Ultimate Cars, Watches & Hi Fi S04 ep20 : Francois Candolfi & Stephane Widmer, MCT Watches, Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps [Switzerland]

Interview with Francois Candolfi & Stephane Widmer

In designing Sequential One the team placed great emphasis on total quality. The in-house watch assembly and quality control techniques employed by MCT master watchmakers are second to none. After-sales including servicing is conducted in-house. Selection of each component at the best Swiss suppliers and independent assemblage of each model guarantee the authenticity of our watches and trademark. We respect the genuine value of the label “Swiss made”. For Sequential One all the parts of the movement and case are made in Switzerland and only of highest specification materials.

 

MCT
0:56 – 21:39
Francois Candolfi:
0:55
MCT means Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps, that means that we manufacture our own
movement and we work on our complications. So we are positioned in a very high end
segment. 1:06

1:13
I have a degree in economics and after that a MBA , since 20 years now that I’m in the watch
industry, so I work in Baume Mercier, after that in the Swatch Group and I set up my own
company, and now I’m in charge of the MCT. 1:28
1:33
The company start in 2007 with two years of development for the movement in the
complication and the first deliveries occurred in 2009. 1:42

 

149
The company was created by Duvigulais in collaboration with Widerecht, who is a well known
designer and Jean Paul Mojon, who is a construction engineer of movement. 2:00

2:05
Duvigulais, he left the company two years ago unfortunately, so there’s a new shareholder in
the company that is based in Geneva which is called Cage Holdings. Their focus is to invest and
be more and more present in Switzerland, through some acquisition in the watch industry. 2:21

 

2:28
It’s quite unique in this segment, this duality, classical but contemporary. And after, it’s the
way the movement is working, it’s working in a way that is three dimension, you have the
numerals that are working in a vertical way with the rotation of the prism and indicates the
hours and you have after the minutes which are indicate on a flat horizontal system on a
jumping mini disc. There are only few brands that with a movement working in those three
dimensions at the same time. 3:01

 

3:07
Stefan is the head of the R&D and Productive Development now. We are integrating more and
more development. Stefan is in charge of the productive facilities which is based in Geneva
where we have three watch makers working exclusively on our pieces. 3:24

 

Stephane Widmer,:
3:30
My role is head of Development, my background is real watch making and restoration of
antique watches and clocks that come from Naria, LaSofone, Rado. Almost everybody as a
member of this family working in a watch company. I did four years of school to be a watch
maker, after that two other years to be a watch restorer. After that I had the opportunity to
work at the museum as a trainee, and after that in England; I must say that I’ve been very lucky
to work there with people who were really with the spirit. We were really sharing everything.
In London I worked for Asprey and I was working for Vacheron in New York. 4:13.

4:20
That’s also something I think from my generation, in watch making, we have stopped this idea
of hiding what we are doing. 4:30

4:36
I know for the new project, we are working with our Lohohodere. So, this guy works on the
same floor, we talk together in the evening. He may come to me and say, I have this idea, could
you implement it technically? I say well, it’s difficult, let me have a thought. Next morning I say,
ok yeah, we could work it like that, or on the other way round I say, ok look technically we
could have that, to think from the design point of view, could be interesting. That’s what is
really interesting and I think it the strength of a small brand like that; is that we can really share
the ideas and we try to do to get a product which is really special and which works together.
You don’t have the movement and the design and you have designs taken from the movement.
It’s really to get all the things melted together and to really have a finished product, an
accomplished product. 5:37

 

Francois Candolfi :
5:43
Many collectors, who can afford these kinds of products, which is very high priced, are looking
for some very different and technical pieces. And, since ten years there’s a new generation of
watch makers who are exploring new limits and I think that all the innovation comes come
from those young watch making companies and MCT is part of it, of course. 6:09

6:15
You have to create value of the brand, it’s what the end consumer is looking for. That’s the
reason why we are ‘virticalazing’ our production. First, we have now Patria three watch makers
working for us, assembling each watch from A to Z by a single watch maker. That ensures us a
flow of all the production of the watches with a real traceability. So we know what’s featured
on each watch and we have also some plans to integrate some other production facilities. 6:48

6:53
The objective for this year is around 50, 70 units, so at present time, retail price starts at 80,000
Swiss Francs for the titanium collection, 2300 Swiss Francs for the gold pieces. 7:04

 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Francois Candolfi and St'ephane Widmer, MCT Watches, Switzerland