“Ultimate Luxury should be transparent in the way it is crafted”

Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Art Director, Chopard, introduced the Happy Diamonds jewellery collection—Chopard’s first jewellery line—in 1985. Soon after, in 1993, the brand launched the Happy Sport watch, a ladies' timepiece in steel and diamonds, which went on to become one of Chopard's icons. Caroline has been instrumental in guiding Chopard’s foray into the world of Haute Joaillerie, by creating dazzling collections such as Red Carpet and Animal World.

In 2013, Caroline Scheufele launched a new project called The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, a programme aimed at putting ethics at the heart of aesthetics, which started with Chopard forging a philanthropic relationship with the South American mining NGO, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM). 

What brings you to India after a gap of eight years? What are the changes you have seen in Mumbai?
We distributed Chopard through our partners, but now we deal directly with our retailers at 13 points-of-sale, across six locations. I am here to get a first-hand feel of the Indian market on the insistence of our India market in-charge, and to observe our business' development with our retail partners. I am visiting Bangalore, Mumbai Delhi and Agra (to see the taj Mahal) in one week. 
The face of Mumbai has changed; there are more skyscrapers and the roads are better organised than before.

What does the Indian market mean to Chopard?
India is an important market for Chopard. It has huge potential, as the brand is well known here. Earlier, the distribution of our watch collections was limited, but now we have a more appropriate retail presence in India. Sales have grown this year and we are happy with our retail partners. We are now introducing Chopard differently to India, and have intelligent expansion plans. The country is driven by cricket and Bollywood, so we hope to have a Red Carpet event with Bollywood, like we do at Cannes in France. 
I believe India is going to take over China's population by 2020. So we will be targeting the top 1% of Indians, which will be a larger base than now.

What are your thoughts on the current global scenario?
It's rightly said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. As Chopard is an independent family-owned and -run company, we adapt easily to changing market situations. A lot of the high-end Swiss watch brands went on a rampage opening boutiques in China, thereby shifting focus and importance there. But at Chopard, we tread cautiously and do not put all our eggs into one basket. We spread ourselves globally without losing track of our core markets—Europe and the US, and of course, Asia. Although times are trying, Haute Joallerie is our saving grace; our clientele are buying more of it than the mid- and lower- priced pieces.

Comment on Chopard jewellery for India.
Chopard jewellery is famous for its craftsmanship and material quality. I am sure there is a demand for high-end branded jewellery in India and that the Indian elite indulge in Chopard jewellery. They know the difference in quality vis-a-vis an unbranded collection.

What is your source of Inspiration when conceptualising new collections?
I am inspired by a lot of things around me. Soon, I will see the Taj Mahal in Agra and it may inspire me to create a collection. The inspiration for the animal collection, which we created to celebrate 150 years of Chopard, came to me from my two stuffed toys—a monkey and a rabbit—that I carry wherever I travel. Sometimes inspiration comes from flowers or other things from a country. Every new collection is challenging as it has to stem from some inspiration; I do not believe in only changing dials or straps, reducing sizes or adding diamonds to showcase a new collection.

What is sustainable luxury for Chopard?
Recently, we launched one of my favourites—the Green Carpet Collection. This collection is truly sustainable luxury and denotes luxury as it should be. This, according to me, is the ‘Ultimate Luxury’. I believe that Ultimate Luxury should be transparent, in the way it is crafted. When buying a piece from the Green Carpet collection, a client is aware of where  it has been crafted, which mines the diamonds are from and the fact that the precious metals used have come from a source that does not pollute nature or exploit the miners. This is like a CSR activity for us, whereby we ensure the well-being of the miners in their own hometown with adequate remuneration, facilities to educate their kids and more.