The Hindu Business Line : The long and short of it

Elegance is an attitude and true to its tagline, that is exactly what Longines, the luxury watch brand from the Swatch Group stable, showcased recently during its 175th year celebrations in the presence of the world press, in Geneva in Switzerland. As the sun set, champagne flowed and the cruise boat took a round of the famous Lake Geneve, one could see the illuminated building of The Cite Du Temps, the Group’s museum surrounded by the Lake on all sides, and which earlier in the day showcased Longine’s history, along with the oldest watch model to the most recent. And as the Swatch Group CEO very appropriately put it, “This brand has a history and a future.”

And the history is like this. Sometime in 1832, Auguste Agassiz, the founder, moved to the tiny Swiss town of Saint-Imier and found work with the Comptoir horloger Raiguel Jeune, a watch parts trader. A year later, he and two associates, Florian Morel and Henri Raiguel, set up the Comptoir Raiguel Jeune & Cie. When Henri Raiguel retired, in 1838, ownership of what had become Comptoir Agassiz & Cie passed to Auguste Agassiz and Florian Morel. In 1847, Auguste Agassiz became the venture’s sole owner, and in 1862, his nephew Ernest Francillon took over. It was four years later, in 1866, that Ernest Francillon acquired two plots of land on the outskirts of Saint-Imier, on the right bank of the Suze river near a place called Les Longines (meaning ‘long and narrow fields’ in the French dialect of the area). There he built the first Longines factory, an investment that finally allowed him to gather his entire workforce under one roof for the first time.

However, the brand’s journey in India began decades later, in 1999, when, having become a liberalised economy some years earlier, the country was waking up to the concept of having global luxury brands at its doorstep. The story began when the Indian Government raised the tariff barrier, and allowed the import of watches above the price of Rs 10,000 into the country. Hitherto, the protected Indian watch market that was till then dominated by the Tata Group-owned Titan opened its shores to a whole new world in timepieces.

The Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch-making conglomerate, introduced Longines to India, securing its position as the first to arrive in the elegant, high-end segment. Watches had, till then been looked upon as a utility item, and worn just to tell the time. However, liberalisation changed the way people lived, because it was then that the concept and reality of burgeoning disposable incomes came to the fore. Ownership of multiple models and the concept of a watch as a fashion accessory was not a popular concept at the time.

The introduction of Longines and other luxury watches changed the face of time-keeping in India, and the timepiece became a style statement. Introductory models Longines Dolce Vita and La Grand Classique gained instant recognition in the market. Since 2001, Longines has simultaneously introduced its international collections in India, be it the tonneau-shaped Evidenza, the sporty Master Collection, the BelleArti or the Lungomare, to its patrons in the country.

In fact, the brand signed on its first brand ambassador from India, Aishwarya Rai, who has been associated with the brand since then. From its very inception, Longines has been going with the motto of ‘elegance is an attitude’ that not only reflected in its brand positioning but also in its marketing initiatives. Starting with only two points of sale in Delhi and Mumbai, today Longines has a wide network of 65 points of sale across India, along with an exclusive boutique at Chennai. Now, having acknowledged the importance and the size of the Indian market, the brand has introduced its sports collection with four variants, Grand Vitesse - inspired by the world of automobile and motor sports, Admiral and Conquest - for elegance of performance, Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch and Weems Setting Watch - influenced by aviation, as well as Hydroconquest and LegendDiver, themed on the ocean.

With the changing face of retail in India, Longines too is striving to keep up with the rapidly changing pace, from a store culture to a mall culture graduating to a high street culture. Walter Von Kanel, President, Longines, says, “In terms of high street stores and luxury malls, the market in India is still developing. However, given the speed at which it is growing, one can easily say that the future of our brand in India is extremely bright.”

In fact, one other thing that the brand has realised being one of the first few entrants into the luxury watch space in India is respecting the Indian tradition and heritage. Time and again Longines has used its experience of the Indian tradition and heritage and weave them into timepieces for the Indian customers. The brand also did an Indian bridal campaign featuring Aishwarya’s Rai.

Recognising the potential of the Indian market, Longines is offering its watches at prices similar to international markets, in a range between $850 (Rs 38,000) and $3,500 (Rs 1.5 lakh). The high rates of duty are proving to be a hard nut to crack.

As Kanel says, “There is no limit in India for our future. We are approaching India as a long-term investment, and see huge potential since the luxury watch segment in the country is controlled by a select few players.” He, however, added, “Considering the tough and high duty structures, Longines has approached the Indian Government for certain considerations, and is positive about the outcome. We pray for the duties to go down in order for us to be able to expand our distribution.”

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