Christelle Rosnoblet, a watch enthusiast, discerning collector, and savvy businesswoman, was deeply passionate about the Speake Marin brand long before she became the CEO and President of Speake Marin several years ago.
Her goal was to take the brand to the next level, increasing production slightly without abandoning the unique character and the brand heritage, maintaining its position as a maker of handcrafted timepieces. Her strategy has been a success. In 2014, Mrs Christelle Rosnoblet invested in Le Cercle des Horlogers, a movement research and development Atelier near La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland, dedicating its main production to Speake Marin’s movements.. Here, she gives us an update on the status of the brand, and shares some exciting news for 2024.
What was Speake Marin's greatest achievement in 2023?
Christelle Rosnoblet: In 2023, our greatest achievement was opening new strategic points of sale internationally (Europe, Asia, and the Middle East) and establishing strong new partnerships. Today, we have nearly 50 high-quality points of sale, each with a strong reputation among local customers.
Last year, we also worked on strengthening our visibility by participating in all the major international watch fairs, including Geneva, Shanghai, New York and Dubai. This high level of dynamism and energy helped us to convey the beginning of a new era of the Speake Marin brand. It also helped to bring my team and I even closer to our customers and to understand what they want.
What is the secret to the success of Speake Marin watches?
Christelle Rosnoblet: We owe our success to our collectors. They are the hidden ambassadors of the brand, and we plan to bring them more into the spotlight in the future. I think they are drawn to Speake Marin’s distinctive design, and to the hand-finished Swiss movements, especially our limited editions. They look for a certain respect for horological tradition. Aside from that, I would also say they seek certain values that resonate with who they are, and appreciate the humanity and benevolence behind our Maison. This includes our involvement with environmental and conservation causes, including the Queensland Koala Crusaders, an organization that is fighting to save the species. We have certain limited editions associated with these cases. It is the combination of all these elements that contributes to our success and brings us a bit more recognition today.
How many watches were produced in 2023? Does it represent an increase over 2022, and are there plans to increase production in 2024?
Christelle Rosnoblet: We made 600 watches in 2023, which represents a 33% growth in our production over 2022. There has been a sustained demand from our distributors and end customers, and we want to fulfil that demand, but we do not plan to make more than 1,000 watches per year. As a watchmaker, our goal is to maintain an exceptional level of finishing on our movements, dials and cases, and ensure a high degree of excellence. So we are keen to maintain our elitist positioning by continuing to offer limited editions. We have very exciting plans for the future of Speake Marin and our workshop.
Is there something specific in the works that you can tell us about for 2024?
Christelle Rosnoblet: This year, Speake Marin will mark a significant turning point by unveiling a new movement with some really innovative technical features. It represents several years of research and development within our workshop, Le Cercle des Horlogers. It pushes the boundaries of the horological technique and craftsmanship that are synonymous with the brand, and will represent a milestone in our history. Our new caliber will make its world premiere in the second half of the year. We’ll launch it in a brand new model.
What is the future of the watch industry for small, independent workshops like Speake Marin?
Christelle Rosnoblet: The future is bright for independent watchmaking companies like Speake Marin. Our greatest strength lies in our agility to control our production. Managing small quantities and limited series allows us to respond to the personalized requests of our customers. It also gives us the ability to highlight our 100% Swiss know-how by collaborating with our workshop, Le Cercle des Horlogers. We work with local craftsmen for all our watch creations.
I think one of the things that ensures our longevity is the transparency and proximity we have cultivated with our customers and collectors. They represent an elite niche among collectors, and it’s essential for us to constantly surprise them. Ultimately, I would say that independent houses have two major assets: creativity and mastery of the watchmaking art. Independents dare to take complex and unprecedented paths in watchmaking, and our customers identify with this spirit of entrepreneurship, daring and courage. We aim to preserve this positive dynamic.