Editors’ Note

Stanislas de Quercize joined the Richemont group in 1990, and has since held a number of senior positions across a range of luxury brands. He has served as General Manager of Alfred Dunhill and Montblanc in France (1990 to 1994), President and CEO of Montblanc North America (1994 to 1997), and International Marketing Director for Alfred Dunhill in London (1997 to 1999). In 1999, de Quercize was named General Manager of Cartier France, and assumed his current position in September 2005. A licensed lawyer, de Quercize is a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, a leading French business school in Rouen.

company brief

Founded in 1906 by Charles, Julien, and Louis Arpels, and their brother-in-law Alfred Van Cleef, Van Cleef & Arpels Inc. (www.vancleef-arpels.com), is a top-end jeweler specializing in women’s precious gemstone creations and watches. In addition to its worldwide headquarters on the Place Vêndome in Paris, and its American operations incorporated in New York, the company comprises more than 30 branches in France, elsewhere in Europe, Kuwait, and across the United States, and the Far East. Geneva, Switzerland-based Compagnie Financière Richemont SA acquired a 65 percent interest in Van Cleef & Arpels in 1999 and the remaining 35 percent in 2003.

Have you been happy with the growth of the brand over the past year?

Yes, indeed. We are fortunate to be living in a world where people are much more aware of what high quality is, largely because there’s more information about it available now. The level of knowledge throughout the world has never been as good as it is today, and at the same time, there is also more wealth in the world. When you have more wealth and more knowledge, it’s perfect for houses like Van Cleef & Arpels, whose mission is to offer the best. Jacques Arpels, who was a member of the founding families, said, “The mission of Van Cleef & Arpels is to offer the best.” So living in such an environment can only be positive for us.

Today, technology is playing a major role throughout the luxury industry, but your pieces maintain their feel of handcraftsmanship. How is technology affecting the production of your products?

Our products depend primarily upon the soul and spirit of the creator. That said, technology helps in the stone cutting, and enables us to create exceptional work. So we’re using technology to enhance the superior craftsmanship and quality of our products. But, in the end, nothing will replace the hands of our craftsmen, and the human soul and spirit. At the end of the day, you will always need the master stroke of the creator.

How important is it that all Van Cleef & Arpels pieces reflect the history and tradition of the brand?

At Van Cleef & Arpels, we want the creativity of our pieces to be timeless. Internally, we say that the best way to summarize this approach is by using the initials of Van Cleef & Arpels, VCA, which stands for “very creative arts.” In short, we want to be creative with a sense of timelessness. I believe that luxury is about finding a piece of eternity on earth. We aim to achieve that with every creation.

The world seems to be getting smaller all the time. Is the U.S. market the largest market for you, or is there strong growth emerging elsewhere?

There’s worldwide recognition of the style of Van Cleef & Arpels, which is important to us. The superb quality of our craftsmanship and stones is acclaimed in New York, Tokyo, London, Paris, and everywhere else in the world. Roughly one-third of our clients are in Europe, one-third are in America, and one-third are in Asia.

That said, it’s true that the company has a soft spot for America, because New York was a safe haven for the family of Van Cleef & Arpels when they were forced to close the European business during the Second World War. It’s thanks to New York that the house is still vibrant today. So the United States is our second home, if you will. In addition, the largest collectors of art tend to be American, because the pursuit of superior quality is inherent in U.S. culture.

Many luxury brands have gone beyond their original product offerings and extended into other categories. Do you think Van Cleef & Arpels will ever broaden into other markets, or will your product lines continue much as they are now?

In our quest for excellence and desire to offer the best, we have to cultivate our forte, which is jewelry and watches – that’s our territory. The way we look at the watch market is that it is very focused on men. A lot of watches are available for men, as if the watch market for women was simply an afterthought. For the most part, women’s watches are just men’s watches made a little bit smaller. We believe that women deserve watches that are designed especially for them.

Does that mean the female market is the predominant focus of your business?

No, we’ve always designed watches for both men and women, and we continue to design for both. I’m just saying that, for the moment, there’s a gap in the women’s market that we are tapping into. But we have always been very strong in men’s watches too.

On the people side of the business, is it challenging to find the talent you need around the world in order to create that consistent level of excellence you talk about?

You will always find people who want to succeed and who always want to be challenged. The artists in our workshop work closely with each other, exchanging ways to create unique pieces. I’m in awe when I look at what they’re able to create. At the same time, they always tell me, “Look, we’re only doing our job.” It’s just that they want to do a better job than what their fathers and grandfathers did. When you’re clear about the mission, which is always to exceed what has been done yesterday, you can maintain that element of surprise. In a way, it’s a search for the grail, and I think that’s part of the artistic challenge. In my experience, you can always find people interested by these kinds of challenges.

What are your key priorities, as you look ahead two or three years?

We will continue to focus on creativity, so that we can maintain the “wow” element of our work. We will continue to explain the stories, because behind every creation, there’s a story. When people look at a Van Cleef & Arpels piece, they say, “Wow!” because we are creating emotions. Everybody within Van Cleef & Arpels is a part of that.