Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent
Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent. Oris proudly independent
At the INHORGENTA trade fair in Munich, Rolf Studer, Oris co-CEO since 2016, gave insight into the reasons behind the brand’s success.
Rolf Studer, who joined Oris in 2006 and is now co-CEO, knows how to put his ideas across with a conviction and humility few possess. The success of the company he heads, which was founded in 1904 in Hölstein, in the canton of Basel, followed by a management buyout in 1982, may seem obvious today but is the result of a “recipe” that has been thoughtfully and patiently assembled over a period of years. Rolf Studer discussed some of the ingredients in a dialogue led by international watch journalist Suzanne Wong and member of the Fondation Haute Horlogerie Cultural Council.
“Everyone at Oris shares the same values. This doesn’t mean we expect our staff to give up their personal beliefs and opinions. Anything but. Diversity drives creativity as long as everyone is working towards the same goal, which we are. There’s a communicative energy and the pleasure of working and spending our day together. Oris follows its own rules and is committed to making the best mechanical watches in its segment of the market.”
“Oris is proud to be an independent brand but independence brings its share of responsibilities. There is no big corporate structure, no group, that has your back. On the other hand, we’re the captains of the ship. We decide on the direction we want to take, which again implies taking responsibility and weighing up strategic decisions carefully.”
“Sustainability, respecting the standards and rules of sustainable development, is a priority for Oris and also one of our responsibilities as an independent brand. We see ourselves as a “citizen” in the Enlightenment sense of the word. Proof of this: we were the first watch brand to become carbon neutral. This commitment to protecting the environment and being respectful of our planet is embedded in Oris’s DNA.”
“We live in an age where it’s impossible to ignore social media. Setting aside the problems of instantaneousness which are inherent to these communication channels, we can leverage social media to form communities of enthusiasts and interact with them. There are people who spend their time excluding others from their space, and there are those who look for ways to include others and share the joys and pleasures of life with as many people as possible. This is precisely what Oris wants to do: create joy for the people who follow us. One of Oris’s ambitions is to make people smile, in fact our mascot since the launch of the Artelier collection in 2000 has been a smiling teddy bear. Growing up, everyone had a favourite teddy bear, their companion for life. Just like Oris.”
“The decision to produce our own movements, in particular the automatic calibre 400, was a major strategic decision. Prior to the quartz crisis, Oris had 279 in-house calibres to its name. This development is the continuation of this expertise. Our vocation is to produce only mechanical watches, so this is really about respecting a tradition. We set out to create a movement that corresponded to what we, as watch enthusiasts, would want, so a movement that’s accurate, with a comfortable 5-day power reserve, antimagnetic and delivered with a 10-year warranty. Of course we could have taken the easy option, source finished movements and focus on marketing the product, but we chose a different, more authentic direction. Yes, it is more complex and more challenging in terms of customer service, but infinitely more rewarding. This was a big step but we had to take it and we can be proud of ourselves. When we started, we had no idea of the journey ahead, which is probably a good thing. But what a huge satisfaction it’s been!”
“Looking ten years ahead, I hope our positioning will be the same, that we will still be an independent brand producing accessibly priced watches that make people smile. The problem, if I can call it that, is that the industry is moving upmarket at the risk of losing its industrial base, when it’s vital that Swiss watchmaking, as an industry, continues to manufacture watches in every price segment and in sufficient numbers to maintain its production resources. This is Oris’s firm conviction and our positioning reflects this belief.”
