The timeless, tireless Virgie Ramos

It was love at first Swatch when I saw this unique timepiece in Paris in the middle ‘80s. I remember I had just come from an art gallery tour and I didn’t expect to see more fascinating art — inside a department store. Like a child thrilled by so many choices, it took me half an hour to decide which Swatch to buy with my hard-earned shopping budget. I finally settled for a beige one with pop art popping on my wrist.

A few years later, I met Virgie Ramos, the lady who brought this timepiece to the Philippines. Up close, I realized her persona was so much like Swatch: on time, precise, fun,exciting and attuned to the latest trends.

Through the years, I’ve seen that she is the sum of many parts that similarly make a timepiece tick.

She looks fragile with her porcelain complexion, yet she is tough and strong. You can’t shatter her faith in all things possible and doable. Her staff knows, too, that there is only one way to do things: the Virgie Ramos way. Meaning you do it the most excellent way you can, or not at all.

She easily sheds a tear. She cries when she hears stories of injustice and man’s brazen inhumanity to man. She also sheds a tear over acts of kindness and touching gestures. But she will be totally unmoved and unforgiving if you mess with her and her principles.

She is a picture of poise and grace. But most of the time, she cannot keep still. Hyper is an understatement. Projects that challenge her creativity constantly excite her and fuel her passions.

From her, I’ve learned to walk faster. Because time is precious. During a trip to Tokyo to attend a Swatch store opening in the busy Shibuya area, I would almost get lost in the crowd because I could never match her quick steps. In London, walking towards a West End theater is never a walk in the park. She thinks fast, she moves fast. That’s why  she is never late for appointments.

She is a citizen of the world which is her playground and classroom. But she is fiercely patriotic, always putting her country on the drawing board. Which explains why she has passionately worked for the creation of Swatch watches that capture a time in our history and reflect the Filipino soul.

For her, it’s obviously not just about marketing. It’s about putting a watch on your wrist, letting it listen to your pulse and connect to your heartbeat.

She listens to what young people like. So now every school worth its sports trophies and its honor roll of revered alumni has its own Swatch. She keenly observes what will catch the eye of even the most jaded of connoisseurs and taste makers. “That’s a Swatch?” The corporate and fashionable set are stunned when she wears the brand’s iconic pieces or latest edgy designs. Her day is made when she spots the likes of Lor Calma or Juvenal Sanso or BenCab sporting a Swatch that didn’t necessarily come from her.

As Swatch Philippines celebrates its 25th year, I sat down with the lady who brought this cult watch, this pop culture item that has revolutionized the watch industry, this style barometer that has reflected fashion trends the past three decades. I settled on a comfy Gaetano Pesce  chair inside the new Swatch & Swatch Building that has just made Arnaiz Avenue more hip and exciting.

I looked at the eye candy around me — the huge replica of the Sistem51 mechanism that looked like a modern piece of sculpture on the ceiling, the geometric play of vanishing lines on the floor, and several pieces from the latest Swatch collections. I felt like a child again and remembered how I fell in love with my first Swatch.

Excerpts from the interview:

PHILIPPINE STAR: Swatch was created in Switzerland in 1983, and soon after, you brought it into the Philippines. What thoughts did you have when you first saw it and what target market did you foresee for the Philippines?

VIRGIE RAMOS: A sure winner! My son, Miguel, spotted it when he was studying in the States. He was 17 and loved it. I was 40 and gave it my all. 17 and 40? That quickly defined the target market. We were both certain this was a brand to immediately invest in big time.

Now, 25 years after, what is the profile of the Swatch market in the Philippines?

It’s gotten wider — 12 to 65...whoops! Does that give away my age?

To celebrate Swatch’s 25 years in the Philippines, you have asked National Artist BenCab to design a Swatch inspired by his famous Sabel artworks. Why BenCab?

Haha..everyone’s asking me this question. The criteria are identical to who qualifies as a Swatch endorser. Isn’t it obvious? He exceeds the league of Anne, John Lloyd, and even Matteo.

You’ve known BenCab for quite some time. How has it been working with him up close and more often the past months?

I still have to meet a more simple and humble man of his stature. Just last week, Direk Rowell shot his video for the November 4 big event. He was stunned with all the manpower, logistics and thinking that went into his two-minute video. His only regret was he was not able to get a free haircut from the groomer. “Sayang, nagmamadali si Rowell. Nakapalibreng gupit ako sana.” Or when we were planning the limited edition of his choice Sabels from the BenCab Museum, he only wanted a limited run of 12, “Baka hindi mabili.”

In 1996, you commissioned Jaime Zobel de Ayala to design a Swatch commemorating the centennial of the proclamation of Philippine independence. During the times I had the chance to interview him, I saw a witty, funny and warm Don Jaime. You must have had fun collaborating with him.

The collaboration with JZA is the biggest highlight of my 25 years with Swatch. I only have love and awe for the man...whether it was for designing the Centennial watch, begging him on my knees to be James Bond at our launch event, or rushing him to do a Ninoy and Cory Special in time for what would have been the 77th birthday of the late Cory.

The Swatch Group owns other brands such as Omega, Harry Winston, Breguet and Blancpain. Obviously it is Swatch that stirs your passion and satisfies your creativity, what is it about Swatch that excites you?

Its being a great equalizer and that everyone can enjoy it! It’s just a matter of which one suits your lifestyle. And it’s having access to the most advanced technology and doing all possible strictly adhering to their DNA of delivering Swiss quality watches.

Every Swatch launch here is always a major lifestyle event attended by celebrities, fashionistas and business personalities. How do you manage?

The tough part is getting the commitment of the team which includes Rowell Santiago, Gino Gonzales, and my Swatch A-team. But once I have that, the fun begins. Traditionally, making changes up to the last 25 minutes all through these 25 years.

Now that you’ve built the cool and modern Swatch & Swatch Building on Arnaiz Avenue, what do we expect to see there? Is there a chance you’d have a Swatch Museum there or perhaps an exhibit to please Swatch collectors?

A Swatch happening place. On the ground floor, Swatch & Art. On the second floor, a brand- new retail store concept, Passion in 50 Steps + 1, the Sistem51 installation. On the roof deck, the playground for Swatch surprises from our endorsers!

Swatch has produced a lot of iconic pieces since 1983. Which are the ones you personally wear most often?

Swatch Skin has always been my personal choice. Swatch Skin is the thinnest plastic quartz watch in the world. Don’t you agree, Millet? It’s so light and you can wear it dressed up or down.