Alexandre Reymond was on a nervous high at the 2006 Basel fair. He was four months into his tenure as Leonard chief executive and, previewing the first collection of timepieces for the brand under his leadership, he was acutely observing the reaction from trade, press and the public.
Fast-forward 12 months and he clearly is more relaxed, even if still a little nervous. 'Things are going very well and I'm happy with the development of the brand,' Mr Reymond said. 'We are going in the right direction. I am very proud.'
The chief executive's strategy when he came on board was to raise the profile of Leonard as a watchmaker, rather than a fashion and accessories brand.
Last year's novelties were branded with the Leonard double-L logo to create a link between Leonard fashion and Leonard timepieces.
This year Leonard intends to raise its profile further with its participation at the Cannes Film Festival this month. VIPs are lined up to wear its watches and some models will be on display in 'bubble windows' at the event.
The watchmaker, though, is already in full bloom and this year novelties largely feature flowers. A key highlight at this year's fair was the Belle De Nuit. The name (French for 'night beauty') and inspiration comes from the Mirabilis Jalapa flower, which Mr Reymond spotted in a garden one evening. The flower is often nicknamed the night beauty because of its propensity to open and show off its multi-coloured luminous flowers at sunset. It closes again at dawn.
