Attention to detail

A. Maybe it's one of the reasons why I'm in the watch industry. When I was born, I started learning by touching everything around me. [Everything I touched] was luxurious. I grew up in a house that might as well have been a museum. After I grew up, I wanted to [maintain] this level of living but it was quite impossible unless I kept living inside a bubble. When I [ventured] outside, whatever I did I was different. I didn't get my first pair of jeans until I turned 18.

A. Luxury is about details. It's also a feeling. It's not just the price tag but the quality of the material. It's a perception people have through touching and [seeing].

A. Complicated, I would say. There are a lot of uncertainties in terms of political conflicts and natural disasters. People who have money don't know how to spend it. They are anxious about what's going to happen tomorrow. DeWitt's concept watches are exceptional pieces that have very strong images. But we can't sell 2,000 concept watches a year. I feel that [customers] are shifting towards something clean, classic and subtle but still filled with luxury details. My vision for upcoming collections is to create simple and classic designs with the DeWitt signature.

A. The watchmaking industry is evolving towards higher quality. Not so long ago, watches were all handmade and the quality of those watches wasn't consistent. DeWitt goes for the top-quality services possible in many aspects, but in terms of materials, unless I'm sure of its quality in [the long run], I'm not going to use it because I don't want to sacrifice the quality of any watch bearing the DeWitt brand name. It would be dangerous if a new material I experiment with now ceases to exist in 20 years' time.