RJ-Romain Jerome is a brand that is driven by creativity, and free from the chains of history, commanding its own destiny in the world of fine watchmaking.

As CEO Manuel Emch tells Arabian Knight, Romain Jerome is "young and hedonistic, driven by its independence, the need to create, to provoke and to be bold”.

“Our philosophy” he continues, “is to be traditional in our collaborations and contemporary in content and context.”

Emch was talking to Arabian Knight on the sidelines of last month’s Dubai Watch Week (DWW), an annual event organised by leading retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, and held at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Mall.

One of the rising stars of the luxury watch industry, Emch joined Romain Jerome in 2009, after changing the fortunes of Swiss luxury brand Jaquet Droz.

Since then he's cemented Romain Jerome’s place as strong, independent brand in the world of luxury watches.

Emch says his background and the freedom that comes with an independent brand has helped him succeed at Romain Jerome. “I have two different backgrounds - industrial design and economics - and hence I am at ease - whether it’s on the creative side or the management. This helps me to do things in a non-democratic way, meaning I can implement my vision the way I see them.” 

“I think that gives me a lot of advantage and I don’t have too many hurdles to overcome in terms of decision making and product identity,” he confides. 

Choosing to describe himself as brand builder, Emch says: “I like to build identities and tell stories.  Watches for me are a fantastic canvas because they are emotional objects of art. It is really how you transform something and create emotions.” 

Tracing his career, Emch says he started very young in the industry and became a CEO at 29 of a brand that had almost been forgotten. “We started with three people and built it up around the logic of a brand that has history and patrimony, while trying to identify what part of the identity can be redeveloped. Often you have to be capable of destroying things if you want to build. You cannot just build endlessly.”

“Now,” he continues, “I am taking care of a brand that is just the opposite. There are no roots, no history, no constraints, nothing to stick on or grab. You have to create everything. It’s a totally different endeavour to create something based on something existing, versus that is something fundamentally new. Everyone says that there is no future without the past, but when you don’t have the past, you only can create the future.”

“Even though we don’t have a history, we feel history is still of great emotional value. People feel connected to events,” he says and continues: “So why not grab a piece of history and put it into a watch?”

Romain Jerome’s watches are made in-house in collaboration with the best craftsmen and artisans in the industry.  The brand excels in watches that mark events in history or special occasions such as the Moon Dust, which contains real moon particles, and the Pokemon watch, which sold out in hours of its launch.   

“I am really proud of this concept because it gives us tremendous scope to be creative. Each RJ watch is different from the other with its own personality and history. Each watch tells a different story,” says Emch.

“We did a watch on the Icelandic Volcano. And I was invited to a wedding of a couple who met at the airport during the volcano and got married six years later. As a wedding gift each of them offered the other a watch with elements of the volcano from RJ. It was very emotional. This watch was more than just a wedding gift, it was a binding element.” 

So who should wear a Romain Jerome? 

“Someone who fits into our philosophy, who is a bit hedonistic, who projects himself into the future and is passionate. We have the youngest customer base in the high-end watch industry,” Emch says without hesitation. “All our customers are passionate about what they do. It’s quite a big, bulky watch. So you also need a bit of personality to wear it. It is definitely not an understated watch, that’s for sure.”

Emch says he remains very impressed with the Dubai Watch Week, which aims to promote the art of fine watchmaking, heritage, intricate craftsmanship and innovation. “This is the best set up worldwide. Why? Because Dubai Watch Week is not about selling watches. It’s about promoting watchmaking and that is a substantial difference. We come here not with the need to sell but to talk on our passions - it makes our interaction much more intimate. 

He believes the DWW will develop because of its quality and content, and the way it is organised. “I think Seddiqi is establishing a benchmark for other countries.” 

Romain Jerome unveiled a special edition seven-watch DIFC DNA model made exclusively for Seddiqi & Sons, at the DWW. Several original screws from the DIFC Gate building were shared with Romain Jerome to create the watch.

Is there anything he would like changed or improved at the DWW? “I thought initially it’s too long, but now that I am here, I think it was good to make it that longer. The aspect I like the most is that we have the time to mingle with people from the industry. There is a real interactive environment. I would take this (DWW) elsewhere in the world too.”

The Middle East is an important market for Romain Jerome and accounts about 10 per cent of its business. “It is one of the first regions that trusted us. It’s probably easier to launch new brands in the Middle East than other regions. People are more open to new things.” 

Romain Jerome produces around 1,500 watches a year and this number is growing. Most of its watches are priced between $8,000 and $25,000. However, the more intricate ones could cost between $90,000 and $200,000. “We try to stay below the $20,000-mark because we want to be as accessible as possible,” he says.