they are not open to new brands. We did remarkably well in the US, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. People are more open-minded and have better acceptance of new products and brands,' he said. Mr Charriol is very involved in product development. He does not design everything, but he does conceptualise. He has even acted in, and directed, one of his promotional campaigns. 'We were promoting our Christopher Columbus series. The concept was based on history when Columbus presented the treasures of the New World to Queen Isabelle. I dressed up and acted as Christopher Columbus,' he said. The most difficult times for the company were the first few years when Mr Charriol said he was not sure whether he would succeed. He had to travel non-stop around the world, meet new people and look for opportunities. 'Every new country was a challenge. It was very tiring but also very exciting. The most important [thing] is to keep on going, even when you face adversities.' He said Hong Kong watch brands should build up a good reputation in the region before going into the global market. 'Don't expect to compete with world famous brands tomorrow. They have very strong historical backgrounds. Do things that are new, things that the existing brands would not do,' he said. 'The Japanese have tried very hard to get into the [international] market, but they are not very successful. But the Japanese watch brands are far ahead of Hong Kong's. To build a successful, high-class, Hong Kong watch brand is certainly not a thing that will happen tomorrow morning. 'Every country has its own famous products. The Swiss make watches, France makes wine and cheese ... Hong Kong can't do everything. Hong Kong's luxurious watch brands are far from comparable to the Swiss and European ones. After all, genuine European watches are what people are looking for,' Mr Charriol said. He will be sharing his valuable experience and professional views on the latest market development, product design trends and strategies on brand building at 2.30pm next Saturday in Theatre 2 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. To register free of charge, go to www.hkwatchfair.com.