Master in Global Luxury Goods & Services Management (MGLuxM) program students went on a study tour to Switzerland from January 30 to February 3, 2023. The Program Directors - Alessandro Brun and Smita Jain, accompanied them. During their trip, the students got an in-depth understanding of the Swiss watchmaking, cheese, and chocolate industries.

At the Arc University of Neuchatel, our young students got an opportunity to attend lectures by Prof. Francois Courvoisier and Maria Bashutkin on the history of watchmaking, the significance of mechanical watches, the brand hierarchy, adaptation to current market trends, and the elements that differentiate a Swiss watch from a luxury Swiss watch brand.

Their first stop was at Omega, where the CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, greeted the students. This experience only deepened their interest in watchmaking. The staff's presentation gave them an insight into Omega's legacy, its association with the Olympics, and how it selects its brand ambassadors. The visit covered the rise and fall of Omega during the Quartz launch and how to manage a brand with time and trends.

The students were divided into groups on the final day and taken to Rado, Longines, and Zenith. The factory visits were unique to each brand, and the students gained a comprehensive understanding of the significance of watchmakers to this day. The lunchtime allowed for an exchange of experiences and group discussions.

The Swiss chocolate experience was another highlight of their trip, and the students visited the Camille Bloch chocolate museum to learn about chocolate-making. They followed the journey of a single cocoa bean transformed into the delicious Ragusa chocolate. The session ended with a platter of complimentary chocolates and a photo session at the museum to commemorate the last ride of the European study tour of MGLUXM batch 10.

Here are some more photos from their trip: