Chairman, Watch Club Business School.
Timothée Bonnin.
Dear Otalia, Anthony and Olivier, first and foremost, I would like to express how delighted I was to meet you. You are clearly a team of watch enthusiasts, but above all, you are a trio of particularly friendly people who bring a rare sense of freshness and kindness to this industry.
My name is Timothée Bonnin. I am the youngest of four siblings from Tours and, at 22 years old, I am currently completing a work-study programme at LVMH while studying for a Master’s degree in Data Science at IESEG in Lille, where I started my studies four years ago.
Outside of my studies, I devote almost all of my time to nurturing and developing my passion for watches. I am Chairman of Europe’s first student association dedicated to this market, the Watch Club Business School. Today, this community brings together almost 950 members, mostly students (70%), spread across France and Switzerland.
We organise events and provide opportunities for members to share their knowledge and experience, promoting watchmaking in all its forms, from major brands to independent watchmakers, and from retailers to accessory makers. Our ambition is to build a genuine bridge between the student world and the rich and exciting world of watchmaking.
The Watch Club Business School at Watches & Wonders in Geneva.
I don’t think my passion for watchmaking appeared out of nowhere. It developed almost naturally from my other passion: cars.
When I was younger, I grew up watching Top Gear, and I was fascinated by the show and its legendary trio of hotheads: Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. I loved figuring out how things worked and deciphering technical aspects and performance specs. This fascination led me to launch my first car spotting project with people I met on Instagram at a very young age. I must have been 14 or 15. We organised meet-ups and chatted with fellow enthusiasts. I still remember a trip to Château d’Artigny with about ten cars, including an ultraviolet Porsche GT3 RS! I think the Instagram account KTP Event still exists. At that age, anything seemed possible.
Then, as often happens, life took over: high school graduation, college… and a family tradition marking a turning point. In our family, when we turn 18, the girls receive jewellery and the boys receive a watch. I had helped my brothers choose theirs without really realising that one day it would become mine. When that moment arrived, something clicked.
I started searching, reading and trying to understand. I immersed myself in this world for hours, entire evenings and weekends. Then, I had what I can only describe as a revelation. I was discovering much more than just objects. I was discovering stories.
Ever since, I have asked myself the same question every time I look at a watch: how can such a small object contain so much? Because watchmaking isn’t just about mechanics. It’s a story about people, tradition, culture and sharing. It’s a language in itself.
I was naturally drawn to technical timepieces, especially chronographs. One watch quickly stood out as the obvious choice: the Omega Speedmaster. Its history, its prestige and what it represents encapsulated so much for me.
From there, everything fell into place. Watchmaking became a central theme in my life, as evidenced by my experiences working as a sales associate at Hermès, as a market analyst at Richemont, and in the field of haute horlogerie at Dior.
Above all, however, it inspired me to create, share and bring people together. This passion drove me to fully commit to the Watch Club Business School.
In retrospect, I realise that this passion has given me so much more than just an interest in watches. It has given me encounters, lasting friendships, memories, smiles and a different way of seeing the world. Perhaps that is the real reason.
Above all, being Chairman of the Watch Club Business School means fostering a sense of collective momentum.
Behind the title lies a very concrete reality: building a project that goes far beyond the scope of a typical student association. Today, WCBS has over fifty partners for 2025, ranging from major companies to independent brands. We have organised 16 events, which will bring together almost 375 participants, and we are launching a second edition of the Watchmaking Advent Calendar on Instagram, with € 13,000 in prizes over 25 days.
I don’t view my role as Chairman as merely a position, but as a responsibility. It involves providing direction, maintaining high standards and, above all, conveying an exciting energy. Because none of this can be done alone. Every day, I rely on a team of 17 dedicated students to help build every project, from content creation and partner relations to event organisation and internal structure. My role is to drive and coordinate, and sometimes make decisions, but above all, I am responsible for bringing people together.
What touches me most is seeing how this dynamic extends far beyond the club. I still meet some former members at trade shows, in stores or during internships, and they continue to carry this spirit with them. They all remember a project they helped build that felt meaningful.
Ultimately, we return to what really matters, because I believe the WCBS is very much like watchmaking itself. Above all, it’s about making connections, passing on knowledge and sharing a passion.
Timothée Bonnin (left) and Pablo Quaglia (right), respectively Chairman and Vice Chairman of the WCBS.
I think you’ll agree that one of the first things people tend to say about the luxury industry is that it is inaccessible and exclusive — almost intimidating, even. This is precisely where our association’s mission comes into its own.
Our goal is simple: to forge connections between enthusiasts, primarily business school students, and watchmaking professionals. This connection fosters the sharing of experiences and career opportunities, as well as the transfer of knowledge, with the aim of building a dynamic and engaged community centred on watchmaking.
In practical terms, we act as a bridge between these two worlds by sharing internship and job opportunities, facilitating connections and organising open events designed to break down the barriers of an industry that is sometimes perceived as exclusive. Because we’ve been there, too. We’ve all, at some point, experienced that sense of intimidation when walking into a luxury boutique with no intention of buying something, feeling afraid of disturbing someone and out of place. These are real feelings and are widely shared.
That is why our ambition goes beyond mere discovery. We want to enable everyone to explore watchmaking in their own way, in an environment that makes them feel welcome.
The idea remains the same, whether it’s over a glass of champagne in a Place Vendôme boutique, a beer in a cellar on Boulevard Saint-Germain, or at one of our events in Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Aix en Provence, Toulouse or Geneva: to create welcoming, down-to-earth and genuine spaces where people can come together.
After all, watchmaking should always be about passion, not rules.
In our relationships with watch brands, we prioritise long-term marketing initiatives that aren’t focused on immediate sales conversion. I personally see this as sowing seeds that may or may not sprout in time. However, one thing is certain: watchmakers must start focusing on Generation Z today, as they will be tomorrow’s customers — and are already today’s. We are also an emerging watch media outlet, covering events and trade shows. In fact, we have just returned from the inaugural Time Is Precious watch fair in Brittany, organised by Frédéric Bleu and Stéphane Clouzeau at the Château des Pères in Piré-Chancé. We were pleasantly surprised to find that certain brands were eager to forge a special connection with our community.
The main goal overall is to create a truly immersive experience that introduces visitors to a brand, its products, its heritage and its values. Above all, we aim to build genuine connections with those in attendance, whether they are students, enthusiasts, collectors, newcomers or journalists and influencers.
We are particularly committed to the concepts of knowledge sharing and passing on expertise. We want everyone to leave with a memorable experience of watchmaking, whether that takes the form of a meeting, discovering a product, or connecting with a Maison.
At the same time, we also aim to introduce visitors to another aspect of watchmaking: its corporate and managerial side. We therefore highlight back-office roles, as well as the challenges of management, product development, marketing strategy and press relations.
To this end, we organise conferences, such as those held with Audemars Piguet at IESEG in September 2024 alongside the Retail France team, and with Grand Seiko Europe at EDHEC in Paris in collaboration with the EDHEC Watch Club’s friendly duo, Joséphine Collaert and Thibaut Carrier. These presentations can also be organised as after-work events, similar to those we recently held with the Furlan Marri teams.
Like any association, the Watch Club Business School is built on two pillars.
Firstly, there is the volunteer wing, comprising the active members. These are the seventeen classmates I mentioned earlier: business school students who are currently doing internships, attending classes or participating in work-study programmes, and who are fully committed to developing the project.
On the other hand, there are the association’s members, who can join the WCBS ecosystem for free. Registration is simple via an online form accessible from our Instagram and LinkedIn pages. Once registered, they can join an active WhatsApp community. There, we share internship and job opportunities, invitations to events, industry news and various other pieces of content related to our field, all of which are completely free of charge.
We are currently working on launching our website, which will allow us to centralise registrations, showcase our news more effectively, and further engage our community.
Contrary to popular belief, the much-talked-about Generation Z, who were raised on digital technology and social media, are actually very receptive to watchmaking. In fact, they are particularly drawn to the craftsmanship, heritage and human stories behind every watch.
We are constantly searching for meaning and looking for points of reference and a sense of belonging—things that watchmaking allows us to experience fully.
Watches still hold a very strong place in our daily lives, far beyond the microcosm of enthusiasts. Of course, there are smartwatches, but there are also watches given as birthday gifts, jewellery watches, fashion accessories, and sports watches. Everyone has a relationship with this small object, and curiosity naturally grows when we discover what lies behind it: how it works, its history, the market and the brands.
This curiosity translates into strong demand and genuine engagement. We see this every day with the WCBS: membership and participation are skyrocketing — proof that Generation Z is here and ready to explore and immerse itself in the world of watches.
This is where I break out my crystal ball! These predictions are purely my own and do not reflect the current state of the market, but they are consistent with what I am seeing.
Unsurprisingly, micro-brands and independent designers continue to win people over, and vintage has evolved from a trend into a full-fledged movement. Interest in dials made of natural stones, such as opal, lapis lazuli and malachite, is also growing, thanks particularly to Instagram’s algorithm and retailers specialising in certain types of watches.
There is also a growing appetite for colour, with red dials and bold hues becoming increasingly popular, as well as less conventional complications such as jumping hours or wandering hours. Watchmaking is becoming a realm of self-expression and originality, where creativity takes precedence over tradition.
Another striking trend among younger generations is the desire to belong to a community: limited editions, niche pieces and the concept of “IYKYK” (If You Know, You Know). These watches become objects that symbolise a network or shared passion.
Finally, I believe that in the coming years, we will see an increase in unconventional concepts, such as innovative ways of displaying the time, disruptive designs and collaborations that blend watchmaking with popular culture. For my generation, watches will no longer be merely functional objects or status symbols; above all, they will be a means of self-expression and a way to connect with others.
Based on my interactions and experiences, I would say that vintage is viewed as both a response to misalignments in the primary market and a genuine, passionate choice.
From an economic standpoint, prices in the new market have been rising for years, reaching a point where price elasticity has been maximised. By continually challenging this elasticity, a vacuum has been created for vintage items and micro-brands, the latter of which often capture the entry-level market while the high-end segment continues to drive prices upwards. It is in the middle ground where competition is fiercest.
However, vintage is not merely a question of price. It has obvious historical and emotional value in terms of sharing and passing things on. The appeal lies in the story contained in each piece, the pleasure of searching and hunting for treasures, and taking one’s time. In a world where everything moves so fast, taking one’s time is a luxury we treat ourselves to.
This comes through in people’s stories: I’ve often heard enthusiasts speak more passionately about the history of their vintage watch than about a new piece bought down the street. It is this unique connection between the object, the past and emotions that makes vintage items so fascinating.
Timothée Bonnin.
What a tough question! So, let’s have some fun.
I like to start the week with the Speedmaster. It reminds me that time flies, but also that I need to be ready for the Speedy Tuesday photo.
Midweek, what could be better than a cold beer, the glint of which reflects off the dial of my Oris Divers Sixty-Five? This watch is a collaboration with the Professional Football League for the Défenseurs de l’Enfance and features the number 10, a nod to Zidane.
On Thursday, often punctuated by watch events, I take great pleasure in wearing the Prismic Showroom Edition Jade, which is a nod to the New York showroom and features the number 10 once again.
For casual Fridays, I’d say without hesitation the Serica 5303 PLD with one of the most comfortable straps around. On Saturday morning, the Serica 8315 GMT in sand-red is perfect for calling my friend Pierre in Hong-Kong.
And on the eighth day of the week… I return to my classics with a piece that is particularly dear to me: the Tissot PRX, which I bought with my first paycheque.
Omega Speedmaster.
Serica 5303 PLD.
I’m fortunate to share another passion with my family: kitesurfing, which is even less well-known than watchmaking.
It’s a family passion. During the summer holidays, my two older brothers, my father and I spend much of our time with our feet in the water, watching the wind and gliding across the waves. It’s a unique sensation, blending total freedom with a sense of mastery over the elements.
Having not yet fallen badly enough to learn my lesson, I keep wanting to jump higher and higher, testing my limits… perhaps with a hint of recklessness, I admit. But that’s also what makes this sport so formative: it confronts us directly with what we don’t yet know how to do, teaching us humility and sometimes providing a few salty reminders to stay grounded.
I particularly love those moments suspended in time when I’m surrounded by my father and brothers, smiling and simply happy to be sharing this experience together.
I have some especially vivid memories: a session alone in Loix Bay on Île de Ré at sunset on a glassy sea, and the surreal lights of Dakhla.
