Five steps to reinvent Haute Horlogerie
At the 2019 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva, Ulysse Nardin is continuing the transformation that it began at the same event last year with a striking new brand identity based on disruption and innovation. The Manufacture is looking to shake up the conventions of Haute Horlogerie. Here’s how.
Step 1: Speak with a single voice
By speaking with a single voice at every level – from sales advisers and social media right down to the design of the SIHH stand – Ulysse Nardin turned the spotlight squarely on its creativity and innovation. The Manufacture got everyone singing from the same song sheet by having sales teams work closely with marketing personnel and product designers. Not only did this deliver a perfectly aligned communication stance, it also created an authentic yet explosive positioning. Put another way, this enabled Ulysse Nardin to get noticed for the right reasons.
Step 2: Explore new territory
Over several months, Ulysse Nardin clarified its positioning and storytelling based around the idea of a disruptive firm inspired by the sea and a sense of freedom. Drawing on its proud past, the company is adding a new chapter to its story in 2019, following up the 2018 #Freakmeout campaign with the concept of Disorder, in a compelling ode to liberty designed to appeal to clients who want to blaze their own trail.
Step 3: Dare to go X factor
At SIHH 2019, Ulysse Nardin is presenting Freak X, which marks an exceptional step-forward for this iconic collection. The Freak is now a stand-alone collection set apart by its powerful design, innovative material (carbonium) and distinctive principle, whereby the movement itself, and not the hands, tells the time. Reflecting this, the “X” has become a key marker for Ulysse Nardin communications, expressed through the brand’s new tagline: “We Xplore, We Xcite, We Xist, We are Ulysse”.
Step 4: Lay it bare
Another new model unveiled at SIHH is Skeleton X, a luxury watch that lays bare its skeleton movement, as if showing off its inner beauty under an X-ray examination. The communication campaign plays on this idea, depicting X-rays not just of wrists wearing Ulysse Nardin models but also of the company’s very own iconic shark.
Step 5: Indulge in a little “hot horlogerie” fantasy
Being disruptive is about daring to break with convention, even if that means being X-rated. At SIHH 2019, Ulysse Nardin is announcing a partnership with renowned erotic artist Milo Manara. The unique tie-up will result in a series of watches depicting Manara’s ocean fantasies. The latest in Ulysse Nardin’s long-standing line of erotic watches, the new “hot horlogerie” collection also pays tribute to an old watchmaking tradition. Always and everywhere, Ulysse Nardin continues to forge its own path.
