An Australian brand with a Swiss accent

The Swiss made timepieces he has created combine the reliability and quality of Swiss components with an aboriginal spirit. Christophe Hoppé has worked long and hard to reach this point. His activities as a watchmaking entrepreneur down under have also led him in parallel to work for the Swiss watch industry.

At the end of 2009, after almost ten years serving Swiss watchmaking as financial director – at Technomarine in Geneva, and subsequently for the hand manufacturer Universo based in La Chaux-de-Fonds – Christophe Hoppé decided to abandon the comfortable life he had in Switzerland with his wife Alexandra and his first son Luca to take up a new challenge 15,000 km away, in Australia.

Arriving in Sydney, the search for a job proved lengthier and more complicated than expected. After numerous job interviews, Christophe had the idea of creating his own watch company.

Thanks to his contacts in the field of production, this enthusiast of all aspects of watchmaking designed and had some samples made, sketched out a business plan and launched Bausele. His concept: a quality local brand that Australians can be proud of.

Developing his own products so far from his Swiss network was not easy for the new CEO. Nor was the transition from employee of a large group to entrepreneur, from CFO to salesperson, marketing manager, logistician, IT expert, online sales and social media specialist, etc. Even though the early years were somewhat complicated, Christophe remains convinced that he could not have made this dream come true anywhere else in the world.

Right from the start, this new entrepreneur sensed Australians’ enthusiasm for his project, allowing him to build an influential network in many local fields and industries. At the beginning of 2019, these precious ties enabled him to gain the confidence of Girard-Perregaux, which entrusted him and his partner Maxime Elgue (a former Richemont group executive) with the development of its activities in Australia and New Zealand.

Since the birth of Bausele in 2011, the brand has sold thousands of watches, mainly to Australians, but also increasingly to international customers. A distribution agreement with China has just been signed and contacts with major retailers in the United States and Japan are at an advanced stage. Products are also sold online. And in order to promote these timepieces, Christophe Hoppé has secured the support of the Anglo-Australian actor Dominic Purcell, mainly known for his leading role in the series Prison Break.

All of Bausele’s creations are inspired by this country-continent that is rich on so many levels. Witness the flagship model OceanMoon, a sturdy timepiece with a 4mm thick nanoceramic glass, as well as the latest creation, the Vintage 2.0 hybrid smartwatch with a 1970s look. All collections come with a five-year warranty.

May 07, 2020