From his spacious office in Saint-Imier, a town of 5,000 tucked away in the heart of the Jura, Walter von Kaenel, the 72-year-old head of Longines, reveals the secrets of his success. “Thanks to the production capacity for movements and the immense distribution network of the Swatch Group coupled with our strong presence in the Far East, Longines is able to record extraordinary growth and resist the crisis of 2008-2009 quite well.” Longines is one of those Swiss watch brands that has not been afraid of exploiting its history of “tradition and authenticity”, particularly in the key luxury market of China. “We have been present there since 1867! I myself, since 1972, have been there more than 300 times,” remarks von Kaenel.