CVSTOS THE BRAND - A step ahead of time
In the exclusive segment of Haute Horlogerie, there are some companies that will not leave connoisseurs emotionless. Definitely, Cvstos is among those. A new Swiss brand, based on a powerful and holistic concept, which takes the challenge to set a trend and create a demand, through a new watchmaking approach, by taking into consideration four fundamental values.
Future legend
The fascinating story of Cvstos lies behind the will of two talented and complementary partners with the common quest to create, with a vision amazingly directed towards the future, an outstanding timepiece. This audacious venture, named Cvstos, in direct relation with the Latin term for guardian, was successfully achieved through a well guarded alchemy composed of the ultimate savoir-faire in the Swiss watchmaking tradition, an innovative concept and a sound mastership of future oriented technologies. The outcome of this ingenious alliance is Cvstos Technology, much more than just a marketing statement, it’s an original philosophy founded on the consistency and the maintenance of four crucial values: Performance, Efficiency, Elegance and Preciousness. These principles have been constantly united during the entire process that has given birth to a future legend: Cvstos, the sole guardian of a new concept in the art of watchmaking, that has no place for pointless praises in order to create admiration and recognition among the highly demanding collectors of rare and exceptional pieces across the world.
The principles of Cvstos Technology
Based, from the very beginning, on the freedom of independence, the Cvstos concept was elaborated in a three-dimensional vision. The purpose of such a specific outlook was to obtain not only the best solutions regarding matters of performance and efficiency, but also the intense desire of bringing a touch of elegance and preciousness to each component. The whole strength of Cvstos Technology lies in this complicated achievement. For example, combining together materials such as palladium and titanium grade 5, perfectly demonstrates the solid know-how and ability of the Research and Development Department in enhancing the rotor’s level of efficiency. The result is a watch with a world première high performance movement. The implantation of the four values of Cvstos Technology during all the stages from conception to production, make technical ingenuity and beauty coincide in the same manner that readability and high-tech design agree together in a daring innovative styling.
A glorious combination of visionary skills and a strong sense of creativity.
Creativity and consistency are expressed in two different shapes of cases: the Challenge (tonneau shaped) and the Challenge-R (round shaped). The Cvstos designers have brilliantly managed the extremely difficult task to maintain the recognizable Cvstos identity between the various shapes of the cases. This shared appearance is also expressed in the geometrical proportions and the elegant contrasts that instantly evoke a dynamic sensation of velocity. The collection’s models, available in stainless steel, red or white gold, range from an hour, minute, seconds with an instantaneous date display automatic movement up to a captivating Tourbillon Mirage also with an automatic movement, an audacious technical choice! Resolutely feminine by its features, the Re-Belle line is dedicated to women with a strong personality and who are in search of both elegance and technical sophistication in a timepiece with character. Aesthetic talent and unprecedented refinement are total, with the setting of diamonds directly on the movement of the Diamond’s Rebellion model, an unconventional timepiece where diamonds break the rules... In both tonneau and round shaped, the Re-Belle is a graceful harmony between exquisite workmanship and innovative movements that take into consideration the four values of Cvstos Technology. The models of this controversial line are not, like it is often the case in the watch industry, a miniature adaptation of gentlemen models. In fact, the Cvstos team designed them by keeping continuously in mind the typical needs and tastes of contemporary women.
Doing today what others will do tomorrow
Several centuries after its dawning, a new dimension in watchmaking is being discovered. As an absolute pioneer, Cvstos is pursuing its constant growth by doing today what others will do tomorrow. In other words, being always a step ahead of time.
ANTONIO TERRANOVA, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF DESIGNER
A marvelous blend of creativity and erudition
For some exceptional designers, the constant search for aesthetic and technical perfection is more than just a professional commitment. In the case of Antonio Terranova, it is a way of life, marked by a ruling passion for excellence and an uncompromising determination to achieve the highest standards of quality for Cvstos.
Born in 1967 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, located in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry, he has been fascinated by beauty and design ever since childhood, perhaps a heritage from his Italian ancestry. At the age of 16, despite his fervent passion for designing timepieces, Antonio Terranova followed his parents’ advice and spent six years in intensive study to become a micro-technical specialist. After graduation, he undertook professional training in order to finally follow his love of design and enter the enchanting world of horology. He started his career in the research department of a well-known company specializing in the machinery of watchmaking components. However, his creative instincts were so intense and overriding that he made a career move towards watchmaking design. His innate creativity encouraged him to design his own watch that he baptized naturally as Terranova No1. Wearing it on his wrist, this timepiece became his business card as he started to search for a career in the field of horological design.
In 1993 his exceptional talents were spotted by the technical director of Prodor SA and he was asked to join the company and take charge of technical developments regarding some product lines of the Cartier and the Piaget collections. His perfectionism and habitual sense of precision inspired and motivated him to explore new technical ideas and innovative solutions that have since been patented. In 1997, willing as always to take up a new challenge and put his immense reservoirs of creativity to test, Antonio Terranova joined the TAG-Heuer company in Marin and started working as a research and development technician for new products. During this professional experience he became better acquainted with the philosophy of teamwork management, which aims to unite a pool of various expertise and diverse talents during the creation of a new product line.
Few years later, while working as a freelance designer for various major Swiss watchmaking brands such as Breitling, Ebel or Zenith, Antonio Terranova’s passion for creating imaginative innovations in the world of timekeeping instruments increased in intensity and sophistication. He was resolved to turn his dreams into reality and create watches that would be a synthesis of his skills and unmatched experience.
Finally, during Spring 2004, Antonio Terranova’s challenging concepts, boldly directed towards the future, became a reality. He could now create a new brand that would combine his designer skills with his sound technical knowledge. He realized this venture and created this opportunity with the active participation of one skillful partner: Sassoun Sirmakes, a dynamic entrepreneur with an incomparable flair for marketing. Together, they created Cvstos, a watchmaking brand based on a powerful original concept that heralds a new era of watchmaking while paying a rightful tribute to the prestigious heritage of traditional Swiss craftsmanship.
SASSOUN SIRMAKES, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
The forward-looking vision of a youthful entrepreneur
“Tick-tack is the second word I learned”, recalls the 22 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. |