Vartan & Sasun Sirmakes

[MosJan]

Franck Muller is one of the best known and most popular high-end watchmakers today. The man behind the Franck Muller Group, Armenian-born Vartan Sirmakes, has created a unique formula for building a multi-brand house. The operation now has 14 sites of production throughout Switzerland for its seven brands. The majority are in Geneva and employ more than 800 people. The Franck Muller brand alone has more than 50 patents registered.

 

Sirmakes, himself, is worthy of accolade. He was recently named the 2008 winner of the prestigious Prix de l’Industrie award, given by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. Elite Traveler Editor-in-Chief Douglas Gollan recently sat down with Sirmakes at his Watchland Headquarters to talk about how he manages the creative talent, what the economic crisis has him thinking about and why Inter Milan is a favorite subject

[MosJan]

“Tick-tack is the second word I learned”, recalls the 23 years old entrepreneur Sassoun Sirmakes. To appreciate in full the enthusiasm and dedication of the co-founder and chief executive officer of Cvstos, one must bear in mind that from his early childhood he was immersed in the fascinating world of Haute Horlogerie.

 

It is often said that entrepreneurial and visionary skills tend to go together in the same family, from one generation to the next. Sassoun Sirmakes is an embodiment of this statement. Step by step, from his earliest years, this dynamic Swiss-Armenian young man was drawn into the world of sophisticated watchmaking by working eagerly, during weekends and summer holidays, beside his father Vartan Sirmakes, co-owner and chairman of the Franck Muller Watchland Group.

 

After finishing high-school at the age of 17, Sassoun Sirmakes faced a crucial dilemma: should he continue with his studies or join the company straightaway and benefit directly from his father’s years of unequalled experience and his peerless sense of perfection to acquire the same habits of meticulousness and gain an intimate knowledge of this intricate craft. For him, the choice that had to be made was more than obvious. He rightfully decided not to forgo this unique opportunity and began at once to embark on a work for which he had an enduring passion as well as an already proven talent.

 

His first major challenge was to restructure the small gemsetting department to optimize its production capacities. Within the space of only two years, and with his characteristic decisiveness, he successfully achieved his initial goal by implementing managerial policies and strategies that transformed the in-house workshop into a large-scale gemsetting company, most probably one of the biggest in Switzerland, located at two different sites in the Geneva area. With over 50 full-time qualified employees working under his direct leadership, Sassoun Sirmakes was also in charge of purchasing and managing substantial quantities of precious stones. Additionally, his strong analytical vision and organizational skills led him to learn some of the essential aspects of the accounting procedures of the Franck Muller Watchland Group.

 

Through his boundless curiosity and active participation in all the facets of production, he gradually developed a keen and unfailing eye for the imperatives that underpin the realm of luxury and achieved mastery of the entire watchmaking process from the design board to the finished product.

 

In 2003, when he was only 19 years old, Sassoun Sirmakes’ well-known determination coupled with a sharp business-minded vision, succeeded in a new significant professional challenge. Having prepared a carefully thought out and convincing business plan designed to respond to the changing expectations and the fresh demands emerging from the world of luxury goods, he attracted the interest of first-class investors to join him in the start of this exciting new venture. To house this immense project, his excellent negotiating skills and ability to act quickly and decisively enabled him to lease a magnificent castle nestling in a beautiful estate of 80,000 m2, in France at very close proximity to the Swiss border near Geneva.

 

During spring 2004, Sassoun Sirmakes decided to branch out and create Cvstos, an independent brand, by teaming up with one highly talented partner: Antonio Terranova. Revealing Sassoun Sirmakes’ acknowledged flair for innovation and creative designs, these timepieces are totally dedicated to trendsetters across the world. This innovative watchmaking brand is the outcome of an original concept that defines and illustrates beautifully Sassoun Sirmakes’ very own philosophy of life: being always a step ahead of time.

 

 

[MosJan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuVNOxq2y_U

[Arpa]

Even though he pronounces his surname in the westernized form his original surname must be SirmakeSH, which seems to be a place, either a street or a town. Wonder if they are from the dynast of....

Երուխան, Երուանդ Պողոսի Արմաքեշխանլեան (Յուլիս 1870 - 1915) - հայ գրող, հրապարակախոս, թարգմանիչ և մանկավարժ:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/hy/a/a0/Yerukhan.jpg