The Luxury Society Podcast

In this episode of The Luxury Society Podcast, Robin Swithinbank and David Sadigh, Founder and CEO of Digital Luxury Group, are joined by Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Breitling, six months into his tenure at the Swiss watchmaker.
Jean-Marc explains why he returned from a sabbatical to lead Breitling at the start of its House of Brands era alongside Universal Genève and Gallet. He sets out why he believes the Swiss watch industry has never been in better shape despite growing polarisation, and how Breitling plans to win back customers it has previously priced out.
Tune in for:
Why perceived value is the real answer to price rises
Jean-Marc's view of the secondary market as a "precious indicator"
Why Breitling's biggest competitor is Breitling
What makes a partnership work after the contract is signed, from Aston Martin to the NFL
How AI is helping Breitling share best practice across its 300 boutiques
Brought to you by Digital Luxury Group
Produced by Juliet Fallowfield, Fallow, Field & Mason 2026

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In this episode of The Luxury Society Podcast, Robin Swithinbank and David Sadigh, Founder and CEO of DLG, are joined by Jonathan Brinbaum, Managing Director of Bulgari Watches, to examine the big questions looming over luxury watchmaking — recorded live on location at Geneva Watch Days.
Jonathan tackles the issues the industry can't afford to ignore: the steep decline in Swiss watchmaking volumes and who bears responsibility for reversing it; why genderless design is reshaping the category; and how the booming secondary market and CPO programmes are becoming the ultimate stress test for a watch's true value.
Tune in for:
Why volumes are the industry's existential crisis — and whether creativity and new audiences can bring them back
Jonathan's take on genderless design: a genuine generational shift, or a risk to the category's feminine story?
How the rise of CPO and the secondary market is redefining brand value and pricing strategy for luxury watchmakers
Brought to you by Digital Luxury Group
Produced by Juliet Fallowfield, Fallow, Field & Mason 2026
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In this bonus episode of The Luxury Society Podcast, Robin Swithinbank and David Sadigh, Founder and CEO of DLG, examine the luxurification of sport and what a summer of football, tennis and athletics reveals about where the relationship between luxury brands and sport is heading next.
With FIFA set to announce revenues of between $13 and $15 billion from this World Cup, luxury brands largely bypassed official sponsorship channels in favour of player-centric activations, airport arrivals as de facto catwalks and the extraordinary reach of athlete social media. From Rolex's five-decade tennis strategy to Erling Haaland's taxidermy raccoon moment, the pair explore the science of matching brand values to athlete personality, the growing power of padel, and why the biggest risk in sports sponsorship is following everyone else into the same territory.
Tune in for:
Why luxury brands won the World Cup even without official sponsorship, and what that means for the future of sports marketing
How Rolex signed Jannik Sinner at 18 and ranked 75 in the world, and what it reveals about the patience behind the best brand-athlete partnerships
Which emerging sports still represent untapped territory for luxury brands
Brought to you by DLG, in partnership with The 1916 Company. 
The 1916 Company is reshaping the world of collectible watches and fine jewelry, uniting a global community through trusted expertise, editorial excellence, and client-first experiences. With more than 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges worldwide, the company bridges new and pre-owned markets across collectible watches, fine jewelry, and designer handbags, supported by dedicated advisors, expert watchmakers, and seasoned journalists. As majority investor in independent manufacture De Bethune, The 1916 Company holds a singular position at the intersection of retail, editorial, and community. 
www.the1916company.com 
Produced by Juliet Fallowfield, Fallow, Field & Mason 2026
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In this episode of The Luxury Society Podcast, Robin Swithinbank and David Sadigh, Founder and CEO of DLG, are joined by John Shmerler, Chief Executive of The 1916 Company, to examine how the primary and secondary watch markets are converging and what it really takes to build a luxury retail business for the long term.
From the story behind bringing four separate businesses, Govberg, Radcliffe, Hyde Park and WatchBox, under a single name, to the decision to retire the WatchBox brand entirely, Shmerler reflects on three years of integration and the principles that have guided it. The conversation moves into the Rolex CPO programme and its transformation of the pre-owned market, a robust clarification that De Bethune was never for sale, the industry's long-running service problem and why, in the US at least, the mood among watch buyers right now is nothing short of euphoric.
Tune in for:
Why Rolex CPO has fundamentally changed the pre-owned conversation and what that means for authorised retailers
The real story behind the De Bethune sale rumours, and what The 1916 Company has planned for the brand
Why John believes the Apple Watch has been an accelerant for the high-end market, and why AI is already changing how collectors discover watches
Brought to you by DLG, in partnership with The 1916 Company. 
The 1916 Company is reshaping the world of collectible watches and fine jewelry, uniting a global community through trusted expertise, editorial excellence, and client-first experiences. With more than 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges worldwide, the company bridges new and pre-owned markets across collectible watches, fine jewelry, and designer handbags, supported by dedicated advisors, expert watchmakers, and seasoned journalists. As majority investor in independent manufacture De Bethune, The 1916 Company holds a singular position at the intersection of retail, editorial, and community. 
www.the1916company.com 
Produced by Juliet Fallowfield, Fallow, Field & Mason 2026

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In this episode of The Luxury Society Podcast, Robin Swithinbank and David Sadigh, are joined by Cyrille Vigneron, Chairman of Culture and Philanthropy at Cartier and the maison's former President and CEO, to examine what the current upheaval in luxury really demands of its leaders.
Drawing on nearly three decades across Richemont and LVMH, Vigneron reflects on the decisions that defined his tenure at Cartier, including the reversal of a failed masculine watchmaking strategy and the return to the brand's roots in style and elegance. He argues that what luxury is facing now is not a cyclical correction but a cultural shift, one that rewards brands anchored in durability and identity over those that chased volume and consumerism. 
Tune in for:
Why Cyrille believes AI will widen the gap between brands using it well and those that don't, rather than destroy jobs across the sector
How Cartier rebuilt its relevance with younger audiences without making anything young
What the shift from buying things to doing things means for luxury brands that sell physical products
Brought to you by DLG, in partnership with The 1916 Company.
The 1916 Company is reshaping the world of collectible watches and fine jewelry, uniting a global community through trusted expertise, editorial excellence, and client-first experiences. With more than 20 boutiques and Collector’s Lounges worldwide, the company bridges new and pre-owned markets across collectible watches, fine jewelry, and designer handbags – supported by dedicated advisors, expert watchmakers, and seasoned journalists. As majority investor in independent manufacture De Bethune, The 1916 Company holds a singular position at the intersection of retail, editorial, and community.
www.the1916company.com
Produced by Juliet Fallowfield, Fallow, Field & Mason 2026 
Send us Fan Mail