A'bad one of the major markets for Victorinox

Launches super premium AirBoss Mach 8 range

With a penchant for luxury, the Ahmedabad market has been clocking over 100 per cent growth for Swiss luxury watch maker Victorinox.

While the company expects to maintain its growth trajectory in the city this year, it also aims to sell at least five pieces of its super luxury watch range, AirBoss Mach 8 Special Edition here.

Meanwhile, Victorinox, which now sells watches through multi-brand outlets, also plans to open its first brand boutique in the country by end of 2012.

"The AirBoss range was launched internationally in December last year. Our buyers are aware of the range through the internet, and our dealers have been getting a lot of enquiries in the city. Ahmedabad is the second city in the country after Pune where we are showcasing the watch," said Debraj Sengupta, country head, Victorinox Watches.

Stating that Ahmedabad is one of the fastest growing markets for the company in India. "People here have a fancy for luxury, and in the last one and a half years, the market has done extremely well for us. Surat would be our next stop to showcase the AirBoss range," he added.

Ahmedabad ranks third as a market for the Swiss watchmaker tying with Bangalore. While Delhi is the largest market for the company,with Mumbai coming in as a close second. Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai come together at number four.

The AirBoss Mach 8, which pays tribute to the AirBoss or the central figure of the navy, have been designed with a key function, a visual countdown function. These aviation-inspired time-pieces have been priced at Rs 106,000 in India. "Victorinox has a strong presence in the Rs 15,000-30,000 luxury watch range. We are trying to position ourselves as an 'affordable luxury' watch brand in India, slightly premium compared to a Tissot or a Longines, but at one-third of the price of an Omega or a TAG Heuer," Sengupta said. The net luxury watch market in India is around Rs 1,000 crore, he said adding that the Rs 15,000-30,000 price segment constitutes a market size of around Rs 850 crore. Sengupta, however, did not wish to share Victorinox's share in the luxury watch market in the country saying that the company has been a late entrant, coming into India only five years back.

Internationally, Victorinox sells knives, apparel, travel-gear, perfumes apart from time-pieces through their stand-alone brand boutiques. The company is mulling to start similar brand boutiques in India by the end of 2012. At present, it sells its travel-gear through stand-alone stores called 'Base Camp' while it sells its watches through multi-brand outlets and knives through the general retail chain. "We are yet to take a call whether we would come up with a complete brand store, or an only-watches brand store. The first boutique store would be either in Delhi or Mumbai," Sengupta said.