Longines' CEO And President Patrick Aoun Makes A Case for Accessible Luxury

Patrick Aoun still owns his first Longines: a 2007 Evidenza Chrono Moonphase Extra-Large the brand no longer produces. He bought it the same year he joined the company as Regional Brand Manager for the Middle East, having moved over from Rado two years into his career with the Swatch Group. Over the course of nineteen years, through an expanded remit to South East Asia, a 2017 posting as Management Delegate for Swatch Group India, and a CEO title since June 2025, it remains the piece he calls most significant in his collection.

Esquire India met Aoun in Glasgow, where Longines served as Official Timekeeper, Official Partner and Official Watch of the Commonwealth Games 2026, a role the brand first took on at Perth in 1962. Between record-breaking finishes and a photo-finish scanner capturing 40,000 digital lines a second, he spoke about India's growing appetite for the brand and the difference between evolution and change, returning always to the idea that a watch, more than a companion, stands as witness to a life's most meaningful moments.

Having led the India Group before becoming CEO, what surprised you most about Indian luxury consumers? And has anything challenged your assumptions over the years?

I've travelled through India extensively; to many cities, not just the big ones. I've been from South to North, from East to West. That's the only way: if you want to understand the culture, you have to travel, you have to be on the ground, and you have to speak to people.

There is a great appetite and understanding and appreciation for luxury in India. When I say luxury, I do not necessarily mean a price tag; luxury is beyond the price tag. What I think is that the Indian consumer is a very curious one, who wants to know and be convinced beyond just appearances. The moment the brand becomes relevant, the Indian consumer is immediately on board.

Therefore, today, Longines has great relevance in India. We are growing by leaps and bounds. India today is one of the two fastest-growing markets for Longines in the world, the other being the USA.

So what does Longines represent in the world of luxury? I would say accessible luxury. Why accessible? That is because we intentionally want to remain in a price segment that is accessible and be the number one brand in this price segment. And today, I think we did a very good job in India.

This positioning as accessible luxury has been around for a while. How many years did it take for people in India to understand Longines as the brand that most people could aspire to?

Aspiration is a reality for all people at different levels. We always aspire for something in life. For Longines, there was a clear transformation of the brand around three to four years ago. There was renewed interest, both from retailers and consumers. Today, our retail expansion is exponential in India. Despite the fact that we've been in the country for so long, the great results we're witnessing now started post-COVID.

What has been the most exciting trajectory for Longines in India over the last decade?

I would say the quality of the distribution and the appreciation of the consumer. We have pieces right now that are on waiting lists in India, not because we don't want to deliver, but because we have such a huge global demand. India is one of the strategic markets for me, and it has not peaked yet. We have a vision, we have a roadmap, we know where we're going. And the trajectory has been in the right direction.

From a broader perspective, what are the challenges a brand like Longines faces in today's market?

The challenges, I think, are common for everyone from every industry: the pace at which the world is changing.

So if you look at the technology that is available today, the world is shifting. Volatility is becoming more of a norm. Either you have COVID, or you have war, or you have AI; you have a lot of disruptive elements that are becoming a norm in today's world. So this is a challenge for everyone.

For us, I think maintaining our strategic position in our price segment is an approach that will succeed in facing economic adversity. Because when you have inflation, you still would like to pamper yourself despite everything. You still want to celebrate, maybe an occasion, a wedding anniversary, anything really. Today, when you think of a watch or a gift you want at 2,000 Swiss francs, there's not much you can offer when it comes to timepieces. Longines is the first choice. Our approach is very solid against adversity. The world is changing, but we are also evolving.

There has been a push towards analogue technology among younger generations, with many opting for digicams over phone cameras and wired earphones over AirPods. Do you see the same love being translated into timepieces?

I have witnessed that myself with the HydroConquest launch. We launched the HydroConquest on March 26. And Gen Z or the young generation that are wired and connected and digital-driven, we see them buying the HydroConquest today. So I think one does not replace the other. I think there is room for both the digital and the analogue world.

I think with the digital, can you trust where it's going in the next ten years? No. But with the analogue, you know it's there to stay.

Because our timepieces live fifty years, seventy years, even a hundred, people see value in analogue watches. You don't buy an analogue device and throw it after two years because it became obsolete.  

You've been with the company for so long. In your illustrious career, what are the biggest changes you've seen in Longines, and what are some of the things that have remained as they were when you joined?

You know, Longines is an established house. We've been there for nearly 195 years. We've always been true to ourselves. We never did, let's say, flashy watches or blingy watches. We've always been true to our elegance and our tradition.

As to what has changed, I would say it has evolved. The material that we use in our watches has evolved, for example. In recent years, we've introduced the silicon balance spring, which is a magnetic-resistant component.

So the changes were rather improvements thanks to the new technology. Things that make our watches even more precise, even more reliable. We never really drifted in the identity of who we are. The changes were evolution and not real changes in the sense of, say, today we sell timepieces in the price range of one to five thousand. Tomorrow we want to sell timepieces at twenty or thirty thousand. This has never been the case.

Legacy brands often face a difficult balance: if they don't keep up with the times, they are accused of not evolving, and if they change, they are accused of losing what made them distinctive. How do you find that balance?

I'll give you an example inspired by the Commonwealth Games. So if you look at the photo finish, the photoelectric system linked to timing devices is something we introduced in 1937. Back then, we had one-tenth of a second accuracy.

Today, the photo finish we have that is deployed for the first time in the Commonwealth Games here in Glasgow 26 is an ultra-scanner photo finish that is capable of capturing 40,000 digital lines per second. 

This is evolution. But at the core, what do we still do? We still do timekeeping.

So it's advancement. It's not changing your path. So as long as you are true to who you are and the consumer sees that, then you have no risk. Because people relate. They think of Longines, and they know what it stands for. When you think of Longines, you think of elegance. You think of sport, credibility, legitimacy, quality you can count on, accessible price point. There’s no surprise here.

That’s why we look for continuity and advancement rather than being disruptive. We don't need to be disruptive because we have such a great history to build on. Why change a formula that works?

Watches are often described as friends and companions. Do you think of your watch as something beyond a companion that is always with you?

Well, not only a companion, but our timepieces are witnesses to exceptional moments. For example, we had a record-breaking ceremony today, where we awarded the Australian champions; all will receive a timepiece from Longines for their achievement. So besides being a companion that is just there, Longines timepieces are reminders of special moments in our lives. 

That's how I would like to see my timepieces. And therefore, whenever I have a meaningful occasion in my life, I go buy a Longines timepiece. Because then that timepiece becomes part of me, of my emotions.

And when I wear it, then there is a deep significance. I'm not only wearing an item or an accessory. I'm wearing a memory. I'm wearing a special moment in my heart. And nothing can keep this memory as long as I live, as much as a Longines timepiece.