Carole Forestier-Kasapi on Strategic Path 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 Issues 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 ultimately delivery 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 targeted on industrial resilience and efficiency. Her tenure has been outlined by a “repair the fundamentals” philosophy – bettering reliability and precision – whereas concurrently pushing the boundaries of fabric science.

Someway, we have now missed talking extensively with Forestier-Kasapi since her Cartier days, however we lastly corrected that downside in 2025. It’s notably apt given the debut of the TH-Carbonspring at Geneva Watch Days this yr. We do wish to geek out on escapement know-how however fortuitously 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 shoppers, it’s a query concerning the expression of desirability. First, after all, I believe that’s the key factor. You’ll by no means purchase a watch if it isn’t fascinating in your eyes.

If the expression (of the watch) connects to one thing you need to obtain, and it speaks for itself, it’s a win-win scenario. You don’t want to clarify it; it’s a self-explanatory design.

In the event you have a look at the historical past of the Maison, watches have been at all times… not only a new method to innovate, however innovating with sense (or objective) behind it. I believe it is vitally essential. It isn’t simply innovation for innovation.

Proper. The thought of this “shock” occurred to me not solely due to the Break up-Seconds Chronograph, but in addition due to issues just like the Plasma Diamant case. You suppose: “What is that this? Why are you doing this? What’s the plan?”

It’s not simply creating 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 will we need to obtain? The place will we see TAG Heuer sooner or later?

Upon getting a transparent long-term motion technique, you’ll be able to develop and attain your roadmap.

On that word, if you have a look at the assortment, you’ve gotten a wide range 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, crucial factor is: Are they serving the technique or not? It’s not a query of the provider.

We don’t need to develop into 100% in-house; this isn’t our technique. The motion technique is about extra sturdiness and extra high quality. The orientations are there (as you mentioned).

For instance, with photo voltaic actions, we wish extra sturdiness. We need to change completely from quartz watches with common battery actions to photo voltaic actions to attain greater than 10 years (of autonomy). Every thing is related to the technique.

Why Kenissi actions? It’s the identical: extra sturdiness, extra qualitative actions. Similar with (Vaucher). At present, (Vaucher) is one of the best high-end motion provider in Switzerland, delivering very high-qualitative actions.

To be clear, TAG Heuer at present has regular quartz, and you’ve got photo voltaic… You like to really have every thing be photo voltaic sooner or later?

Sure, as a result of it is sensible for the shopper. Extra sturdiness – you don’t want to vary your battery each two or three years. Right here we have now 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 need to goal: extra sturdiness and high quality with these new actions. We imagine photo voltaic is the sensible answer for the shopper – very sensible.

By way of innovation, how do you determine the place to place your efforts?

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

It’s actually a client-centric subject. I believe right now that’s crucial factor for a luxurious model to attain first. After that, we are able to play with issues… however the fundamentals have to be basically very robust.

Take us by way of a few of these fundamentals, please!

In reality, it’s straightforward. We checked out crucial the explanation why watches come again to the manufacture for servicing when there may be bother (or issues with the working of any given watch). We analysed and categorized these sorts of troubles. One of the vital essential ones is said to magnetism.

For mechanical watches, magnetism implies that you must discover a answer concerning the escapement – an amagnetic (also called antimagnetic) answer – 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 (referred to 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 exhausting on it, and we’re blissful right now. We current throughout Geneva Watch Days the very first answer with two new Carbon Hairsprings: contained in the TH20- 60 chronograph calibre and the TH20-61 tourbillon chronograph calibre.

Lastly, we have now the psychological energy at TAG Heuer to finalise this excessive degree of innovation. That is essentially the most difficult factor you need to monitor when you find yourself 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’ll lengthen 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 dimension, so we can have this primary step solely in Haute Horlogerie items. So, the Haute Horlogerie items, just like the novelties of subsequent yr, might be geared up with the TH-Carbonspring (within the stability meeting).

It’s a good answer to current this yr throughout Geneva Watch Days as a result of, I don’t know if you realize, however this yr is a unprecedented 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 rejoice this yr (with the TH-Carbonspring).

It’s typically very thrilling for folks like us in watch magazines as a result of the hairspring is the guts of the mechanical watch. However on the identical time, we have now to acknowledge that it is vitally troublesome to market a watch primarily based on the concept there may be an fascinating hairspring.

For me, the subject is to unravel the magnetism downside. That’s it.

By way of total 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’ve gotten 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 are able to share. It’s only a query of doing the smarter factor.

What’s cool on this group is the truth that we have now the liberty to share, or to determine to not share. That is crucial. 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 is usually an emotional factor. How does that feeling inform your perspective on watchmaking?

Each second is essential. Generally it’s future, you realize? Greater than only a second of deciding. It is usually an opportunity to be opportunistic. Generally you need to be opportunistic, and typically no. It will depend on what sort of factor it’s – whether it is work or private. Myself, I think about 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 life-style. You need to separate the issues; I don’t like to combine emotion in my work. In any other case, choices taken will not be appropriate ultimately. 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 Subject

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