When Julien Tornare assumed the role of CEO of Zenith in 2017, he had a clear and ambitious goal for the brand to “dramatically increase our turnover and profit, generate very strong brand equity for the long term and be fully recognised as the key leader in chronographs”.
Four years later, while the global economy was still in the throes of uncertainty because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zenith made more money in 2021 than it had since its 1999 acquisition by LVMH. “The year 2021 was a record for Zenith and I can already tell you that 2022’s revenue will be 40 to 50 per cent higher,” says Tornare.
The key to his success is his obsession with contemporaneity. Over the past five years, Tornare has led numerous trailblazing initiatives, including the Zenith DreamHers campaign, the Zenith Icons collection, and many exciting collaborations with movers and shakers from various fields.
Photo: Zenith.
Under his leadership, the watches underwent an overhaul that reflects his forward-looking mentality. The Chronomaster Sport from 2021, for example, is inspired by past models such as the De Luca, El Primero Rainbow, and A277, but doesn’t look anything like a throwback heritage piece.
As a result of Tornare’s agility during times of crisis, the brand has earned its place at the forefront of its industry. During the pandemic that shut down the factory, he accelerated Zenith’s e-commerce efforts significantly, and what was supposed to be an 18-month project was completed in just one and a half months.
Photo: Zenith.
He also ramped up the brand’s communication efforts drastically. “Swiss watchmaking brands tend to be conservative and all of us have kept to the same pace for years. When the pandemic happened, we had to improvise. The frequency of our brand activity was increased so we had a drop, launch, or announcement every month. I want to keep this pace post pandemic,” he shares.
When Tornare says, “We can double, triple, or more what we achieved last year”, it’s hard not to be inspired. Here are more rousing insights from this passionate CEO.
On being an eco-warrior
“Some of our limited-edition Extreme E watches have straps made of recycled car tyres. We also have a collaboration with Nona Source and recently unveiled a capsule collection of straps made using upcycled high-tech fabrics from LVMH fashion maisons.
Photo: Zenith.
To say that it’s possible to make a 100 per cent recyclable watch tomorrow? That’s not going to happen; it sounds more like a marketing tool. I want to be honest and transparent in our initiatives. In the manufacture, we’re limiting the use of paper. We’re also installing solar panels on our buildings so that by next year, 40 per cent of our electric consumption will be solar generated. It is costly and takes a lot of work but it’s going to contribute greatly to our green efforts.”
On striking a balance between the past and the future
“Brand authenticity and heritage are not synonymous with dusty and repetitive pasts. That’s why we work with people like Pantone and use sapphire crystal. We have to have fun. When I came onboard, Zenith was perceived as a nice movement manufacture but a little boring. That’s not who we are. All these collaborations show off the brand’s dynamic side…they’ve been fantastic at waking up the brand and bringing it to where it is today. Our average client is now 9 years younger than in the past and there are now more people in their 20s buying Zenith.”
Photo: Zenith.
On labels, stereotypes and gender bias
“Being inclusive and diverse is not about hiring as many women as men and paying them the same salary. You have to go further. That’s why I decided to distinguish our watches. We make beautiful watches; some will be more feminine than others, but you can be a man and have a feminine side — what’s wrong with that? You can also be a masculine woman. We do not decide and that’s what I want to communicate.
In some countries, men like wearing smaller watches with diamonds and we all know that many women are buying and wearing big watches. The classification between men’s and women’s watches has disappeared from our website. I think we are the first to do this.
Photo: Zenith.
With DreamHers, we want to offer a space where women can express themselves and let others know how hard they’ve been fighting to achieve success. We held an event last year in Madrid where we gathered 10 women who shared their stories and it was a great learning experience.
I met Laetitia Guarino, who was Miss Switzerland in 2015 and became the youngest chef de clinique surgeon in Switzerland. She recalled the numerous occasions when she entered the surgery room and was asked if she was the nurse. These stereotypes must disappear and I want to develop DreamHers further.”
On providing workplace empowerment
“I like people who come to me with ideas. I would never say that all of our good ideas come from me because that’s not true. Argentinian visual artist Felipe Pantone’s collaboration with the company was not initiated by me or my management team. An employee, aged 25, came to me and said, ‘Julien, I think we should do something with a street artist’. Street artists? When I was young, we put them in jail! With this young guy managing the project from start to finish, it ended up being a great success.
As far as collaborations go, this is my favourite because I didn’t initially believe in it. A 25-year-old guy convinced me to do it. I am proud of him, but I am also proud of myself for being open-minded enough to take the risk. You can be very entrepreneurial at Zenith. It’s a mindset and a spirit.”
Photo: Zenith.
On working with the right partners
“Our brand partners have to be aligned with our values, which are linked to inclusion, diversity and fighting climate change. Our partnership with Extreme E is great because it promotes two things: electric cars and gender equality. How many men out there think women don’t drive as well as they do? This is wrong. We need to change this.
I’ve said no to beautiful car brands interested in collaborating with Zenith. I’ve even said no to a famous sports personality who does not embody the best values. The price could have been appealing, but this individual is not in line with what the brand stands for, so even if it’s a great deal, I would never consider him. We have to be careful. I’m not only interested in the red carpet effect.
Traditionally, brands are represented by celebrities, but I want to find people who can fit the brand’s personality and express it. It is important to me to look at their character, what they’ve been doing, and how they can tell their story. There is authenticity in finding individuals who can inspire others.”
