Carole Forestier-Kasapi doesn’t get emotional about watchmaking; she favours the engineering aspect of her background in terms of her position 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 business’s mechanics.
Her profession started with a meteoric rise, highlighted by her 1997 Breguet Basis Prize win for a central carousel tourbillon idea that may finally start 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 – enhancing reliability and precision – whereas concurrently pushing the boundaries of fabric science.
By some means, we have now missed talking extensively with Forestier-Kasapi since her Cartier days, however we lastly corrected that drawback in 2025. It’s significantly apt given the debut of the TH-Carbonspring at Geneva Watch Days this 12 months. We do prefer to geek out on escapement expertise however fortuitously for all, Kasapi-Forestier stays level-headed and in addition will get into the Solargraph and the realities of commercial manufacturing.
You championed the concept of shock in watchmaking, and the significance of that shock for the consumer after 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 relating to the expression of desirability. First, after all, I believe that’s the key ingredient. 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.
When you have a look at the historical past of the Maison, watches had been at all times… not only a new solution to innovate, however innovating with sense (or function) behind it. I believe it is vitally essential. It’s not simply innovation for innovation.
Proper. The thought of this “shock” occurred to me not solely due to the Break 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 smart for the Maison.
An important factor for me originally, after I joined TAG Heuer, was to place a long-term technique on the desk. A motion technique for the Maison: What can we need to obtain? The place can we see TAG Heuer sooner or later?
After getting a transparent long-term motion technique, you’ll be able to develop and attain your roadmap.
On that observe, once you have a look at the assortment, you’ve got quite a lot of issues. You might have in-house actions developed, the place the priorities appear to be reliability and good energy reserve. However then there are different components, together with associate 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 need to turn 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 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
Why Kenissi actions? It’s the identical: extra sturdiness, extra qualitative actions. Identical with [Vaucher]. As we speak, [Vaucher] is the very 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 favor to truly have all the things be photo voltaic sooner or later?
Sure, as a result of it is smart for the consumer. Extra sturdiness – you don’t want to alter your battery each two or three years. Right here we have now an accumulator rather than a battery, and the lifetime of this accumulator is greater than 15 years. Think about how handy it’s for the consumer. That’s actually what we need to goal: extra sturdiness and high quality with these new actions. We consider photo voltaic is the sensible answer for the consumer – very sensible.
When it comes to innovation, how do you resolve the place to place your efforts?
As a result of we’re targeted on sturdiness and high quality (and there’s quite a bit 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 sort out “weekend-proof” energy reserve for all mechanical actions.
It’s actually a client-centric subject. I believe right now that’s an important factor for a luxurious model to attain first. After that, we will play with problems… however the fundamentals should be basically very sturdy.
Take us by means of a few of these fundamentals, please!
In reality, it’s straightforward. We checked out an important the reason why watches come again to the manufacture for servicing when there’s bother (or issues with the operating of any given watch). We analysed and categorised these sorts of troubles. One of the crucial essential ones is expounded to magnetism.
For mechanical watches, magnetism implies it’s good to discover a answer relating to the escapement – an amagnetic (also referred to as antimagnetic) answer – and the identical for the stability spring or hairspring.
So, with reference 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 stage of innovation (TAG Heuer introduced a manufacturing model of this hairspring in 2019, which finally didn’t occur). We labored very onerous on it, and we’re completely happy 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 power at TAG Heuer to finalise this excessive stage of innovation. That is probably the most difficult factor you need to monitor if you end up a watchmaker – doing one thing relating to the fabric of the hairspring.
Psychological power certainly, as a result of it took 10 years?
Sure, it took 10 years. And now we’ll lengthen this materials and this hairspring all over the 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 as a result of 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 12 months, can be geared up with the TH-Carbonspring (within the stability meeting).
It’s a good answer to current this 12 months throughout Geneva Watch Days as a result of, I don’t know if you already know, however this 12 months is a unprecedented anniversary. It’s 350 years because the 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 fun this 12 months (with the TH-Carbonspring).
It’s usually very thrilling for individuals like us in watch magazines as a result of the hairspring is the center of the mechanical watch. However on the identical time, we have now to acknowledge that it is vitally tough to market a watch based mostly on the concept there’s 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 12 months about plans for the totally different manufacturers inside LVMH watchmaking to leverage their respective strengths to profit one another. How does this impression the broader technique for actions at TAG Heuer, since you’ve got the biggest quantity?
So, we’re sharing some components. All of the Maisons have their very own technique. We don’t share the technique, product plans, or growth plans. However after all, if it is smart to share one thing – if there isn’t any 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 have now the liberty to share, or to resolve to not share. That is an important. Our group is a bunch 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 basic stage, however additionally it is an emotional factor. How does that feeling inform your perspective on watchmaking?
Each second is essential. Generally it’s future, you already know? Greater than only a second of deciding. It is usually an opportunity to be opportunistic. Generally you need to be opportunistic, and generally no. It depends upon what sort of factor it’s – whether it is work or private. Myself, I take into account 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 a must to separate the issues; I don’t like to combine emotion in my work. In any other case, selections taken usually are not appropriate ultimately. Once you look again at your previous selections… 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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