JOIN OUR SUBSTACK
!!!
JOIN OUR SUBSTACK !!!
Raymond Weil CEO Elie Bernheim joins us in Sydney to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. Raymond Weil is one of a handful of independent, family-owned watch brands still operating in Switzerland, and that independence gives it a unique position in the industry. Felix and Elie cover off how Raymond Weil has changed over the last 50 years, why product comes first, the strategic re-evaluation that led to watches like the Millésime, and the importance of consistent pricing. Before that, Andy shares his thoughts on the Wind Vintage x True North Dreamsicle, the latest collab between True North and Eric Wind.
Elie Bernheim has been CEO of Raymond Weil for 12 years. He's the third generation of his family to run the company his grandfather founded in 1976, in the middle of the quartz crisis. Elie points to the Parsifal collection of the early '90s as the moment the brand stepped up, followed by his father's Shine and Don Giovanni collections in the early 2000s. Every turning point he names is a watch, and that's deliberate.
"You can have the best marketing ever, a lot of financial means, but if the product is not the right product for your market, you don't succeed."
COVID forced a rethink. Elie used it to reset the brand's strategy for the next 15 years, and the Millésime emerged from that process. The relaunched Toccata Heritage and this year's A.R.T. collection followed, all priced where Elie believes Raymond Weil belongs. Felix has been calling it the Raymond Weil Renaissance.
The pricing conversation is the one we keep coming back to. While many Swiss brands moved upmarket, Raymond Weil stayed put, and Elie sees the space they left behind as room to grow. He's also clear about what happens to brands that overreach.
"It's always easier to go up in price. It's not so easy to go down."
"We live in a world of transparency, where we all know what an automatic movement costs, what a dial costs. At some point you cannot overprice something that we all know should be much [lower]."
For Elie, staying consistent on price is tied to staying independent.
"My grandfather used to say 'value for money'. If I want to remain independent, family-owned and family-operated, I should stick to that plan."
This week’s episode is supported by Raymond Weil. Discover the latest releases here.
Notes:
Raymond Weil’s heritage pieces (1:47)
Interview with Elie Bernheim, CEO of Raymond Weil (7:37)
Raymond Weil’s strategic shift (13:08)
The Raymond Weil A.R.T. (15:38)
Freelancer chat (17:40)
The importance of stable pricing (19:30)
How Raymond Weil has improved in 50 years (24:20)
Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes
OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV
How to follow us:
Send us an email: otthepodcast@gmail.com
If you liked our podcast, please remember to like/share and subscribe.
