Kristian Haagen: Would you say 2013 was a good year for Eberhard & Co.?
Mario Peserico: 2013 proved a good year overall, with varied results between the different geographic areas. Western Europe was the market that suffered the most, but in other parts of the world we recorded a significant growth.
Can you share your annual production numbers?
Our production is on average 16,000 units per year. We do not aim for a rapid increase in volumes, as we prefer to handle a controlled growth.
Which is your biggest/most important market?
Italy is still the main market for Eberhard & Co. in terms of turnover and POS presence, but our geographic distribution is getting broader by the year.
What does 2014 look like for your brand?
There are really positive signs, such as a double-digit turnover increase on some markets in the January/February period, that encourage us to look at 2014 with a very optimistic attitude.
Did you open new points of sales and are you considering opening Eberhard & Co brand boutiques any time soon?
Of course we open new points of sale every year, in step with significant new opportunities or simply in order to handle the normal distribution turnover. For the first brand boutiques, we have a few projects in the pipeline, but nothing can be confirmed at the moment.
Which models attracted most attention and why do you think they sold so well?
Our best-sellers are the Chrono4 collection and the 8 Days models. The reason is that they are original and unique products, exclusively patented by the Eberhard & Co., those the consumer most strongly identifies with the brand.
New Swiss Made regulations and less movements from Swatch Group. Is Eberhard & Co. challenged by these factors?
Eberhard is not directly challenged by the new regulations, but they may represent a problem for the producers of watches priced below CHF 1,000. As far as Swatch Group is concerned, their agreement with COMCO clearly specifies that they may sign alternative development plans with small and medium-sized industries. In any case, we have already devised valid alternatives for some of the products and are evaluating options for others.
What are your views on the introduction of the smart watch?
For the moment the smart watch is not in competition with quality mechanical watchmaking, but it will probably gain market shares in the future. I am not sure this is a good thing, as I believe that being “connected” every moment of the day will not be a lifestyle improvement.
If you were to give a new watch brand some good advice, what would that be?
To be as distinctive as possible in their production, to build an identity and find a specific market niche.
