Carole Forestier-Kasapi on Strategic Course and the Way forward for TAG Heuer Actions

Carole Forestier-Kasapi doesn’t get emotional about watchmaking; she favours the engineering aspect of her background in the case of her function as TAG Heuer Actions Director. This would possibly 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 many years shaping the trade’s mechanics.

Her profession started with a meteoric rise, highlighted by her 1997 Breguet Basis Prize win for a central carousel tourbillon idea that will finally 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 almost 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.

Someway, we now have missed talking extensively with Forestier-Kasapi since her Cartier days, however we lastly corrected that drawback 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 luckily for all, Kasapi-Forestier stays level-headed and in addition will get into the Solargraph and the realities of business manufacturing.

You championed the concept of shock in watchmaking, and the significance of that shock for the shopper once 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 concerning the expression of desirability. First, after all, I believe that’s the key ingredient. 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 wish to obtain, and it speaks for itself, it’s a win-win state of affairs. You don’t want to elucidate it; it’s a self-explanatory design.

When you take a look at the historical past of the Maison, watches had been all the time… not only a new approach to innovate, however innovating with sense (or function) behind it. I believe it is rather essential. It’s not simply innovation for innovation.

Proper. The thought 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 growing 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 at first, once I joined TAG Heuer, was to place a long-term technique on the desk. A motion technique for the Maison: What can we wish to obtain? The place can we see TAG Heuer sooner or later?

After you have a transparent long-term motion technique, you may develop and achieve your roadmap.

On that be aware, whenever you take a look at the assortment, you could have quite a lot of issues. You could have in-house actions developed, the place the priorities appear to be reliability and good energy reserve. However then there are different parts, together with accomplice 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, an important factor is: Are they serving the technique or not? It’s not a query of the provider.

We don’t wish to develop into 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 would like extra sturdiness. We wish to swap completely from quartz watches with common battery actions to photo voltaic actions to realize greater than 10 years (of autonomy). All the pieces is linked to the technique.

Why Kenissi actions? It’s the identical: extra sturdiness, extra qualitative actions. Identical with [Vaucher]. As we speak, [Vaucher] is the most effective 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 like to truly have all the pieces be photo voltaic sooner or later?

Sure, as a result of it is sensible for the shopper. Extra sturdiness – you don’t want to alter your battery each two or three years. Right here we now have an accumulator instead of a battery, and the lifetime of this accumulator is greater than 15 years. Think about how handy it’s for the shopper. That’s actually what we wish to goal: extra sturdiness and high quality with these new actions. We imagine photo voltaic is the sensible resolution for the shopper – very sensible.

When it comes to innovation, how do you determine the place to place your efforts?

As a result of we’re centered on sturdiness and high quality (and there’s quite a bit inside high quality)… Inside, or inside high quality, what we wish to obtain is extra efficiency. So, extra precision, extra accuracy, extra energy reserve. We wish to deal with “weekend-proof” energy reserve for all mechanical actions.

It’s actually a client-centric matter. I believe as we speak that’s an important factor for a luxurious model to realize first. After that, we will play with issues… however the fundamentals should be essentially very robust.

Take us by a few of these fundamentals, please!

Actually, it’s simple. We checked out an important explanation why watches come again to the manufacture for servicing when there may be hassle (or issues with the operating of any given watch). We analysed and categorized these sorts of troubles. One of the vital essential ones is expounded to magnetism.

For mechanical watches, magnetism implies it’s worthwhile to discover a resolution concerning 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 degree of innovation (TAG Heuer introduced a manufacturing model of this hairspring in 2019, which in the end didn’t occur). We labored very onerous on it, and we’re blissful as we speak. 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, we now have the psychological energy at TAG Heuer to finalise this excessive degree of innovation. That is essentially the most sophisticated factor you need to monitor if you end up a watchmaker – doing one thing concerning the fabric of the hairspring.

Psychological energy certainly, as a result of it took 10 years?

Sure, it took 10 years. And now we are going to prolong this materials and this hairspring in every single 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 may have this primary step solely in Haute Horlogerie items. So, the Haute Horlogerie items, just like the novelties of subsequent yr, will likely 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 , however this yr is a rare anniversary. It’s 350 years for the reason that 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 a good time this yr (with the TH-Carbonspring).

It’s usually very thrilling for folks like us in watch magazines as a result of the hairspring is the center of the mechanical watch. However on the identical time, we now have to acknowledge that it is rather tough to market a watch primarily based on the concept that there may be an attention-grabbing hairspring.

For me, the subject is to resolve the magnetism drawback. That’s it.

When it comes to general technique, we heard this yr about plans for the completely different manufacturers inside LVMH watchmaking to leverage their respective strengths to learn one another. How does this influence the broader technique for actions at TAG Heuer, since you could have the biggest quantity?

So, we’re sharing some parts. All of the Maisons have their very own technique. We don’t share the technique, product plans, or improvement plans. However after all, if it is sensible to share one thing – if there is no such thing as a 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 we now have the liberty to share, or to determine to not share. That is an important. Our group is a gaggle of entrepreneurs.

We lately printed our interview with CEO Antoine Pin, and he was speaking in regards to the significance of moments, as he did throughout his keynote in Geneva. Precision is essential on a elementary degree, however it’s also an emotional factor. How does that feeling inform your perspective on watchmaking?

Each second is essential. Generally it’s future, ? Greater than only a second of deciding. Additionally it is an opportunity to be opportunistic. Generally you need to be opportunistic, and generally no. It relies on what sort of factor it’s – whether it is work or private. Myself, I contemplate I’m on the aspect of the engineer, so far as work goes. So, I’m not very emotional on the work aspect. I’m extra emotional for my way of life. It’s important to separate the issues; I don’t like to combine emotion in my work. In any other case, choices taken should not appropriate in the long run. Once you look again at your outdated choices… when it’s emotional… (it doesn’t work).

This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #82 Festive 2025 Problem

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