Inside Baume & Mercier’s India Strategy: Michael Guenoun On Talent, Authenticity And Partnerships

Celebrities becoming “Friends of the Maison” has become one of the defining currents in luxury watchmaking, with leading Maisons increasingly choosing cultural ambassadors over conventional advertising campaigns to translate heritage into relevance for a new generation of collectors. Baume & Mercier has embraced this shift with particular intent in India, pairing actress Janhvi Kapoor with its feminine Joia de Baume & Mercier collection and cricketer Shreyas Iyer with its Mens line, both partnerships built less around star power and more around shared values of talent, discipline and authenticity. Outlook Luxe had a conversation with Michael Guenoun, CEO, Baume & Mercier, on the thinking behind these partnerships, the Maison’s growing investment in India’s evolving watch-collecting.

With Baume & Mercier welcoming Shreyas Iyer as a Friend of the Maison, what does his association represent for the brand’s evolving relationship with India’s luxury and watch collecting audience?

Michael Guenoun: So first of all, we strongly invest in India as we believe it’s the right time to invest. The market is doing extremely well for us. And it seems very natural and logic to partner in India with the young talents, who has very strong personalities. During Watches and Wonders 2026 in Geneva, released our partnership Janhvi Kapoor, who embodies our new collection, Joia, a feminine dedicated collection.

This comes really naturally and we have been very happy and honoured to partner with Janhvi Kapoor. Baume & Mercier is a Maison of balance between many different aspects, and we see that we need the Friends of The Maison as someone to represent the collections.

And it comes very naturally to partner with Shreyas, again, young talent, but in a different field. And he has been recently nominated as a captain of the Indian Cricket team. So we see that is sharing the similar values of leadership, hard work, attention to details and quality. And we are very happy to partner with him for the India market.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer Joins Baume & Mercier As Friend Of The Maison

India has increasingly become a market where luxury watch brands are building stories around personalities, culture and lifestyle, rather than simply products. How important is celebrity and cultural relevance to Baume & Mercier strategy in India?

MG: We are a Maison of celebration. Baume & Mercier recently released a new communication campaign towards Celebrating meaningful moments. We are a Maison of close to 200 years of rich heritage, with strong values of authenticity, quality, craftsmanship. And it’s important to have someone that can symbolise those values and really transmit this to a larger audience.

As we know, India has a very large population. So, this comes naturally to have Indian ambassadors that can symbolise what we are today, Baume & Mercier. India is a country of celebration and tradition. And it’s the reason why we’re doing so well in India, is because we have a very strong close attachment to the country, towards the celebration and a very strong culture and history.

How do you strike the balance between leveraging high-profile personalities and preserving Baume & Mercier’s watchmaking heritage, ensuring that the celebrity becomes a gateway to the Maison rather than the story itself?

MG: It sometimes represents a risk, unless you remain authentic with your Maison, and with everything you do. And this is all about Baume & Mercier. We are truly authentic in what we do. And the symbol of promoting young talent and partnering with young talent is not just marketing activities, but it’s also the strong values that we are defending every day. From an Indian cricketer to an Indian, very talented actress, but also to a young watchmaker in Switzerland. We are promoting talent across the world, as is part of the history of the Maison.

Also Read: How The Baumatic Movement Transformed Baume & Mercier

What are the key priorities for Baume & Mercier globally and specifically for markets like India? Are there any particular products, categories, collections or consumer segments that you are driving for the next phase of growth?

MG: So, we have successfully launched a new lady segment called Joia. Its is a line for ladies watches that perfectly symbolises the Maison of creativity, luxury, craftsmanship and design. And today is one of the priorities of the Maison to continue to accelerate towards the lady segment. And we see the huge success of that and will continue to elevate the collection towards the feminine. We see as well with the Hampton, where we have developed a specific bracelet with a jewellery design. We see the huge response and success of this collection.

So, we are very confident to continue as we are fully legitimate to develop this segment on the ladies part. Now, as I said, we are a Maison of balance and we see the importance to continue to strengthen our watchmaking expertise, especially with the BAUMATIC movement. BAUMATIC is our own in-house movement that has been developed by us with a five-day power reserve. The watch I wear today, it’s a Clifton Perpetual Calendar with a specific ice blue dial and comes in a limited edition, a perfect symbol of what we want to do in the future to continue to accelerate our expertise in the watchmaking world.

The luxury watch industry is entering a period where younger consumers are becoming increasingly important, while established collectors are becoming more discerning. How is Baume & Mercier adapting its product communication and retail strategy to address both the audiences in 2026?

MG: You are totally correct on the fact that, especially on the India market, there is an evolution on the consumption of luxury watches, which we welcome that very happily. We see that especially the young generation tend to move away from the logo, the status symbol to have a watch. They want something that is meaningful to them, something that tells a story with a very high quality and design. We see more and more knowledgeable consumption with a very, very high knowledge and expectation towards quality and mechanical watches.

We can easily see today in India the number of watchmaking clubs, watchmaking classes that are across the country and it’s fully booked. People want to be part of this and we welcome that. It’s the reason why I believe we are so successful and we have a very promising future as the evolution of the clientele goes towards the segment and what we are defending every day.

Looking ahead to 2027, what can we expect from Baume & Mercier in terms of new collections, complications, cultural partnerships and market expansion? And where do you see the biggest opportunity for the Maison over the next year?

MG: Watches & Wonders 2027 for Baume & Mercier can be summarised in one word, being creative. And if I say a second word, audacity. When we look at the history, we see a fantastic creativity and audacity with forms, designs and technicality. And we are more than ever ready to accelerate into audacity to surprise clientele with exceptional pieces. And this will be what you can expect during Watches & Wonders 2027.