Gregory Bruttin, Strategic Product Director at Roger Dubuis, talks to us about the master watchmaker’s legacy, the brand’s future direction, challenges, and more.
You have come a long way from a serendipitous entry into the Maison to taking over the mantle from Roger Dubuis himself. Tell us about how challenging, and rewarding the journey has been.
The greatest satisfaction is without a doubt to have been able to work and learn so much from Roger. He passed on to me his vision and his work philosophy, which I, in return, try to pass on everyday. And that must be the greatest challenge I have today. Over the years, we have worked out many ideas together, which at first sight seemed unrealistic, but we have succeeded each time in materializing them and making them work. Now we must continue to create while respecting his vision. He kept telling me: “Be innovative, be creative, stir up the rules of watchmaking, but always respect the watchmaking tradition”.
At a time when an increasing number of luxury watch brands are experimenting with new materials and extreme designs, what do you see as the unique selling proposition of Roger Dubuis compared to competitors?
The uniqueness of the brand comes from its founder who was an incredible master watchmaker. This Haute Horlogerie remains at the core of the brand, but we treat it in a contemporary and expressive way. We master the four grand complications and we decide to interpret them in a modern way.
How do you balance the seemingly contradictory elements of extreme Hyper Horology ideas with traditional watchmaking concepts that conform to Poinçon de Genève standards?
It is not contradictory, at Roger Dubuis we know that the world is constantly changing, so we adapt our products to this evolution. Would you like to buy a car with the same performance and aesthetics as what was made in the sixties? This is what happens in traditional watchmaking. The Poinçon de Genève is our red thread, it allows us not to go astray and to always respect the watchmaking tradition that was so important to Roger.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the luxury watch industry today, and how is Roger Dubuis addressing them?
After 20 years of unbridled creativity, brands have become much more focused on their DNA. The main challenge for watchmaking is to be able to consolidate this DNA without losing focus. Today we have a unique positioning in watchmaking and we will consolidate it in the future by returning to traditional complications reinterpreted in a contemporary way.
Can you tell us about some of the most exciting recent innovations or developments at Roger Dubuis and their potential impact on the watchmaking world?
We launched a couple of years ago an Excalibur Spider Carbon Minute Repetition, for me this piece perfectly illustrates Roger’s vision of challenging the watchmaking world by using traditional complications in a non-traditional watch using contemporary materials and design.
How have collaborations with Lamborghini and Pirelli influenced Roger Dubuis and its watches? Where do you see these associations going in the future?
They have positively influenced the brand: we have evolved enormously in terms of design but also from a technical point of view. The automotive world is constantly evolving, it allows us to question ourselves and challenge our own ideas. It is a long-term partnership, we have many ideas for future products with some good surprises for this year.
How important is sustainability to Roger Dubuis, and what steps is the brand taking to reduce its environmental impact?
As part of Richemont, we believe in adding value to society beyond the scope of our business. And, as experts in the field of crafting beauty, we know we play a major role in preserving and sharing excellence. That is why education and knowledge sharing are essential to who we are and what we do. We are also committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. We are determined to offset our emissions of CO2 and work with Science Based Targets to annually measure our impact on climate and define our next steps to net zero. This includes reaching 100 per cent renewable energy within 2025. At the end of 2022, we stopped using PVC in all our products and packaging.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and vision for Roger Dubuis, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Our vision is to make expressive and contemporary Haute Horlogerie. In the last few years we have made our products evolve to maintain this contemporary side. Expressiveness is an element of the Maison’s DNA, hence an element that has been present since the first days. Our work for the coming years will focus on Haute Horlogerie. The reinterpretation of the four grand complications is part of our challenges for the future.