Carole Forestier-Kasapi doesn’t get emotional about watchmaking; she favours the engineering facet of her background on the subject of her position as TAG Heuer Actions Director. This may shock those that know Forestier- Kasapi by her Queen of Problems sobriquet and her household background. Born in Paris right into a household of watchmakers, she spent greater than three a long time shaping the business’s mechanics.
Her profession started with a meteoric rise, highlighted by her 1997 Breguet Basis Prize win for a central carousel tourbillon idea that might ultimately beginning the legendary Ulysse Nardin Freak. She later spent 15 years because the Director of Motion Creation at Cartier, the place she oversaw the event of practically 30 in-house calibres and revolutionary ideas such because the ID One and ID Two.
Since becoming a member of TAG Heuer as Actions Director in 2020, Forestier-Kasapi has pivoted from pure watchmaking complexity to a technique centered on industrial resilience and efficiency. Her tenure has been outlined by a “repair the fundamentals” philosophy – enhancing reliability and precision – whereas concurrently pushing the boundaries of fabric science.
By some means, now we have missed talking extensively with Forestier-Kasapi since her Cartier days, however we lastly corrected that downside in 2025. It’s notably apt given the debut of the TH-Carbonspring at Geneva Watch Days this yr. We do prefer to geek out on escapement know-how however happily for all, Kasapi-Forestier stays level-headed and likewise will get into the Solargraph and the realities of business manufacturing.
You championed the thought of shock in watchmaking, and the significance of that shock for the consumer after they see and really feel a look ahead to the primary time. What’s the worth of a shock like this?
To the eyes of our purchasers, it’s a query relating to the expression of desirability. First, after all, I feel that’s the key factor. You’ll by no means purchase a watch if it’s not fascinating in your eyes.
If the expression (of the watch) connects to one thing you need to obtain, and it speaks for itself, it’s a win-win state of affairs. You don’t want to clarify it; it’s a self-explanatory design.
When you have a look at the historical past of the Maison, watches have been all the time… not only a new method to innovate, however innovating with sense (or function) behind it. I feel it is extremely essential. It isn’t simply innovation for innovation.
Proper. The concept of this “shock” occurred to me not solely due to the Cut up-Seconds Chronograph, but additionally due to issues just like the Plasma Diamant case. You assume: “What is that this? Why are you doing this? What’s the plan?”
It’s not simply creating a motion; it’s actually a succession of impacts serving a technique – a motion technique that is sensible for the Maison.
A very powerful factor for me firstly, once I joined TAG Heuer, was to place a long-term technique on the desk. A motion technique for the Maison: What can we need to obtain? The place can we see TAG Heuer sooner or later?
Upon getting a transparent long-term motion technique, you possibly can develop and attain your roadmap.
On that notice, once you have a look at the assortment, you’ve gotten a wide range of issues. You’ve in-house actions developed, the place the priorities appear to be reliability and good energy reserve. However then there are different components, together with associate or provider actions.
Sure, as a result of they (the suppliers and companions) are serving the principle technique. Independently from the place the actions are coming from, a very powerful factor is: Are they serving the technique or not? It’s not a query of the provider.
We don’t need to grow to be one hundred pc in-house; this isn’t our technique. The motion technique is about extra sturdiness and extra high quality. The orientations are there (as you stated).
For instance, with photo voltaic actions, we wish extra sturdiness. We need to swap completely from quartz watches with common battery actions to photo voltaic actions
Why Kenissi actions? It’s the identical: extra sturdiness, extra qualitative actions. Similar with [Vaucher]. At this time, [Vaucher] is the perfect high-end motion provider in Switzerland, delivering very high-qualitative actions.
To be clear, TAG Heuer at the moment has regular quartz, and you’ve got photo voltaic… You favor to really have the whole lot be photo voltaic sooner or later?
Sure, as a result of it is sensible for the consumer. Extra sturdiness – you don’t want to vary your battery each two or three years. Right here now we have an accumulator rather than a battery, and the lifetime of this accumulator is greater than 15 years. Think about how handy it’s for the consumer. That’s actually what we need to goal: extra sturdiness and high quality with these new actions. We consider photo voltaic is the good resolution for the consumer – very good.
By way of innovation, how do you resolve the place to place your efforts?
As a result of we’re centered on sturdiness and high quality (and there’s lots inside high quality)… Inside, or inside high quality, what we need to obtain is extra efficiency. So, extra precision, extra accuracy, extra energy reserve. We need to sort out “weekend-proof” energy reserve for all mechanical actions.
It’s actually a client-centric subject. I feel in the present day that’s a very powerful factor for a luxurious model to realize first. After that, we will play with problems… however the fundamentals have to be essentially very sturdy.
Take us by a few of these fundamentals, please!
In actual fact, it’s simple. We checked out a very powerful explanation why watches come again to the manufacture for servicing when there may be bother (or issues with the operating of any given watch). We analysed and categorized these sorts of troubles. Some of the essential ones is expounded to magnetism.
For mechanical watches, magnetism implies you should discover a resolution relating to the escapement – an amagnetic (also called antimagnetic) resolution – and the identical for the stability spring or hairspring.
So, with regards to innovation, at TAG Heuer, we had already developed and invented this Carbon Hairspring (known as the TH-Carbonspring). It takes time to finalize this stage of innovation (TAG Heuer introduced a manufacturing model of this hairspring in 2019, which in the end didn’t occur). We labored very laborious on it, and we’re completely happy in the present day. We current throughout Geneva Watch Days the very first resolution with two new Carbon Hairsprings: contained in the TH20- 60 chronograph calibre and the TH20-61 tourbillon chronograph calibre.
Lastly, now we have the psychological energy at TAG Heuer to finalise this excessive stage of innovation. That is essentially the most sophisticated factor it’s a must to monitor when you’re a watchmaker – doing one thing relating to the fabric of the hairspring.
Psychological energy certainly, as a result of it took 10 years?
Sure, it took 10 years. And now we’ll prolong this materials and this hairspring all over the place within the Haute Horlogerie assortment as a result of the manufacturing is small (by way of what number of are being made, or deliberate). The worth is excessive because of the manufacturing measurement, so we can have this primary step solely in Haute Horlogerie items. So, the Haute Horlogerie items, just like the novelties of subsequent yr, shall be outfitted with the TH-Carbonspring (within the stability meeting).
It’s a good resolution to current this yr throughout Geneva Watch Days as a result of, I don’t know if you recognize, however this yr is a unprecedented anniversary. It’s 350 years because the invention of the hairspring.
Oh sure, the unique developed independently by each Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke?
Precisely. We’re fortunate to have the ability to have fun this yr (with the TH-Carbonspring).
It’s typically very thrilling for individuals like us in watch magazines as a result of the hairspring is the center of the mechanical watch. However on the identical time, now we have to acknowledge that it is extremely tough to market a watch primarily based on the concept there may be an attention-grabbing hairspring.
For me, the subject is to resolve the magnetism downside. That’s it.
By way of total technique, we heard this yr about plans for the completely different manufacturers inside LVMH watchmaking to leverage their respective strengths to profit one another. How does this influence the broader technique for actions at TAG Heuer, since you’ve gotten the most important quantity?
So, we’re sharing some components. All of the Maisons have their very own technique. We don’t share the technique, product plans, or growth plans. However after all, if it is sensible to share one thing – if there isn’t any added worth to do two various things on the identical second – after all, we will share. It’s only a query of doing the smarter factor.
What’s cool on this group is the truth that now we have the liberty to share, or to resolve to not share. That is a very powerful. Our group is a gaggle of entrepreneurs.
We lately printed our interview with CEO Antoine Pin, and he was speaking concerning the significance of moments, as he did throughout his keynote in Geneva. Precision is essential on a elementary stage, however additionally it is an emotional factor. How does that feeling inform your perspective on watchmaking?
Each second is essential. Typically it’s future, you recognize? Greater than only a second of deciding. It is usually an opportunity to be opportunistic. Typically it’s a must to be opportunistic, and typically no. It depends upon what sort of factor it’s – whether it is work or private. Myself, I take into account I’m on the facet of the engineer, so far as work goes. So, I’m not very emotional on the work facet. I’m extra emotional for my way of life. You need to separate the issues; I don’t like to combine emotion in my work. In any other case, selections taken aren’t appropriate in the long run. If you look again at your outdated selections… when it’s emotional… (it doesn’t work).
This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #82 Festive 2025 Situation
For extra on the most recent in leaders and luxurious watch reads, click on right here.
