Tag Archives: Live your passion

Results 2014

Manufacture

Frederique Constant Classics Manufacture

We are very happy to report that we have closed the year with 16% sales growth compared to 2013. This is an enormous performance considering that the watch industry exports only grew approximately 2% in 2014. We are very proud on this result! All teams in the company, our distributors, and our retail partners have been working very hard to realize maximum sales in an often-difficult environment. Thank you very much for this hard work!

Not only has the result been good in 2014, very important is also that we have made structural changes last year in our management approach. Aletta and myself have stepped back somewhat from day-to-day operations and this work has been picked-up increasingly by our Management Team. With hard work, help of coaches, planning meetings, and various IT systems, our overall accountability culture has improved significantly. This is very important as it creates a solid base for the future. We thank all at the company for this new way of working.

With more time available, Aletta and myself have been able to focus more on external relations, collection creation, and strategy. Never before have we had our new collection so well developed at this stage, more sophisticated, all details fine-tuned to a new level. Our merchandising strategy is showing increasing strong results.

All this gives us strong confidence for 2015. As always, we have great ambitions and we are sure that we will have another year of excitement and strong growth.

With our target to grow production and sales from 135K to 150K in 2015, we will let more people enjoy luxury. This core purpose is our reason of being and the driver to live our passion.

Thank you for your interest in Frederique Constant, thank you for your support. We wish you an excellent start of the year and are looking forward continuing our journey with you. Together we are strong and together we will be living our passion!

Sensible Prices

During the discussions in the advisory board, we often spoke about what makes FC different and what we see as the purpose of the company. From the beginning, we saw that ‘sensible prices’ were our competitive edge. The attractive prices were essential to reach a younger target group of 30-45 year olds who have limited budgets. Most are business men and women at the beginning of their career, in first management functions, but still at low salaries. At the same time, these people are starting families, which requires funds as well. Still, there is an enthusiasm for Swiss mechanical watches. It is for these persons that Frederique Constant offers beautiful time pieces. We determined that our company produced Accessible Luxury, beautiful Swiss watches from Geneva at sensible prices. We defined our purpose as ‘Let more people enjoy luxury’.

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However, beautiful watches at sensible prices was not enough. We also had to work on the ‘luxury’ part of our purpose ‘Let more people enjoy luxury’. Hence, we started to discuss how to create an image around Frederique Constant. First step was the sponsoring of classic car rallies, the Healey partnership that developed into the Vintage Rally Universe. Then, followed the Runabout, the classic gentlemen’s sports boat. Finally, with the various charity activities, we developed a campaign and purpose for our ladies Double Heart Beat Collection.

 

Tom Morris: Live Your Passion

Over twenty five years ago, Peter Stas and his wife Aletta found themselves entranced by the high end Swiss watches they saw in retail shop windows when they were in the country for ski vacations. But, being young people on a tight budget, they couldn’t afford what they were seeing. And yet, it planted in them an idea. Why couldn’t they start their own business and create beautiful luxury watches that would be vastly more affordable than what they had been seeing? 
They had found their passion, and decided to live it. So, when they published a book on their corporate story, they entitled it “Live Your Passion.” From the inception of the company on, the “affordable luxury” watches of Frederique Constant have delighted people around the world. I’ve mentioned Peter before, a couple of months ago, in a blog post about luxury, but it’s this aspect of his story I’d like to highlight today. By living their passion, the good that Peter and Aletta have been able to do has gone far, and probably beyond their youthful dreams.
The power of passion, well directed, is astonishing.
A young attorney told me last week that when she was growing up and her dad loaded up the kids in their car to go anywhere, he’d pull into any used car lots that he might pass along the way, “just to look,” as he would explain to them. At a certain point, it became obvious to the children that their dad’s passion was cars, in all their variety. They encouraged him to change careers and set up his own used car lot, which he did, and truly found his passion at work – a passion that has helped him flourish in his new business throughout the years.
When his daughter was in law school, a man came onto the lot one day to ask the car guy if he would help him to sell his car. He didn’t usually work like that, but he liked the visitor right away, and they got into a great conversation. The man with the car to sell turned out to be a top attorney. And his firm ended up hiring the young lawyer, the car dealer’s daughter, at first as an intern, and then as a full time member of the firm where she is now truly living her own passion, thanks to her dad, who has been living his.
And that’s the way it works. What do you do with your free time? What do you love? How can you integrate that more into your business life? Or, are you one of the lucky ones who are already there? Wherever you may be in life, living your passion will benefit not only you, but many others as well – as the stories of Peter Stas and the young attorney’s father demonstrate.
Live your passion, indeed.

 

Live your passion – Our History

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It all started with our passion for watches. Then, the passion of our watchmakers was added and we have been on a journey to build a thriving watch manufacture. With our slogan LIVE YOUR PASSION, we encourage others to share in our passion for  fine watchmaking.

True passion has always been the result of fine sensitive processes that happen over time – not the exploits of some exciting moment. It represents our internal drive, not our daily habits or needs. While our habits change, our drive continues to be the result of our character and heritage. Time and moments pass. The accomplishments of our drive remain over time. This has been the true aspect of passion at all times.

The idea for this book started during a seminar on the “Rockerfeller Habits” in Amsterdam, where we attended with the Management Team of our company. In the past years, various people – journalists, customers, suppliers, industry colleagues – had suggested to write a book about our passion and the history of Frederique Constant. It was the suggestion of the members of our Management Team that made us think more seriously about the idea.

The primary purpose initially was to create a book as a publicity vehicle for potential customers and new employees. To explain how and why the company came into this world. There is certainly also an ambition to leave some kind of a legacy, to leave behind a “rule book” on what we envision as the long-term culture of the company. That it may serve as a motivation for those working with us to continue to grow Frederique Constant, Alpina and Atelier deMonaco. Last but not least, this book’s intention is also to show our children more in-depth what their parents have been spending so much time on in the past twenty years.

We learned from the YPO workshop “Write That Book”, that it takes over thousand hours to develop and finish a book manuscript. Considering the time we were spending already on work, this hardly sounded like an appealing proposition. The book idea was officially postponed to a later date when we would have more time. Still, the temptation to write something more comprehensive remained. Writing press articles and blog entries did relieve some pressure, but it was never enough. So, quietly we began to develop a book outline. With the help of Gisbert Brunner and Alexander Linz, we were able to structure scattered thoughts and information.

This book is a mix between a “Coffee Table Book” and “Business Book”. You will find ample text on the business aspects of the company, our Purpose ”Let more people enjoy luxury” and the company Core Values. You will also find plenty of photos and images that tell the story of the creation of watch calibers, models and their manufacturing. Most important however is the story of the people in the company, the customers and the suppliers. We are very grateful to have been able to work with many excellent people during the past twenty years. Without them, the company would never have been possible.

The next pages will start with an in-depth explanation of the “Accessible Luxury” concept that has been the basis of the creation of Frederique Constant over twenty years ago. We will explain many details and specific anecdotes in the following chapters in interview format. Each company Core Value is described later including an interview with colleagues for the respective value.

We have often been asked the reason for the success of our company: “Tell me, what is the single most important success factor?” Unfortunately, or fortunately, there is not one answer. It has been the combination of many factors that created success at the various development phases of the company. While it is very important to have a clear strategy, we are truly of the opinion that you have to do many things right to have success. That means hard work and long hours. You can read all about it in the rest of this book!

Frederique Constant watches are first and foremost very classical. Over the years, various Frederique Constant customers asked us to develop a sports collection. However, we always saw this as a conflict with the strategy to create, produce and market classical watches. For us it was essential to stay consistent with the classical strategy. Then in 2002, we had the opportunity to acquire Alpina, a watch company founded in 1883 with a long history in sports watches. This acquisition gave us a vehicle for sports and lifestyle watches.

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Later chapters describe the extensive history of the “Union Horlogere”, the company that created and registered Alpina in 1901. How this company was revolutionary with it’s “Alpinist” concept of collaboration. We have a mission to revive Alpina to its former glory as a world watch brand. It is work in progress.

Atelier deMonaco was incorporated in April 2009 and is the third watch company in our group. Atelier deMonaco creates and produces high-end watch complications – a Minute Repeater, Perpetual Calendar and various Tourbillons. It is in this company that our most talented watchmakers can express themselves and gain experience while marketing their unique watch creations. Atelier deMonaco is ultimately an implementation of our “Personal Development” Core Value.

Thank you for your interest in our watch manufacture and we wish you a joyful reading on our passion.

Aletta & Peter Stas

 

How Often Did You Practice?

Book live your passion

Aletta: Once or twice a week, depending on how much time I had available. The games were played on Saturdays. Other than that, you focused entirely on your watches after you resigned from ING? Aletta: yes, it was sometimes quite stressful at first, especially when we urgently needed to complete something. There was so much to do! We had to collaborate with our Swiss partners. I recall several hectic periods. But there were also quieter weeks. We primarily acquired new customers and new orders at trade fairs, first in Hong Kong and then in Basel starting in 1995. We also traveled to Dubai once with a delegation from Hong Kong. We as Dutch people weren't supposed to be part of the entourage, but everything had already been organized so we simply boarded the plane and flew. We stayed at a lovely hotel in Dubai No Fields Found.

Let'S Get Back To Flying. What Sort Of Pilot'S License Had Peter Earned?

Book live your passion

Aletta: A license for small singleengine aircraft with a maximum of four seats Ð Cessnas, for example. Peter: But my license expired long ago and I never renewed it. No Fields Found.

It Starts And Ends With Clear Lines Of Communication

Book live your passion

All employees at Frederique Constant should be passionate about what they do. This passion at all levels within the business results in a wide range of different ideas coming into the building every day. People will not always agree on what is best for the company, but every employee here at Frederique Constant will always be encouraged to share their views, opinions and ideas at every level. Our philosophy is that whenever anyone feels passionately about anything involving the company, they should air their point of view. Our creative designers, our talented team of artisans who assemble the highest quality Swiss timepieces, our marketing department these are all composed of people who bring their passion to work every day. At Frederique Constant, we believe in listening to and acting upon the ideas and innovations that spring from these passions. We pledge that anyone and everyone within the company who wishes to share their ideas will be heard and their ideas will be considered. Passion is to be encouraged and nurtured, and this is most easily achieved through open and honest lines of communication. No Fields Found.

Family, Children And Friends What Is It Like For A Married Couple To Share Their Business Life And To Work So Closely Together?

Book live your passion

Aletta: Now and then I hear people say it must be problematic. I admit it can be difficult at times. But when it works smoothly, there's definitely nothing better. Peter: We share the same passions and we also share the occasional worries. That makes things much easier. Aletta: I see things similarly with regard to the children. If they choose to join the business and everything works smoothly, it would be marvelous. But suppose they graduate from university and take jobs with companies located somewhere halfway around the globe. Then we would see them only rarely. It would be much nicer to have our children working under our own roof. No Fields Found.