Q&ACarrying The Legacy Forward: A Chat With Titoni’s Co-CEO, Marc Schluep

TWG: Marc, what would you say is the DNA of Titoni?

Marc: The DNA of Titoni is that we are an independent, family-owned brand. We are now in our fourth generation. Our goal is to make high-quality watches at an affordable and accessible price. And last but not least, we offer Swiss-made watches, which means we uphold the Swiss values that come with it. I believe these are the core values of our brand.

TWG: And, what is Titoni’s signature collection?

Marc: One of the key collections we recently introduced is the Seascoper collection. Within this collection, the Seascoper 600 models are the most sought after. They feature our in-house manufacture movement, a COSC-certified movement that we developed and produced ourselves. I believe the movement is really the key to the Seascoper’s success. As a product, it has garnered a lot of admiration and acceptance in the market.

TWG: As fourth-generation leaders, how do you plan to innovate while maintaining the core brand identity?

Marc: Of course, innovation is key. We’ve been doing the same thing for many years, but one can only reach this level of quality by refining and optimising many small details. The movement also evolves over the years, with quality improvements. So, we can try to bring new features and details to the watch, but we cannot completely leave where we come from. We need to remember our origins, keep the knowledge, maintain the quality level, and then elevate it to the next level. By adding a little bit of feature, a little bit of innovation, we find the right balance of new products, without compromising on the quality and what made us strong in the past.

TWG: There’s been a surge of independent watchmakers over the last decade, how does Titoni stand out from its competitors? 

Marc: We have a great history. We have existed for over 100 years as an independent, family-owned brand. If you combine these values, there are not too many left. Many of the established watch brands are part of a big conglomerate today, which can add some value, but there’s something different when it’s a family brand. We are a true family company. It was our great-grandfather who started this heritage, my grandfather continued it, my father led it for over 40 years. And now, my brother Olivier and I have taken over this family heritage in the fourth generation and will continue it. You won’t find too many brands that are still in the family, and this is something that really makes us unique.

TWG: Can you tell us a little about your journey in watchmaking?

My brother (Olivier Schluep) and I didn’t join the company as Co-CEOs. We had different roles within the company. Of course, we aren’t watchmakers, but we took the time to sit down with the watchmakers and get to know the product. I even tried to assemble and service a watch myself to gain knowledge about the product. I also joined our product development team to learn what it means to develop a new product—what the key factors are, how to make a selection, how to achieve good quality levels, and how to ensure quality assurance. So, I really took my time in different departments to learn what it means to produce great watches and bring them to the market. In the end, the sales part is one of the key areas where I’m now strongly involved. As a Co-CEO, I believe that the representation of a brand is one of the key tasks of a company leader.

TWG: How has your role evolved from a Business Development Manager to a Co-CEO? 

Marc: In a family company, you start your role from birth. You learn about the company first at home when your father talks about it. Then, you visit the company, maybe meet some business partners, and get to know more and more. Perhaps you start with a summer job, which is what I did. In high school, during the summer break, I worked for the company in the packaging department. That’s where one grows within the company and starts to learn different things. Even during vacations, often with the family, we would visit our business partners. This is all part of the involvement in this role. When I joined as Business Development Manager, that role came with its own tasks. My brother, my father—who was in charge back then—and I got involved in many tasks and discussions to find strategies and make daily decisions. Step by step, we took over this role. So, it wasn’t a hard cut, like day X and then we were in charge, but a smooth process. Since 2022, my brother and I have officially been in charge.

TWG: Are you expanding any of your collections this year?

Marc: We do have some ladies’ watches coming up later this year under the Mademoiselle collection. The watch industry is very male-dominated, and sometimes ladies’ needs get forgotten. We’ve always had a good collection of ladies’ watches, and after focusing on a few collections for men, it was time for us to introduce a few models for women again. I believe we have some great products to offer, and hopefully, many ladies will appreciate these watches as well.

TWG: That’s good to hear. Can you tell us about any of your recent launches?

Marc: On one hand, we have the Seascoper bicolour executions—watches with a gold-plated bracelet that strike a balance between the classical elegance of a watch and the sportiness of a dive watch. Another recent addition is the watch I’m wearing, the Airmaster Pilot. This is a pilot’s watch, and its origin goes back to many years ago when we made pilot watches for the US Army. So, we decided to revive that. It’s a larger-sized watch with a big crown. One of the goals was to ensure anti-magnetism, so we included a soft iron cage around the movement, which enhances the anti-magnetism of the watch. In addition, there are many small details to achieve the high-quality standards we aim for. For example, it has a sandwich-style dial, which is double-layered, and the case is made of Grade-5 titanium, giving it a nice brushed finish. Overall, it’s a very good product. It’s even COSC-certified, and for this price point, I believe it’s truly an outstanding watch that offers great value for customers.

As a tribute to their association with the U.S. Army, Titoni launched the Airmaster Pilot Chronometer in late 2024

The 43mm Airmaster Pilot is crafted from Grade-5 titanium, weighing just 86gms

Its caseback features an embossed image of a 1940s pilot alongside a stylised propeller

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TWG: It’s a beautiful Airmaster, indeed! This brings us to our next question.. Titoni enjoys the reputation of an affordable luxury brand, is that limiting in any way? 

Marc: Of course, if you want to be an affordable and accessible watch brand, there are limits, especially when it comes to development and innovation in new watches. Introducing new watches means you need new features, complications, and materials, and developing a new watch is costly. Secondly, something completely out-of-the-box would be expensive to produce. So, if you want to remain affordable, you need to find a balance between innovation—bringing something new—and keeping the final product within a price range that fits our segment. We can’t, and don’t want to, go too far out of range and introduce something priced far above where we’ve been. Of course, we can slowly evolve and introduce more special executions that are a bit pricier, but we still want to stay within our range. This balance is something we must keep in mind when developing new watches, ensuring that we respect our price point. We want to be affordable and accessible, keeping in mind what customers can still afford while offering a watch they can wear daily.

TWG: How important is the South Asian market for the brand? 

Marc: The South Asian market has always been relevant for Titoni. Especially in recent years, I think we’ve seen some growth in this region, and there’s significant potential. For us, it’s key to closely examine these markets, understand customers’ wishes, demands, and tastes, and stay in close contact with them. This way, we can offer watches that truly resonate with customers in these markets.

The Titoni Seascoper 300 is encased within a 42mm steel case, offering a water resistance of up to 300m

It is run by the automatic Sellita SW200-1 calibre, providing an energy reserve of approximately 38 hours

TWG: Lastly, where do you see Titoni in the next 10 years?

Marc: I think our vision is for my brother and I to keep Titoni as an independent, family-owned brand. It’s not only unique for us to be part of this history, but it’s also a great value for our customers. This is something we want to carry forward. We have classic watches, but we also want to introduce a little bit of innovation, freshness, and newness. However, we always want to remember where we come from, our origins, and our heritage. Looking to the future, we aim to remain an independent, family-owned brand that is well recognised in the market.

TWG: That’s great to hear, Marc. Thank you for your time.

Marc: Thank you.