Time machines. Interview with Arnaud Nicolas, CEO at L’Epée (LVMH Group)

A mechanical motion is the guts of a watch. An ensemble of springs and metallic elements, which measure crucial factor that we’ve got, or really undergo throughout our lives, time. L’Epée provides objects pricey to us, like vehicles, or threatening to people, like rifles and bombs, this infinite heartbeat, to embellish houses and accompany households with a story of craftmanship and a memento of being on a journey.  We sat down with the corporate CEO, Arnaud Nicolas, throughout Geneva Watch Days 2025.

Inform us a bit about you and your journey. 

I’m half French and half Swiss, born and raised in Lyon. I’m additionally a scientist by coaching, so I used to be not ‘raised’ within the watch world. I maintain a grasp’s diploma in optoelectronics; principally, arithmetic. My work expertise began within the aerospace enterprise. Already as a child, I beloved breaking issues up, whether or not it was the watch my household donated me or my father’s automobile. You possibly can think about how harmful I might be round the home. I simply wanted to know how issues had been, inside out. I come from generations of engineers.

On the identical time, I’m passionate concerning the arts and at all times loved visiting museums. Arts and science are usually not essentially opposed. They’re two sides of the identical human spirit. That is precisely what I used to be lacking in my company profession. I used to be lacking a way of magnificence, the aesthetics of issues. After satellites, I moved to the electronics business, till kind of 2009, when, along with a good friend, we bought an virtually useless model, referred to as L’Epée.

How was the journey? How was the turnaround? 

We took a wonderful model and wished to convey it again to the place it deserved. It took time and fervour, that are the components of what we do. We knew we weren’t going to please everybody. Our creations have a viewpoint, and are segmenting, by definition. The essence of our firm is to remodel conventional objects into one thing new, fashionable, intriguing, through the wonders of the mechanical actions in them and in addition the colours and interpretations that we’ll an increasing number of convey to life, additionally because of collaborations with artists. In all instances, it’s at all times a singular proposition, to please and make folks replicate on their life and context. We wish merchandise which have a soul. Our merchandise are just like the armor that you just want for explorations and adventures. These are toys, full of magic and creativity.

You additionally play with issues like skeletons and bombs. What’s the concept behind these?

It’s a thought-provoking stimulus. Life is brief. It’s a reminder of who we’re and the place we’re going. It’s a reminder of the facility of time, and of its phantasm. At L’Epée we try to make kinetic items of artwork that additionally measure time. So, crucial component of a bit of artwork is to talk to the soul of people. That is realized in several methods: evoking, inspiring and/and even surprising followers. The grenade – for instance – is, I hope, a kinetic piece of artwork that may evoke one thing to folks and assist them to understand that life is brief and brittle, and that we must always take pleasure in it.

You are actually half of a bigger group. How is it going?

Sure, in June 2024 we had been acquired by the LVMH Group. It’s the perfect home for our firm and model. We now have the assist wanted to develop, holding our independence and house. LVMH is aware of what it takes to do luxurious nicely and creates the circumstances for our spirit to breathe and thrive.

We are actually in 120 multi-brand shops globally, of which 80 are, by far, the perfect shops on the planet, in relation to luxurious. Our staff is made of roughly 100 folks. Our headquarters is in Switzerland, the place all of the magic occurs.

What’s your private {and professional} objective now that you just bought your shares in L’Epée?

LVMH Group requested me to remain on board. My objective is to proceed the journey. L’Epée has in its palmares six gold awards in mechanics. Considered one of them was acquired in the course of the well-known 1900 International Exhibition in Paris (when the Tour Eiffel was made). We need to have a good time this heritage and stay a reference luxurious model globally. There may be nonetheless so much to do and create, and I need to be part of this second (or third) lifetime of the corporate. I need our merchandise to maintain talking to the souls of our lovers, current and future. There may be house for timeless time machines in our world. And we’re the perfect at crafting these.