Dubey & Schaldenbrand Returns to America with New Collection

Dubey & Schaldenbrand, the boutique Swiss watch brand founded by Georges Dubey and Rene Schaldenbrand in 1946 and known for its art deco design, has announced its return to North America in 2012. Owner Jonatan Gil, who bought the company in 2009, has established Dubey & Schaldenbrand Americas, which will distribute the brand in the U.S. and Canada. The Dubey & Schaldenbrand Americas team is made up of members of the Daaboul family; father Maurice, son Christopher and daughter Léa. Maurice Daaboul is a 30-year veteran of the watch and jewelry industry and has been an international overseas distributor for brands such as Universal Genève, Breitling, Favre Leuba, Fortis, and Eterna. Christopher Daaboul, director of sales and marketing, explained how the collaboration came about: “Dubey & Schaldenbrand Americas, Inc. began when a mutual Swiss family friend put us in touch with the Gil family, who had been looking for a knowledgeable, ambitious, and long-term oriented team to distribute Dubey & Schaldenbrand in North America. For us, success and gratification is achieved not solely in monetary value, but rather in the fundamental establishment, growth, and prosperity of an enterprise and its relationships. That is the American dream we have been lucky to experience, and that is what we hope to achieve with Dubey & Schaldenbrand and its partners in the United States and Canada.” The team says that it will initially focus on pairing with retailers in key markets, and that the business model will focus on exceptional customer service. The brand intends to launch a new advertising campaign and a series of launch events targeted at American consumers. Dubey & Schaldenbrand's collections include Grand Dôme, with tonneau cases; Grand Shar, with round cases; and Artisan XTreme, which contain decorative movements with founder George Dubey's sculpted "hands" adorning the rotors. It introduced several new watches at the 2012 Baselworld trade show, including the Dôme GMT, a second-time-zone watch, and the Lady Shar, a feminine version of its Grand Shar models.