Raymond Weil CEO discloses reasons for abandoning Baselworld

Raymond Weil will not exhibit at Baselworld next year - with its CEO Elie Bernheim admitting that the high-profile withdrawal of Swatch Group from the show "Reinforced" its decision Since the announcement of Swatch's departure in July and the end of August, Raymond Weil has had no contact with the show's organisers, Mr Bernheim claimed He questioned whether distributors would still travel to Basel in the absence of so many notable brands being present, pointing out that companies such as Raymond Weil gained from their pull.

"Raymond Weil benefitted directly from the aura of Swatch Group Longines, Tissot, Omega, Hamilton or Rado are all bands that are in my competitive environment I'm not sure that distributors will continue to come Basel of these brands are no longer there" Mr Bernheim said that Raymond Weil would now explore other ways to engage with partners and customers, such as roadshows and online initiatives.

In an official statement circulated to the media this morning, Raymond Weil reiterated that it will not be present at Baselworld 2019 In the statement, Mr Bernheim said: "Evolutions in the watch industry have pushed us to review our strategy One must know how to adapt to one's era.

Today, the distribution channels articulate themselves around a more direct way of consumption, especially with the arrival of online sales In a world that constantly evolves, communication is based on a more direct and spontaneous process of distribution It is more client oriented, rather than B2B which is mainly what Baselworld represents". Source