With a degree in micromechanics and business administration, it could be said that Antonio Calce (1967) was trained to dedicate himself to the watch industry. At least, his professional career supports it: three years at Piaget, eight years at Panerai, nine at Corum... and now he has been CEO of Sowind for two years (Girard Perregaux and JeanRichard), after this group was bought by the luxury empire Kering, formerly known as PPR. We took advantage of his time in Barcelona to interview him.
To prepare for this interview I have been searching for “Antonio Calce” on Google, and all the recent entries say the same thing: “Antonio Calce, new CEO of Sowind.” This is from January 2015, and there is nothing new since then… what have you been doing?
Tidy up my office (laughs). Broadly speaking, I have been reformulating the brand's collections. Fine Watchmaking gives you legitimacy, prestige and above all knowledge, but the day-to-day life of a brand is made up of closer watches. I have been designing differentiation lines, with four clearly defined pillars: a classic offering (1966), a sports one (Laureato) and its feminine versions. The most important thing here is the introduction (rather recovery) of steel as a material for cases. On the other hand, we produce a few hundred Haute Horlogerie pieces a year that until now only had gold versions, and I want to introduce titanium and other materials in that segment in addition to a scaling of complications. Thirdly, I have restructured the price segmentation, introducing a new range that goes from five thousand to ten thousand euros. It would be the price of entry to the brand.
Could it be said that Haute Horlogerie is like the supercar of a car brand that, without being the main business, helps sell those of the let's say normal range?
Of course. And we have specific distribution and communication channels for each of the two divisions, because each one must communicate its own message. Fine Watchmaking gives us the hallmark. We won the Grand Prix at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889 thanks to a technique and finishes that we still preserve. To illustrate this, I will tell you an anecdote: in other manufactures, when a watchmaker takes longer than necessary in the finishing part, he is scolded saying “Wait up, we are not Girard Perregaux!” Fine Watchmaking is a privilege that few brands master, and it would be crazy not to take advantage of it because it allows us to bring to light something as important to us as the Laureato collection.
Let's talk about the Laureate...
Laureato was born in 1974 directly with a quartz movement, when practically all Swiss watchmaking went into crisis due to the “Japanese invasion” with its low-cost quartz watches, which called into question the precision and accuracy of all mechanics. It should be said that, unlike the rest of the Swiss brands, which formed the Center Electronique Horloger, Girard Perregaux developed its own high-frequency quartz caliber, and in 1971 it already presented a model whose heart vibrated at 32,768 hertz, a figure that ended up being established as a reference for manufacturers around the world.
Returning to today, this year we have created a complete family with Laureato, with four sizes (diameters) available: 34, 38, 42 millimeters, and we also have a 45mm size, which is the one that contains the tourbillon under a bridge. One feature worth noting is that each size has its own movement that “fills” the case without having to resort to tricks like very small back crystals or robes. Manufactured movements, 11.5 and 13 lines that also have the particularity of being one of the thinnest automatics on the market, 3.6 millimeters. The smallest Laureato – generally preferred by women – will have a quartz movement that, paradoxically, will be the most faithful to the original. Precisely for this reason, and in a nod to our way of doing things, we will launch a limited series with the back visible so that you can admire the “Côtes de Geneve” finishes on a gold plate of this movement, which can be called manufactured quartz for all purposes. Movement, by the way, in which some competing brands have been interested.
He has spoken of a redefinition of prices and their segments, lowering the level of access to Girard Perregaux. Where would that leave JeanRichard, the other brand of the Sowind group that you also run?
JeanRichard is a product of the 2000 franc environment, there is no cannibalization or competition with Girard Perregaux and they can certainly coexist perfectly. The problem, so to speak, is that Girard Perregaux's potential is of such magnitude that I want to concentrate all my energy and attention to position it where it should be. The same could be said of the parent company, Kering: there has been a large investment in R&D, in product, in communication, a new website, development of its own subsidiaries around the world... there will be time for JeanRichard.
To finish: the Sowind group is the second independent group to end up in the hands of Kering after the disappearance of its founder (Luigi Macaluso, in this case). Is it impossible to stay independent in current times?
Brand strategies require long-term investments, and greater the further you want to go. Girard Perregaux, due to its history and legacy, has a global vocation, so the necessary resources are proportional to these objectives. Some glamor may be lost, but the future is guaranteed. For now, this year 2017 we have returned to the SIHH, Salon de la Haute Horlogerie, which is where Girard Perregaux should be.
Time is running out. Antonio Calce's agenda is really tight and he doesn't have enough time, but we are looking forward to a more relaxed conversation in the near future that promises, as does this new stage of the Girard Perregaux Laureate under his command.
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