Christophe Viguerie, managing director of the Swiss-based watch company, said the purchasing power of the company's customers remained strong, which led to better-than-

expected sales growth during

the first quarter, though he declined to provide details.

Two main reasons that drive sales growth are a close relationship with customers and the fast launch of its products. He said high-end consumers always had money to spend regardless of the economic situation, but they tended to buy only the brand they know the best.

To build awareness of the recently launched brands,

the company will apply two

strategies. First it will devote space in watch magazines to describe each brand in depth. Secondly, it will arrange exclusive events to display the watches

to 30-40 high-spending customers.

Product distribution is the responsibility of retailers Frank Jewellery and The Perpetual Watch. The company also plans to open separate boutique shops for each of its 12 brands this year.

In terms of design, Blanpain is similar to Briquet with delicate features but is more modern. Jaquet Droz focuses on pure 18K gold features and a sophisticated mechanism. Leon Hatot's strong point is its jewellery-based design.

The company has also arranged its first watch fair - The Best of Time 2006.

The fair runs at from today until May 23 at Central Chidlom in Bangkok. The lowest priced watch at the fair is the Flik Flak for children (Bt1,300), while the priciest is the Glashutte at Bt1.8 million.

Viguerie said the fair was a good channel for the company to have direct contact with customers and build even stronger relationships.

"Although the economic situation hasn't affected them yet, we are working more intensely than before in building our relationship with customers to ensure their brand loyalty," he said.

Nitida Aswanipont

The Nation