Peter Stas

Peter Stas (born 1963) is a Dutch entrepreneur and author who has worked in the watch industry and became known for his outspoken comments to the Swatch Group after it announced a reduction in its provision of watch component parts to third parties

Education

In 1988, Stats completed his studies in Business Economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

Career

After completing his studies Stas started worked as Product-Marketing Manager for Royal Philips Electronics.

He later founded, with his wife Aletta Stas-Bax, the watch company Frédérique Constant. The manufacture's initial strategy was to focus its energy on classical luxury watches at an affordable price. The Accessible Luxury positioning was the basis of strong growth during the 2008 financial crisis.

Stas played an outspoken role in a conflict with the Swatch Group after it announced a reduction in its provision of watch component parts to third parties. Stas said the proposed cuts would establish an unfair advantage and stifle competition, and not be good for the Swiss watch industry or consumer choice. A legal action to request a freeze before the Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland together with eight independent watch and movement companies to block the 2012 cuts was rejected. After a long standoff, Switzerland's Competition Commission (COMCO) finally ruled that it would not allow the Swatch Group to reduce supplies of assortments (i.e. the regulating organ of a mechanical movement: escape wheel, pallet lever, balance wheel and balance spring) that it sells to Swiss watch brands outside the group.