The craftsmen behind Hublot's new glass-free showcase are called FiveCo and Dietlin
Watchmaking — Two French-speaking Swiss SMEs develop innovative objects for multinationals
At the most recent Baselworld 2015 fair, the new glass-free Raptor 2 showcase was presented by the Hublot manufacture. It removes the need for protective glass while guaranteeing maximum security for the watch on display. Thanks to infrared sensors and small motors, the object retreats into its display unit in a tenth of a second if a visitor leans too close or tries to touch it. In its new version, the Raptor 2 features a screen with various animations: as soon as the watch is swallowed up, a small virtual robot plays with it and manipulates it, then a few seconds later appears to toss it back into view on the screen, where it re-emerges on the display unit.
Two French-speaking Swiss companies worked on this new showcase: Dietlin Artisans Métalliers in Romanel-sur-Lausanne and the R&D engineering firm FiveCo. The two companies had already designed the Raptor version 1 in 2005, of which 200 units were produced and distributed around the world. "The Raptor put us on the map. We worked for a year on this new version. One of the challenges was synchronising the movement of the watch with the image. The system is precise to the millisecond," notes Antoine Lorotte, director and co-founder of FiveCo. "A showcase that interacts with people attracts four to five times more visitors than a standard one," explains Xavier Dietlin of Dietlin Artisans Métalliers.
20% growth
While FiveCo worked on the mechanics and embedded electronics of the system, Dietlin Artisans Métalliers managed the project, its design, and its installation.
A Vaud-based family business originally specialising in the manufacture of aluminium and steel doors and window frames, Dietlin Artisans Métalliers has transformed itself into a high-tech company. Xavier Dietlin, the founder's grandson, reoriented the firm towards the development of high-end showcases for displaying watches and jewellery — a sector that now accounts for the majority of the SME's revenue, based in Romanel-sur-Lausanne.
For its part, FiveCo — an EPFL spin-off founded in 2002 — recently moved from Renens to Mont-sur-Lausanne, into premises of over 400 m². "We needed more space to meet the growing demand from our clients, and also wanted a showroom," explains Antoine Lorotte, who currently employs ten engineers and plans to hire two more. "We are recording 20% growth per year and are completely self-funded," he emphasises.
The company carries out various projects across diverse fields ranging from watchmaking and medicine to automotive. Some of its clients include Nestlé, Alstom, and Maillefer. FiveCo remains discreet about the projects it has completed that are now on the market. "The name FiveCo never appears," notes Antoine Lorotte. To step out of anonymity, the company has launched furniture under its own brand — Art of Secret — containing secret drawers that open via a fingerprint reader. FiveCo also markets Mémoire du Vin, a solid oak monolith containing a reader and a touchscreen that allows real-time tracking of one's wine stock. Cost of the system: CHF 28,500. "We have already sold twelve," notes Antoine Lorotte.
