New Traditions

Fine watchmaking does not always have to be exceptionally out of reach. Vacheron Constantin CEO Louis Ferla shows Melainne Chiew how to welcome a new audience without compromising its lofty status

- Melainne Chiew

FINE WATCHMAKING IS an exclusive world, with precision, perfection and exquisite finishing being the order of the day. It takes more than deep pockets to enter this club, and the requirements can be abstract. So how does a leading name such as Vacheron Constantin invite a new audience without being too accessible? To this point, CEO Louis Ferla shares that the brand received far more orders than they can fulfil at the recent 28th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, and had to turn away some orders. “We had a very, very good fair,” says Ferla. “We ended up having to apologise to our clients.”

Ferla, who joined the company in October 2016 as managing director, has been CEO of Vacheron Constantin since April 2017. The Frenchman’s career in the Richemont group began in 2001, taking him across Asia and the United Arab Emirates from Alfred Dunhill (2000-2006) to Cartier (2006–2016). With more than 17 years in the luxury sector, Ferla is no rookie in this game, and Vacheron Constantin has enjoyed great progress under his leadership.

Last year, it launched the highly complex Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication. Packed with 23 complications, including seasons, solstices, equinoxes, zodiac signs and even a tide level indicator, the timepiece snagged the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. “It’s too early to really say we are where we should be, but we have a lot of good news,” Ferla says, adding that there are plans to continue developing the Les Cabinotiers line. “We have a fantastic business on that segment.”