Fondation de La Haute Horlogerie (FHH) - A Woman Takes Control

After five years of activity, the FHH has acquired a high profile as the think tank of the profession with a training and information mission and the task of promoting Swiss made. Fabienne Lupo is replacing Franco Cologni as President.

Created in November 2005 under the aegis of Franco Cologni by the Richemont Group of which he is a director, together with Audemars Piguet and Girard-Perregaux, the FHH aims to promote watchmaking culture and expertise. With 26 partners at present (A Lange & Söhne, Antoine Preziuso, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Corum, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermès, Hublot, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, JeanRichard, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Perrelet, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, TAG Heuer, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels and Zenith), it is directed by Fabienne Lupo, who was recently appointed President. Some twenty staff members work alongside her. The foundation has an annual budget of 2.3 million francs, largely financed by contributions from its members (60,000 francs per company regardless of its size).

The FHH is familiar as the organizer of the International Salon of Luxury Watchmaking (SIHH) which is held early each year in Geneva; however, its activities are in fact far more extensive than this.

In these first five years it endeavoured first of all to become better known in watchmaking circles and with the general public. Through its Internet site (www.hautehorlogerie.org), which is available in French and English and shortly in Chinese and Japanese too, together with its online HH Magazine and a number of theme exhibitions organized on the occasion of international events such as the Salon du collectionneur et Belles Montres (Collectors’ and Fine Watches Show) in Paris, Munich Time, Vienna Time, the Fine Watchmaking Salon in Mexico or the Swiss Cities Pavilion at the Shanghai Universal Exhibition.

Training still plays a prominent role in the FHH activities: for professionals in the sales sector it has set up the watch@tablet (extra-flat mobile computer with an interactive touch screen containing a vast range of historical, practical or technical information). In-service training courses for professionals have also been introduced. The general public can acquire an introduction to watchmaking by taking part in workshops during which they learn how to dismantle and reassemble a watch movement. Finally, for the benefit of decision-makers in the branch, the FHH organizes the annual Forum of Fine Watchmaking, a day for reflection and discussion with prestigious speakers such as Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Paulo Coelho, Thomas Mao etc.

Still on the training side, the FHH publishes documentary films on the special features of a profession which calls upon some forty different activities, including arts and crafts, while actively supporting the new Master of Advanced Studies set up by the Higher School of Management in Geneva in the luxury sector, As a publisher, it has also undertaken the publication of the recent book entitled “Time to Change”, the outcome of a long study undertaken by Bocconi University in Milan on the strategic challenges confronting the branch and is preparing to issue a monumental study of the history of watchmaking written by its expert Dominique Fléchon, who is the author of many reference works.

Making the world of luxury watchmaking, its culture and tradition better known … with such an important mission the FHH has plenty on its plate. For 2011 it is already announcing a new anti-counterfeiting campaign, an iPad application of its watch@tablet, to say nothing of a stronger presence on the different social networks. And of course the SIHH 2011 is already scheduled for 17 to 21 January next.

December 07, 2010