After helming Hamilton, Sylvain Dora became CEO of Tissot in 2020. How will he develop Tissot, which exports more than 4 million units every year? The interview was conducted with keywords such as his own goals, the American market, and the NBA official timekeeper.
Sylvain Dora, CEO of Tissot. Born in France in 1972. Joined the watch industry in 2004 as head of Swatch's high-tech & access division. In 2005, he became the head of the international sales department at the Hamilton headquarters. In 2011, he became CEO of Hamilton. Current position from July 1, 2020. Originally published on watchtime.comText by Roger Ruegger November 30, 2021Interview with Sylvain Dora
WatchTime: What was 2020 like for Tissot? Sylvain Dora: It was a year that seemed to be heading in the direction we were aiming for. There aren't many Swiss watches in the price range of CHF 300 to CHF 1000, so I don't see any particular problem. There are five open markets in the world with no restrictions. We are growing in these five markets. There are of course challenges in other markets, but online growth is impressive.
WatchTime: What about the US market? Sylvain Dora: We are doing great in the American market. Over the past five years we have made significant investments in the NBA. It has come to fruition and is growing. We are positive about the US market, but the Caribbean Islands are not yet launched.
WatchTime: So your partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) paid off? Sylvain Dora: I think you can answer "yes" now. If I had been asked the same question a week ago, I wouldn't have had the data to be sure. We received survey results such as improved brand awareness and brand knowledge. The data clearly shows that media and NBA investments have synergistic effects leading to growth. We do this survey every two years, but it's really gone up in the last 24 months.
WatchTime: What's the next step? Sylvain Dora: Continuing our investment as the NBA's Official Timekeeper, we will soon sign two new top NBA players as Tissot ambassadors. At the same time, we will continue to develop e-commerce, further develop excellent collaborations with successful department stores, and help our retail partners strengthen their online stores. First of all, I would like to focus on the NBA.
Tissot became the official timekeeper of the NBA in 2015.WatchTime: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for brands? Sylvain Dora: I think there are several perspectives on this answer. First of all, there is a chance in the women's collection. Currently, women's collections account for 27% of total sales, and we believe that we can further increase sales, especially with the "Bellissima" collection. And in terms of markets, there are countries like Japan where we can expect great growth. As it stands, we see Tissot as being undervalued in Japan, and we're making a big budget investment in 2021. We aim to make a leap forward in Japan. The US market is growing rapidly, but we are just getting started. With this investment in the NBA, we have tremendous growth potential. You can easily double your sales. I think there is a lot of potential for growth in the Korean market as well. And China, the number one market, has seen tremendous growth here in recent months. This is especially true for retail and e-commerce sales. We provide a range of tools and support to our retail partners. Another market with great potential is the German market. November and December 2020 saw record sales in Germany.
WatchTime: What did you find to be very different from your previous roles when you took over your current position in 2020? Sylvain Dora: Well, I guess it's the size of the industry. Prior to that, I was already involved in the project team for the T-Touch Connect Solar (a touch panel-type smartphone-linked watch equipped with the Swiss-made original OS "Sw-ALPS") for nearly four years, so in that respect it's a bit special. Yes. In other words, the time of appointment was not a literal start, but the relationship with Tissot began four years earlier. After that, when I took over as CEO, I already knew Mathilde (Matilde Ends, international public relations specialist), Laurie (Laurie Sanders, VP of Product), the logistics team and the CFO, so it was easy.
WatchTime: What do you think about the importance of the Sea Star? Sylvain Dora: Well, Seastar is starting to play a very important role in terms of sales. This is Tissot's fourth line. The current version of Seastar was launched just four years ago, so I think it is a great achievement that we have established our position as the fourth line. It already accounts for about 7% of current sales. It's also important for me to be able to show what Tissot is capable of. At 1000 Swiss francs, it is ISO 6425 compliant, has a ceramic bezel, and shows the strength of the brand in terms of finishing and dial quality. The T-Touch Connect Solar and Sea Star showcase Tissot innovation. I also love projects that involve historical pieces, like my current favorite, the PRX Automatic. 'Innovator rooted in tradition and breaking tradition' has been in the brand's DNA for years.
"Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional". Self-winding (Cal. Powermatic 80/ETA C07.111 base). 23 stones. 21,600 vibrations/hour. Power reserve up to 80 hours. SS case (diameter 46mm, thickness 16.25mm). 60 ATM water resistant. 128,700 yen (tax included).WatchTime: What role do watch collectors play? Sylvain Dora: Our relationship with collectors is historical and very important for Tissot to take us to the next level. A dream-like destination awaits there, and we will also invest for that purpose. Having worked for brands with similar rich histories, I know how important collectors are. If you can touch their heartstrings with passion, you'll know if they're heading in the right direction. Their influence is great, and they take the brand to greater heights than customers who are not interested in watches. Therefore, a big collector-related project is in the works. It's too early to tell, but the project will be open to the public at the end of the year. It is planned to be something like a small museum, and in parallel we are also developing a key collection that will take you around the world. This is one of the moves to strengthen the relationship with collectors. Tissot has a history that is still unknown. Many people think that you have to look at very high end brands to get access to the rich history of watchmaking, but you don't have to. Tissot itself has an incredibly rich history that we want to bring to the fore. The team has done a great job unpacking the archives over the last 10 years. The team has more than 4 dedicated people who know the "museum" inside and out. This project is still ongoing, and we have come to the point where collectors can see the results so far.
WatchTime: What made you choose a career in the watch industry? Sylvain Dora: At first, I was doing technical work that had nothing to do with watches. The world of commodities and software. At that time, Nicholas G. Hayek was looking for talent from these industries to launch the first connected watch project with Microsoft. It was 2005. I joined the company in 2004 and had an amazing year working day and night for the first ever connected watch. I said it was the first time, but it's actually the second one. Because the first one was a Tissot High T model. At the time, I was on the Swatch side with a similar product, and the Tissot watch came out a week earlier. From then on, the days were like a dream. After that, I moved to Hamilton, and once I got used to that world, I couldn't go back to the world of daily necessities and products with short life cycles.
WatchTime: Do you think connected and mechanical watches can coexist within the same brand? Sylvain Dora: I think so, like this T-Touch Connect Solar for example. But that would require a lot of effort. Because for us, building a connected watch means building a watch. What that means is to create something that has a needle and doesn't need to be charged. That was the starting point for our product strategy. When I think about how to make it, I look around and nothing helps. For example an operating system. In order to drive with very little power, we had to develop it in-house. Then, I came up with the idea of ``How about using sunlight? I made it solar rechargeable,'' but I couldn't find a solar battery that fit the design of the dial. So we said, "Okay, let's make it ourselves." Invested in OS and solar cell development. In the end it turned out to be a great watch and I am very happy with it. Anything can happen in the tech world, so if Bluetooth technology dies in six years, you'll still have a solar-powered T-Touch that works even when your phone isn't connected. As a watch manufacturer, we are good at handling new materials such as titanium and ceramics. I learned more about software. What really matters to me is the promise I make to my customers. People who buy a Tissot don't buy it for just a year or two like in the electronics world. If you use a mobile phone, it will be replaced after three years, and if you do not do well, it will already be obsolete after two years. We want customers who purchase the Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar to wear it 10 years from now. At the heart of our daily work is the feeling of wanting our products to be used for a long time. Customers come back 5 or 6 years later for maintenance or other reasons. When you buy a Tissot watch, we offer you a promise that it will last a long time.
In 2021, Tissot announced the PRX mechanical model "PRX Automatic". Automatic winding (Cal.Powermatic 80). 23 stones. 21,600 vibrations/hour. Power reserve up to 80 hours. SS case (40mm diameter, 10.93mm thickness). 10 ATM water resistant. 85,800 yen (tax included).WatchTime: Tissot is known for its relatively short delivery times in its after-sales department. Why? Sylvain Dora: After-sales service is one of the strengths of the brand. We want our customers to have the same experience as buying an expensive Swiss watch. I myself was surprised when I brought my Tissot watch for service for the first time. We were gifted with a little kit to keep our watches clean, and we had all the little things to service the quality we were trying to bring to our products.
WatchTime: What about spare parts? Sylvain Dora: I would like to see your spare parts inventory once. Because it's really amazing. Tissot offers a 10-year warranty. If the service cannot be provided after 10 years or more, we always propose solutions that are close to the customer, such as preferential treatment for the purchase of a new watch.
WatchTime: What was your first watch? Sylvain Dora: Not because I work for the Swatch Group, but my first watch was a Swatch. My father is a big Swatch fan and still wears a Swatch watch today.
WatchTime: What watch are you wearing today? Sylvain Dora: I wear a PRX Automatic on my left wrist and a T-Touch Connect Solar on my right wrist. I simply love the PRX Automatic. I have been wearing the T-Touch Connect Solar for about a year. It is a highly necessary model for me, as it measures steps and notifies me of incoming calls even in sleeping mode.
WatchTime: Tell us a little more about the PRX Automatic. Sylvain Dora: Your team did a great job. This is exactly the kind of watch I wish Tissot had. In terms of comfort and finish, it feels like wearing a Swiss watch worth thousands of francs. That's exactly what they did.
