The next issue of L'Orologio will be on newsstands throughout Italy from Friday. In the meantime, here is a taste of the interview with Alain Spinedi (right in photo), CEO of Louis Erard.
An interesting exchange with our own Paolo Gobbi, which will allow many to get to know better and more deeply the reality of a young brand on the rise in our market.
D. A real challenge to present oneself in a market today crowded with more than six hundred different brands.
R. We started from a simple concept: today there is a return of mechanical models and all brands have taken advantage of this to make a leap forward, also and above all in prices. This has left a gap in the 400 to 1,300 euro bracket. A space into which we have inserted ourselves.
D. Can you tell us some figures about your production?
R. Our business plan was written four years ago, thinking of an investment that then only existed on paper. Today we have forty active markets around the world, with more than six hundred sales outlets; our production in 2006 was 15,000 pieces and we are counting on reaching 20,000 this year, always of course after having come to terms with the ever-increasing difficulty in sourcing mechanical movements. We are naturally investing a lot, both on the product and on the training of personnel, both production and sales.
D. Could you quantify the reliability of your watches?
R. For example, last year out of more than 6,000 watches sold in Italy, only 48 presented problems, sometimes very minor ones. Our dealers are also happy about this, as they can offer their customers a product that will fully satisfy them over time.
Furthermore, in Italy we have an absolutely efficient after-sales service, guaranteed by an importer that has been active on the market for years, Airone of Florence. Add to this a very important detail: we exclusively use ETA movements, which guarantee us very high reliability and substantial ease in finding spare parts.
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