George: Collectors are always interested in something special. People still talk about the salmon dial Royal Oak Jubillee and the red dial Reverso of 2012. Despite the fact that there are over 300 boutiques worldwide, is it still sensible for a brand like Cartier to do a boutique or online special watch?
Arnaud Carrez (AC): We have a large network of boutiques and are not planning to increase that reach. It is, however, important to us that we upkeep the existing network.
Part of that effort is making sure that we create messages that are relevant to those various locations.
Launches, like the Panthere, are international but at the same time some markets have special needs and we like the idea of doing some city-specific. For example, a special collection in order to engage a certain clientele in one city. We don’t believe that one solution should fit all. We like the idea of being more in a collaborative mode with our markets. It’s all about finding the right balance.
Some collections might not be right for a certain market. We have to cater to local cultural habits. There’s much to gain from catering to our customers in such a colloquial manner.