1. We are confident in our products and our network of shops, and we will remain flexible when faced with international economical and political changes.

 2. For us the most essential factor is always to be closer to our customers. I invite you to visit one of our shops!

 3. Smartwatches are “hightech”; mechanical watches are “high touch”, each one in its place. For we watchmakers, we must continue to surprise, to innovate – if not we’ll vanish.

 4. The market has changed, we don’t exhibit at Baselworld anymore, and our customers want the products without waiting too long between their presentation and availability in the shops. Consequently, we organise the presentation of new products close to the date they’ll be available in our shops.

EUROPA STAR’S FOUR QUESTIONS

1. What are your predictions for 2016? Do you think that exports will recover, or will the markets stagnate or continue to decline after the slump we saw in 2015? And what do you think were the reasons for the downturn in 2015?

2. What are your priorities for the coming year: consolidating your existing markets, actively exploring new markets (if so, which), rationalising / consolidating / expanding your distribution network, launching new products, PR initiatives, etc.?

3. Over the longer term, do you believe that mechanical watchmaking will gradually die out, hybridise, or continue to occupy its own exclusive niche? Do you see the advent of smartwatches as a potential threat, or an opportunity for growth and diversification?

4. What exactly do you hope to achieve from your participation in Baselworld 2016? Do you feel your presence at the fair is essential to your business, or are such forums less important now than they were in the past?

LIST OF RESPONDING CEOs