GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — BNB Concept and Confrérie Horlogère are poised to at a minimum dramatically scale back operations and possibly shut down, according to multiple Internet reports here, including one on Worldtempus.com, a reputable web site covering the watch industry. Additionally executives who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Elite Traveler during the watch shows here predicted if the company fails it could mean delays in deliveries to retailers for its customers that as of last year included a number of top watch brands.
BNB Concept has been one of the watch industry’s success stories producing movements for a number of top watch brands, including a specialty on tourbilions, a highly sought after movement often associated with timepieces that cost well into six figures.
In an exclusive interview with Elite Traveler in 2009 Mathias Buttet, President and CEO, BNB Concept and Founder of Confrérie Horlogère, stated, “We have over 30 customers, and the ones I am allowed to name are Hermès, Hublot, Concord, Romain Jerome, HD3, DeWitt, Bell & Ross and Franc Vila.”
It could not be confirmed if BNB was still currently supplying the companies named.
At the time of the interview last May Buttet claimed the company he founded in 2004 had been growing at 200 percent per year and had 182 employees with plans to hire more. The company operated from high-tech, modern headquarters just outside Geneva in Duillier.
Confrérie Horlogère was launched last fall to showcase the watchmaking ideas of the top minds at BNB Concept. Launching Confrerie and adding staff came as other brands were scaling back due to the economic crisis.
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Executives at BNB did not respond to emails and calls from Elite Traveler, however Worldtempus.com quoted Buttet as saying “a lack of liquidity forced the company to stop an activity already strongly reduced.”
The full Elite Traveler interview with Buttet can be viewed at:
https://pr-dbetmg-elite-traveler.pantheonsite.io/leaders_detail.html?lid=102
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