Rado’s CEO on leadership and growing the brand.

Having been at the helm of Rado since 2011, Matthias Breschan certainly has a good feel of the watch industry (he was with Hamilton for seven years prior to his Rado gig). The Swatch Group executive shares his thoughts on leading a team and how Rado will continue to grow in the years ahead (hint: innovation is key).  

A good manager should be tough but have a heart. Sometimes a manager has to make difficult decisions to benefit the brand in the long term. But tasks are also done more efficiently if your team members work well and have good relationships.

I believe in listening to feedback. There are many maxims on the art and philosophy of management but my favourite is this: ‘Never be too much in love with your own strategy and vision of development.’ If we do not keep trying new solutions, one can easily lose development dynamics.

There is no end to innovation. The watch industry is very old and it is incredible how far it has come. Who would have believed 40 years ago that we would be making watches out of ceramic or that it is possible to produce touch-controlled watches made of ceramic?

We always have one eye on the future. Rado will continue to push the boundaries of design and challenge what is currently possible in the world of watchmaking. We believe these are the things that make the brand unique and interesting.

Growth is important. Our watches have won over 39 international design awards and we are partners of various design events such as NYCxDESIGN. We are at the forefront of the watch industry when it comes to innovation of materials and I am sure there will be many more firsts to come.

Success is the satisfaction of a job well done. I define it in terms of the innovation and quality of the product, as well as the excellence of the team you have built around you. It is this excellence that I, and everyone at Rado, aim to achieve every day.