Traditionally watchmaking is a men’s business. The term denoting a woman watchmaker doesn’t even exist. But today when the watchmaking industry transformed into a complicated and well developed business and the line between male and female professions disappeared women in the watchmaking are like hummingbirds (i.e. tiny rare creatures). But they exist and their creations are worthy of the greatest attention, and sometimes – even admiring.
Convincing Exceptions
There is a famous paradox: if cooking and sewing are female chores, why men are considered to be the best in the spheres of Haute Couture and Gastronomy? Psychologists give the following answer: “Women are good at tactics but they fail in strategy. They tend to concretize and can’t operate abstract notions freely. They are practitioners and not theorists.” It means that they can cook dinner or make a skirt, but creation of something special out of nothing is a task for men. Actually, that is why female names are rare in the history of the greatest discoveries and inventions.But every rule has its exceptions. And such great women as Sophia Kovalevskaya, Coco Chanel and Margaret Thatcher prove this fact.
In watchmaking the situation is similar. All inventions in this sphere were done by men. They created cases and movements; they manage big companies, set the trends and technical tendencies of market development. Women in watchmaking can be seen mostly in assembly shops or in testing departments as they are more attentive and delve into every detail.
But the role of women in watchmaking is not as humble as it may seem at first sight. If a woman has enough fantasy, commercial feeling and has passion for watchmaking, she can achieve great success in this sphere. One of the first ladies in this business was Alice Levy, the wife of the founder of Ebel – Eugene Blume. It is her to whom the company owes its success. In 1911 (the yer of the foundation of the company) while her husband traditionally continued his ancestors’ business – designing of the movements – madam Levy was developing design and appearance of the watches. She transformed Ebel watches from usual functional device into real must-haves, remembering that timepieces shuld not only be complicated and original but also stylish and beautiful. Mostly owing to Alice Levy Ebel watches became trend-setters.
Today women are absolutely able to be trend-setters in watchmaking industry. Life shows, that to achieve something, a woman should not only have talent, courage but also a little bit of good luck. There are several ways of climbing to the top of the ladder in watchmaking business.
How to Become a Watchmakeress
Family Business
This is maybe one of the most secure ways for women to be accepted by male members of the Haute Horlogerie club. But that is not surprising: it’s easier for a woman to become a connoisseur of jewellery and precious stones rather than of complicated movements. They become leaders of jewellery companies with delight, but not many of them are as delighted to manage a watchmaking company… In the later case a woman should at least be interested in watchmaking (usually this interest is cultivated in a family), and then she should have necessary acquaintances and contacts which again are collected in families of watchmakers. One of the most vivid examples of successful continuation of the family business is Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, daughter of Karl Scheufele, who in 1963 bought the brand Chopard. One more example of a successful woman-watchmaker is Jasmine Audemars who is the head of Audemars Piguet or Marie-Christina Buccelati the leader of Buccelati.
However, Alice Levy is an example to follow for many modern women who want to achieve success in watchmaking together with their husbands. They say that such attitude even strengthens their marriage. A wife, who is a talented designer, creates the watches and the husband sells them. In this way Delaneau company works (creative manager Christine Tevena) and Adler(chief designer Leila Adler). Or vice versa: the husband creates masterpieces and the wife does all paperwork. Not many people know that the CEO of Alain Silberstein is not the famous designer himself but his wife Sylvia.
Self-made Presidents
However there are cases when a woman achieves success in watchmaking owing to her talent and not to family of marriage. The brightest examples are Arlette Emch, the CEO of сК, and Isabelle Guichot, the CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.
What is a “Woman’s Watch”?
Traditional opinion is that women are the best in designing watches for women. Well, this is reasonable. A watch made by woman may be less beautiful, less complicated and interesting, but they immediately attract attention. And that is not surprising: ability to attract attention is women’s prerogative. Women’s watches have few chances to become classics but they may become an example to follow. A woman’s watch is a wonderful idea that is discussed during the whole season. And then… Then new idea appears.
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