Q&AOlivier Bernheim launches The Beatles watch in India – An Exclusive Interview with the Owner and President of Raymond Weil

The President of Raymond Weil, Mr. Olivier Berheim was present in India for the launch of the Maestro Beatles watch earlier this week. The Watch Guide got up close with the man himself, who gave us a personal account of  how this mega music+watch partnership came to life:

Glad to Have you with us Mr Bernheim! Raymond Weil has been present in India since the 80s, and already has a huge fan base here. However, times have changed, and in the new ‘digital era’, how do you intend to strike a chord in the heart of the modern Indian customer?

Olivier – We have always had a pool of faithful customers, and when I say faithful I mean they don’t have one of our watches, but many of them.

We already have a very strong customer base compared to other Swiss brands in India, but, at the same time, we have to rejuvenate our existing customer base, say youngsters between the ages of 25 to 35. We have to educate them about the brand and its core values through all modern tools of communication, including Facebook & Twitter. I’m an old school person and this will probably never be my preferred way of communicating, but I have to accept it’s the modern way.  I believe Ethos Watches with all their marketing efforts will help me convey that in India. And as far as my product is concerned, I believe the Beatles watch will strike that chord with the youngsters.

What makes Raymond Weil special and unique compared to any other brand?

Olivier – Our aim has always been to educate our customers about the technical know-how and quality of our products. I believe what sets Raymond Weil apart is its “ethical pricing”. The market hasn’t been stable for all kinds of situations, and with the pan card rule coming into play in India, I believe Raymond Weil will perhaps be one of the few brands that delivers a quality Swiss product for a very reasonable price. Take the Beatles watch as an example!

This is probably the biggest partnership in the watchmaking industry so far (between Raymond Weil and The Beatles). How did it all start and how did the partnership materialize?

Olivier –It’s interesting because they were the ones who came to us, considering the fact that we’re the only Swiss watch brand that has music in its DNA. The Beatles, as you know, are a “trans-generational” band. Your grandfather, your father, even you must be a Beatles fan yourself! It’s a band that has been loved through generations and the same goes for Raymond Weil. Founded by my father-in-law 40 years ago, I was running the show for 25 years as the CEO and now my son is running the show. It’s similar for both us and the band, so we went ahead with it. But, we couldn’t do the watch without the approval of Apple corps. Their inputs helped the watch materialize. Good to mention at this point that this watch is sold out in most parts of the world, but I still reserved 20 pieces, just for India and Ethos. So whoever’s planning to get one should do so soon before they’re gone.

There’s a lot of emotion involved with The Beatles with millions of fans around the world, what was RW’s biggest challenge behind doing justice to this collaboration? How were you going to capture those emotions in time? On to the Maestro?

Olivier – I think the strategy was to blend their musical history onto our most iconic watch. And, at the same time be extremely respectful of the band and in no way make the watch overwhelming. The strategy was to put “The Beatles” in the center of the watch. We could have done a watch which was overwhelming but it’s important that the band remains the center of the watch.

“The strategy was to put ‘The Beatles’ in the center of the watch. We could have done a watch which was overwhelming but it’s important that the band remains the center of the watch.”

The story of Raymond Weil and The Beatles doesn’t end here? I’m sure there’s another collaboration watch coming soon?

Olivier – Yes. It certainly doesn’t end here. There’s a new watch that’s going to be revealed next year. It’s already been designed and approved by Apple Corps, the details of which I cannot disclose to you right now. But yes, the story does not end here for sure.

Since you’ve been to India so many times, you probably must be aware of the rich musical heritage we have as well? So are we looking forward to our music being a part of maybe the Maestro collection in the future? An Indian Masterpiece maybe?

Olivier – I’ve traveled to India since 1978 and in the last few years, I’ve come to this country maybe 2-3 times in a year. Of course, I’m aware of the rich heritage of Indian music and I’m certainly not saying no to an Indian inspired Raymond Weil watch! Though I admit we’ve never thought about it. But today it’s important to be ‘glocal’.We always look forward to noble partnerships and we’ll be more than happy if an Indian musician would approach us for a collaboration.

Do you have a message for the Indian watch lovers?

I want Indian watch lovers to understand that we want to transfer our passion for creativity, values that RW is known for throughout the world, to them. We make each product with immense love and passion and we want the Indian people to embrace and enjoy our watches more than anything else.

Your favourite Beatles song?

Abbey Road is my favourite album. I love all the songs from that album.

You can reserve your own Limited Edition Beatles watch at Ethos Watch Boutiques.