Something we don’t know about you?
That I’m a huge rugby league fan. I’m from Carcassonne [a town in the south of France with a strong rugby tradition]. Rugby league is played a lot in the UK and Australia, less so in other nations. I was a player myself in my younger days. They say rugby is the school of life and I can only agree!
What are your ambitions for Perrelet?
To continue with the relaunch. We’ve progressed with sister company Soprod over the past five years, developing movements that have chronometer and Chronofiable certification. We’re extending the retailer network and in 2025 we plan to build on the Turbine collection as well as relaunch a range of women’s watches.
And for Leroy?
To put the brand back centre-stage. After Only Watch was cancelled, the watch we’d donated was returned to us and has prompted considerable interest. It often travels with me as an example of the brand’s expertise, but also its history and its ambitions for the future. But we’ll talk more at this summer’s Geneva Watch Days!
Your favourite book?
Something by Harlan Coben. I like how he writes. As a genre, I enjoy detective fiction and thrillers.
Your favourite film?
I recently rewatched The Shawshank Redemption with Morgan Freeman. It’s an excellent movie, that’s already thirty years old. Definitely one to see.
What’s on your playlist?
Because I travel so much, I’m open to many different musical influences. Sorry if it’s a bit of a non-answer, but I enjoy any kind of music. When I’m in the US, I listed to American rap, in France I listen more to pop and when I’m travelling in South America, Latino sounds. I actually live in Barcelona.
The one dish you can’t resist?
Coming from Carcassonne, it has to be cassoulet!
A favourite hobby?
Photography, in fact I recently returned from a photo safari in Kenya. For a long time I used film, but now I’ve switched to digital. I have some pretty good camera equipment.
The person who most inspires you?
My mother, a psychologist. We’re very close.
If you could jump on a plane right now, where would you go?
Latin America and especially Colombia. It’s a fabulous country with scenery that varies from one region to another. Colombians are warm and welcoming. They’re wonderful people.
If there were a 25th hour in the day?
I’d spend it with family and friends. Like I said, I travel a lot and would appreciate an extra hour to spend with those closest to me.
The watch on your wrist?
A Lab Peripheral from Perrelet. Less well-known than the Turbine, it’s a dressier watch with an interesting peripheral rotor. Mechanically and aesthetically, it ticks all the boxes.
Another that isn’t by Perrelet?
I have a soft spot for the independents. I’d say Laurent Ferrier, always elegant.
An accessory you couldn’t do without, that isn’t a watch?
At the risk of sounding clichéd, it would have to be my phone, a pen and a notebook. I meet a lot of people, in different contexts, different places and different countries, and I like to keep a note of our conversations.
