Rudis Sylva vs Chronopassion: when opposites attract
Is a love for fine watchmaking enough to draw opposites together? The retailer – subject to commercial imperatives and demanding customers – and the watchmaker craftsman are worlds apart. Yet these very different worlds share many of the same values.
By Olivier Müller
If it’s only birds of a feather that flock together, it’s difficult to understand by what miracle Jacky Epitaux and Laurent Picciotto could come to work together. The former – the founder of Rudis Sylva – is firmly rooted in the village where he was born. He lives life at the pace of the seasons and in step with local craftsmanship. Laurent Picciotto, on the other hand, is the absolute the trend-setter in modern watchmaking, the man whose Parisian store is a stopping-place for people from as far afield as Moscow and New York – as well as from neighbouring Place Vendôme. His creed is one of surprise, amazement and disruption, exploring the watchmaking paths all others have feared to tread. Nothing could be further from the peaceful contours of the Franches-Montagnes district.
Despite this, the two men have been working together since 2011. The retailer who opened up the way for the likes of Richard Mille and Hublot has now taken Rudis Sylva’s Harmonious Oscillator, a pure creation of traditional fine watchmaking, under his wing.
”We had so little in common that it turned out we were made for each other!” they chorus with a smile. How did they manage to overcome their differences?
The first pitfall to be negotiated was the seasonal nature of the work. Chronopassion, Laurent Picciotto’s Parisian lair, is a business whose appeal relies on its ability to regularly offer new items. “Commercial time isn’t at all the same as watchmaking time”, says Jacky Epitaux unhesitatingly. “It took us four years to come up with the Harmonious Oscillator and two more to make a new version. I think that’s pretty quick going, to be honest.” Laurent Picciotto gives a wry smile: “And meanwhile, the watchmaking planet has gone through six years’ worth of collections, and my customers have been by almost twice as often as that. Bit of a shame, really.”
Jacky Epitaux lifts his gaze to his counterpart. Suddenly they see the same thing: this watchmaking planet is spinning quickly; too quickly. He jumps into the breach:
“The Harmonious Oscillator is designed to make its mark on its time, not on just on a single year. It’s not simply dropping by for a while in the watchmaking landscape, it’s taking root for the long term. And that takes time. It’s a natural rather than a commercial cycle,” he insists.
That leads Laurent Picciotto into a discussion of how he needs to educate his customers about the Harmonious Oscillator. It’s a highly technical watch designed for a knowledgeable clientele, as Jacky Epitaux explains: “Yes, we’ve chosen to crimp a balance wheel! And yes, that goes against all the conventional theories of watchmaking. So what? After a number of years of development and testing, we are just as good if not better than a large number of tourbillons. So even if it does require a bit of education, I’m firmly convinced that this is the way to go.”
Laurent Picciotto is still hesitant. The approach is non-conventional, but viable, well thought-out – and the brainchild of a man who defends his idea passionately. And that’s a state of mind which is greatly appreciated at Chronopassion: “There’s a strong identity, a strong personality, and a distinctive technological and aesthetic approach: even if it does take some time to tame the Harmonious Oscillator, we’ll take that time. Simply because it’s the type of unusual timepiece that people come to find at Chronopassion.”
There’s still the thorny matter of advertising. Jacky Epitaux would prefer to hide behind his watch. Laurent Picciotto needs an ambassador – someone to communicate. He cannot bear the burden of all the brands he has on sale alone. The founder of Rudis Sylva balks at the idea: “I like to think that our timepiece will carry the day because of its quality, not merely because of whichever visual we used in our most recent ad campaign,” he insists.
And indeed, he’s taken his argument to extremes: to promote the local origin of his timepiece, Jacky Epitaux has chosen to advertise it with a turn-of-the-century photo of a man measuring a record snowfall in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Very rural and picturesque, but the link with fine watchmaking is far from clear. For the CEO of Chronopassion, this is indeed a subject that really does need to be thrashed out with his contrary partner. Picciotto uses all the evidence at his disposal: manufactures whose founders, such as Stephen Forsey, are always on the front foot to explain a procedure, complication or story as often as is necessary.
“In our Jura valleys, we are known worldwide for our watchmaking knowhow”, replies Jacky Epitaux quietly but firmly, seemingly persuaded that it will be easier for him to stay out of the limelight by emphasising this common heritage. Laurent Picciotto, media man through and through, is still not convinced. Jacky Epitaux tries another approach: “I’m not a sorcerer’s apprentice. My history is a fanfare to the stay-at-home man.” Laurent Picciotto gets the message: media coverage is by its very nature ephemeral, while Rudis Sylva is by definition aiming to be long-lasting. Be that as it may, the CEO of Chronopassion sees no contradiction in putting history under the media the spotlight.
It doesn’t look like they are going to agree on everything, but that’s probably just as well: their differences make the relationship all the richer.
