GENEROUSLY TAKING A break from his packed schedule at the Genoa International Boat Show, where Eberhard & Co. is serving as Official Timekeeper for the third consecutive year, Eberhard & Co. General
Manager Mario Peserico joins us for an in-depth conversation about the brand’srecent achievements and future direction.

HAVING A HERITAGE AND A STORY DATING BACK TO 1887 IS SOMETHING INVALUABLE, IN A WORLD WHERE MANY BRANDS HAVE TO MAKE A LOT OF EFFORT TO BUILD THEIR LEGACY AND STORYTELLING FROM SCRATCH

Eberhard & Co. is one of the few remaiing independent, family-run watch brands in an industry dominated by large conglomerates. How does this independence influence your leadership style and the company’s long-term vision?

– Independence is a valuable asset, but it also necessitates finding a balance between immediate short-term decisions, where agility is crucial for a company like ours, and a long-term vision. This long-term perspective is a key strength of a brand with a rich heritage, as it emphasises values beyond mere profit.

How do you balance preserving the patrimony of Eberhard & Co. with the need for innovation and staying relevant in today’s fast-evolving luxury watch market?

– Having a heritage and a story dating back to 1887 is something invaluable, in a world where many brands have to make a lot of effort to build their legacy and storytelling from scratch. However, heritage
alone is not enough; constant innovation is crucial. We have the luxury to take risks and be bold, which is a significant advantage. We have no secret ingredients, except for our distinct taste and DNA, which we
continuously evolve.

The luxury watch industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, from the rise of online retail and the growth of the secondary market to shifting consumer preferences. How do these trends impact Eberhard & Co., and how are you positioning the brand for the future?

– These closely related trends significantly impact our industry. On one hand, we choose to leave the online retail space to our trusted dealers, ensuring that we don’t cannibalise their business. On the
other hand, it’s impossible to ignore the influence of secondary market platforms. As long as these platforms maintain transparency and sell what they claim, I see more positive outcomes than negatives,
especially regarding increasing visibility and recognition for the brand involved.

What are the most critical factors you consider when designing and launching a new
watch collection?
– Obviously, we start with our collection, market research, opportunities, and so on, but often the crucial factors are two: experience and intuition. After 32 years in the Company, these elements have become so innate that they’re almost impossible to articulate.

Eberhard & Co. offers the repair of any watch you have ever made. Can you talk about this and the archive certification.

– How could we claim to be a 137-year-old brand with an uninterrupted history, along with all the heritage, roots, and tradition that come with it and that we honour, and then tell a customer, “Sorry, we can’t repair your grandfather’s watch?” Every single watch holds its story and intangible value and needs
recognition. To further highlight this, in 2019 we inaugurated the Eberhard & Co. Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds—not just as a display but to make people aware of what lies behind the brand and the collections. Our archive certificates are one of the elements that reflect this legacy, allowing every owner of our watches, from all decades, to enhance and recognise the value of their timepiece.

What inspires you personally as a leader, and how do you stay motivated and ensure that your approach to business evolves with the times, especially in an industry that demands both precision and creativity?

– Working with Barbara Monti, Owner and President of the Company, is incredibly important. She is a capable and inspiring leader, truly the heart and soul of Eberhard & Co. Our daily discussions and exchanges provide invaluable insight and contribute greatly to the motivation needed to drive the brand forward. It happens that we have differing perspectives, but open, sincere, and honest dialogue allows
both of us to grow continuously. In addition to this, we place great importance on maintaining
daily contact with those on the “front lines” of the market, who engage directly with our customers. Their insights provide invaluable, real-time feedback, allowing us to stay attuned to evolving needs and expectations.

Making important business decisions requires a blend of intuition and data. What is your personal approach to decision-making, and how do you weigh tradition against innovation when shaping the future of Eberhard & Co.?

– I believe there is only one essential recipe: a strong entrepreneurial spirit. This is something you either have from a young age or you don’t, as taught to us by Barbara Monti’s father, our former President.
Balancing innovation and tradition is challenging to quantify, but I would say it’s
a 50/50 mix, and this equilibrium will always be our approach. One major challenge that contemporary
times pose is ensuring that Eberhard & Co. remains connected to its loyal base of watch enthusiasts while also attracting a new generation of buyers, particularly in an era when younger consumers are redefining
the watch market and luxury in general. That is among the reasons why we have Ginevra, representing the third generation of the Monti family, as our Marketing Coordinator—she is greatly in touch with today’s dynamics. Additionally, over 50% of our team is composed of women—they have a remarkable ability to understand and articulate the nuances of today’s world.