Reluctant daughter rises to her father’s challenge at Tiffany
Complications, movements and haute horlogerie at the Baselworld Fair took a back seat to glamour this year.
A shining powder-blue temple of taste stood out like an elegant beacon among the serious, sober Swiss stand as people queued to view the debut collection of the new Tiffany Watch Company.
This is a partnership formed in 2008 between Tiffany & Co New York and the Swatch Group, combining the refinement of the New York brand with the distribution prowess of the world’s largest manufacturer.
The traditionally successful aspects of Tiffany watches, such as the Atlas and Tesoro collections, have had a most delicate design makeover, giving them a sleeker, modern look.
When searching for a safe pair of hands to tweak Tiffany watches into contemporary pieces that would appeal to markets around the world, Nicolas Hayek co-founder and chairman of the Swatch Group, decided to keep it in the family.
Who would understand the feminine brand of Tiffany and effect the necessary subtle changes better than Nayla, his only daughter, who has sat on the board of directors of the Swatch Group since 1995?
“I always tried not to enter the watch world,” admits Ms Hayek, a successful international Arabian horse breeder and judge. “But I have had strong views about our watch brands so my father said ‘if you’re always critical, then do something about it’.”
It must be difficult to avoid becoming immersed in watches when your family owns the world’s largest watch company. “As a family we look at watches all the time and talk about them,” she says. Even at Christmas lunch? “Yes, even then.”
At the fair, she is confident that accepting the challenge to become CEO of Tiffany Watch Co has been the right decision. “We’ve had tentative orders from the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, China and Taiwan,” she says.
“I want to keep Tiffany as a feminine watch brand,” she says.”I wasn’t thinking about jewellery watches though because too many brands are doing that. The most important thing is to have a broad selection of designs.”
In Ms Hayek’s view, too many women’s watches are either jewelled pieces or smaller versions of a man’s watch. “This is the type of watch I search for as a woman,” she explains pulling out one of the newly-launched Atlas Lady pieces.
Ms Hayek owns about 30 watches including pieces by Rado, a couple of Longines including a diamond set L’Elegance evening watch, the Reine de Naples by Breguet and many by Blancpain. “It’s my favourite brand,” she says. “I love the understatement of Blancpain and the pure design. I will wear Tiffany but I’ve told them that I will still wear my Blancpain watches,” she laughs. “Well, I’ve got two arms.”
Fortunately for a brand famed for its high jewellery aesthetics, Ms Hayek loves diamonds so the 150-year heritage of classic diamond set vintage style evening watches a la Audrey Hepburn will flourish. “I like big stones and blue colours like aquamarines, topaz and turquoise.”
This explains the Tiffany piece de resistance at Baselworld, which is a full pave set cuff watch set with baguette diamonds with 5 Av set in the centre in scintillating blue diamonds.