Bringing Rolex Retail (and More) Back to Bienne: A Conversation with Cédric Schiess, Founder of Art du Temps

I parked outside the museum that hosts, almost secretly, the largest public Rolex collection in the world. A few hundred meters away from where the first ever Rolex watches were made, I crossed the road and walked into Art du Temps, the brand new authorized retailer in Bienne for Tudor, IWC, Montblanc, Chopard, and, yes, the brand with the crown. 

Art du Temps offers an authentic, immersive experience, true to the spirit of watchmaking. While the founder is still a young man, he is also somewhat of an old soul. A watchmaker by training, Cédric Schiess learned the ropes of retail at Bucherer in Interlaken and Crans-Montana before spending three years bringing Art du Temps to life. In one of the store’s cozy salons, amid the straw marquetry, clay walls and scattered touches of brass, we sat in front of a large vintage photograph of the original Rolex site in Bienne, and had this conversation.

What is the concept of Art du Temps? How is it any different from other high end watch & jewelry retailers?

The products we sell are essentially the same around the world. Where we aim to be special is in how we put people at the center of our attention. It should be like entering someone’s living room. You should feel safe, relaxed, not pressured to buy anything. You can sit down, have a drink, and talk with us. You don’t even have to ask about our products. Our goal is for you to feel good when you walk out.  

In a world where many brands are taking control of their retail experience, how did the project come about? How did you secure the commitment from the brands? How will you ensure the long term viability of your model?

A lot of brands are indeed investing in mono-brand boutiques. But I am confident customers will continue to find value in multi-brand stores. A single place where you have all your history, across the brands you collect. A place to discover new watches, but also buy jewelry, for example. Building a long term relationship is often easier in a multi-brand store. 

Convincing the brands wasn’t easy at first. But having the first two big players onboard opened doors. It was important to develop a concept different from other stores in Switzerland. Our long term approach, the quality we aim for in every aspect, every detail, our focus on the human – all of this gave our partners the confidence to believe in us. 

What brands do you represent? Why this choice?

First, of course, we represent Rolex. We are in Bienne, the watch city, where Rolex is huge. When the opportunity came to us, it almost felt meant to be. Being at the right place, at the right time, with the right people is what makes the  magic happen. Of course, it required a lot of hard work, but the stars aligned to open the door. 

Tudor comes with Rolex, which is lovely. The brand keeps growing in importance, with its own identity and clients, offering new possibilities at a more entry level. Chopard offers a different tone, in both watches and jewelry. 

IWC I always wanted to work with. Their range is very wide, covering a large spectrum of customers. Montblanc, in the same price range as Tudor, impresses me with their new philosophy. I bought into their long term vision. And Minerva, owned by Montblanc, brings us high horology, something we aim to develop more in the future.

Finally, on the jewelry side, Marcelo Bicego, Giberg, Girello from Meister and our own jewelry line bring a great level of variety across styles and price segments, complementing the offering by Chopard.

You are located in Bienne, at the heart of Swiss watchmaking. What does this mean for you and the store?

It means a lot. My family and I are rooted in Bienne. If you grow up in Stuttgart, Mercedes and Porsche are part of your natural surroundings. It’s the same for us with Rolex, Omega, the Swatch Group. You know people who work at all of them. We are opening this store at home, with friends and family all around, in the watchmaking environment that means everything to us. It feels good.

You come from a family that is very active in the Swiss watch industry, importing metal used by many brands, in particular for their movements. What does this heritage mean to you? How did it shape your vision for Art du Temps?

With this heritage, we are very fortunate to witness, and take part in, the whole lifecycle of a watch. It starts, as you said, with the raw material, which my family has been importing for generations. Our customers then machine it, turn it, transform it in all possible ways. Ultimately, all the parts are turned into a watch, a process I am fortunate to understand from my apprenticeship as a watchmaker at Zeitzentrum Grenchen. And now, at Art du Temps, we sell the watch. A fully regional and local effort, I would add.

In a city where everyone either works in the watch industry or knows someone in the watch industry, is it challenging to be a watch retailer? Who do you expect will be your main customers?

Everywhere, it’s a challenge to be a retailer. Here, it’s very nice to have many people come in who work at the brands. They have their internal perspectives, leading to very interesting conversations. Sure, sometimes they look around and try on models to end up buying them inside the company, with employee rates. But often, they also want something else, which they can’t obtain at work. Ultimately, we want to build a culture, offer an experience, in Bienne. It doesn’t matter if not everyone buys. And while a lot of people work in the industry, the region has many highly successful people – often very low key – from a wide range of professional horizons. Previously, they had to go to Zurich or Geneva to find certain things. We want to make sure they can find them here too.

Bienne is the birthplace of Rolex, and home to its largest production site, where all movements are produced. Rolex is the number one employer in the city. And yet, we have not had a Rolex retailer for over two years now. What does this special connection with the brand’s past and present represent for you and the experience at Art du Temps?

It’s huge because Rolex is such a beautiful brand. Whatever they do, they do it right. It means a lot to me that we are able to sell Rolex watches to people who understand and appreciate the brand’s values – either from having worked there themselves, or through people they know. It’s an honor that Rolex trusts us to bring their philosophy to the final customer. It’s a gift but also a responsibility. You represent something that is extraordinary. Your service and attitude must be at that level. Of course, this applies to the other brands we have chosen as well.

Speaking of Rolex, the topic on top of watch aficionado minds is often related to lack of availability of many models. How do you plan to handle this? 

We always make sure to have several pieces we can sell without a reservation or waiting several months. That being said, we cannot change the market. And on some models, there is demand we simply cannot deliver. But what we can do is serve people the way we want to be served ourselves. Explain to them, not leave them alone. Update them, stay in contact. This is very important. We will also try to focus on local customers, build healthy, long term, trust-based relationships.

Art du Temps is over four floors, and required three years of construction. Most of your interior design and displays are fully customized. How difficult was this to implement? Of which parts are you the most proud?

It was not easy. It’s not as if I’d already built four boutiques in my life! We really tried to work with local craftsmen. While that had many benefits, they are not always used to building things like this. It required a lot of prototyping. The most difficult part was coordinating over 60 companies to work together over such a small space, at a very high and consistent level of quality. It took time because some parts required a second or even a third try. We waited until it was all exactly as intended. I am very proud of the result.  

Then, to answer your last question, it’s difficult to pick something specific. It’s really about the overall colors, materials, contrasts and how they work together. There’s always something to look at, to explore, something to explain. I am proud that we were able to bring together all those aspects, with traditional regional crafts and noble materials, in a high end but low key fashion that suits our surroundings. 

Finally, what is your favorite watch model from each brand you represent? 

This is like asking what’s your favorite food. It depends on the mood, on what you’re doing, on what you’re wearing. But let’s say, among the new models we actually sell… Starting with Rolex, I particularly like the Rolesor Daytona, in Oystersteel and yellow gold, with a black dial. Many details have recently been added that really change the look of the watch, such as the thinner subdials and indices. For Tudor, I would have to say the Black Bay 58 GMT. Perfect size and proportions with vintage details. My favorite IWC is the Pilot Top Gun double chronograph in Ceratanium. The complication is a real challenge from a watchmaking perspective, and the material is very special. Coming to Chopard, the Alpine Eagle Cadence H8F: a beautifully crafted titanium case and integrated bracelet, with an 8 Hz frequency, twice as fast as the standard – a rare feature I particularly appreciate as a watchmaker. Finally, for Montblanc, and leaving Minerva aside, I would say the Nicolas Rieussec chronograph introduced this year for the 100th anniversary of the Meisterstück: the drawings for the first Mesiterstück and calculations of the Montblanc logo are printed on the dial in UV color. Such an underrated watch with so much to talk about!