Rare are those who know Alexandre Meerson – even less the collectors of watchmaking. The brand cultivates its discretion, creativity and more, its proximity to each personal story. Discovery of a house atypical.
By Olivier Müller
Slowly but surely – adagio. Alexandre Meerson is neither Swiss nor watchmaker but has the codes of both. The man founded his small eponymous watch company in 2007 and only presented his first model in 2014. To date, 150 pieces have been sold. Most of the time, he delivers them himself to his customers in Europe or the United States. He knows each of them personally. An atypical model, based not on commercial growth but on proximity and rarity. “My goal is creation. Every other piece has been personalized in some way for its recipient,” explains Alexandre Meerson. “The brand’s vocation is not to publish large series but to give back all its place to design and creativity.
Without marketing or a high-profile ambassador, growth is slower but more solid. It was in 2018 that Alexandre Meerson reached financial balance for the first time. It is based on a direct sales model of four collections with a classic but assertive style, such as the Mutiny chronograph, which boasts an “80s” heritage that has yet to be explored in watchmaking.
Immersed in the world of watchmaking since his early childhood, Alexandre Meerson is the son of Emerich Meerson, an active designer from the 1950s to the 1970s with quartz pieces sold as far away as Japan, a market that his son still exploits with his own brand. Alexandre has chosen a Swiss Made orientation. The movements of his four collections are automatic. They are produced by Vaucher Fleurier, Dubois Dépraz or Concepto, recognized engine manufacturers in the watchmaking industry. The cases are made of gold or titanium, with a first price around 9,000 euros.
Today, Alexandre Meerson is getting closer to women. A fifth collection is being finalized, the Palatine, with a 28 mm case (gold and/or titanium) housing a quartz movement. Once again, the designer has done things his way. “Initially, I started with a smaller version of a male model. Even if it’s what everyone does, it obviously didn’t work and I decided to start from scratch,” he explains. “So I created a special project called Anna. I gathered 3,000 women, created a dedicated Facebook group, organized dinners, hundreds of interviews, to understand exactly what an Alexandre Meerson watch for women should be“.
This original approach has met with extraordinary success. More than 800 people joined the Facebook group, and about 100 declared themselves ready to participate in the launch of the piece. The women get involved in the creative process, exchange, comment, give their opinions…and even share pictures of their favorite cars! Ideas abound, like this satin gold watch, a unique piece so successful that the brand will probably make a limited edition soon. Once again, there will be few chosen ones, but this is not the vocation of the brand, even if it plans to open its first points of sale in the coming months
At 47, Alexandre Meerson is “no longer young, but not yet old”. Unlike brands that unpack dozens of new products every 12 months at major trade shows, he likes nothing more than to sit down with his customers and listen to them talk about their lives, their desires and their passions. Like this surfer, who wanted a watch that reflected her image but didn’t know how to make it happen. Alexandre Meerson designed a dial for her whose blue variations are those of each ocean where she has put her board. A simple but personal and totally unique luxury – true luxury, in short.
