Maurice Lacroix managing director Stéphane Waser doesn’t look old enough to have been with the brand for 14 years, half of them as managing director.
It took a few years after he took on the top job for his personality and vision to cut through, but he is really hitting his stride now.
Instead of making watches similar to the biggest Swiss brands and appealing to the same 50+ year-old customers, he has transformed every facet of the business to focus on millennials or even younger clients.
The transformation is most clearly seen in the launch of AIKON #tide watches. They are bright, light and environmentally friendly and comparatively inexpensive at just over £600.
Their colours pop on social media and in retail windows, and Mr Waser has aligned the watches with sports like street basketball, which is getting a global audience now that professional tournaments are televised on streaming platforms.
Sustainability is a hot button issue to this new Maurice Lacroix demographic, which is why Mr Waser was seen recently in a beach clean-up crew in Phuket, Thailand.
A worthy pursuit and shrewd positioning for a brand committed to removing 10 million plastic bottles from the ocean by providing financial support to the likes of #tide, a Swiss specialist in upcycling ocean-bound plastic waste.
Maurice Lacroix is funding traditional longtail boats in Thailand to recover plastic waste and pay the collectors a salary to undertake the work.
In addition, the company is paying for the ongoing maintenance of the boats. After the waste has been collected, it is processed and stored in warehouses, the cost of which is funded by Maurice Lacroix.
The business is also working with the Jan & Oscar Foundation and #tide on educational programmes that raise awareness of environmental issues.