Our Client

A luxury Swiss watchmaker with worldwide brand recognition and a long history of creating some of the most sought-after timepieces that money can buy.

The Challenge

The brand wanted to create a high-quality book to tell its 100-year story and mark its centenary. However, highlighting the company’s impressive heritage in just one language wouldn’t effectively communicate with customers around the globe.

The Solution

Joined-up project management

We began by organizing a kick-off meeting to bring together the various teams working on the project. Our project manager ensured that the translation, localization teams, and designers were included, so everyone could align on the project’s context and challenges. Communicating with the client in their native language was crucial to understanding their needs and expectations.

In-depth proofreading

Our expert proofreaders meticulously reviewed the original French text to ensure proper spelling, style, and tone. They also resolved cultural issues regarding whether the text was intended for French speakers in France or Switzerland. This careful proofreading resulted in a harmonized, reliable source text that was ready for translation into all other languages and variants. With input from the client, we created a comprehensive database of terms to maintain consistency in terminology and branding.

Specialist linguists partnered with local experts

We worked closely with the client to establish contacts in each of the target markets, allowing our translation managers to speak directly with local experts. This ensured that each translation spoke the language of the target audience. These translations were carefully reviewed and submitted for client approval.

Cross-language design

Finally, our design teams applied their expertise to format the traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, and Korean versions of the book. Throughout the entire process, our project manager acted as the main point of contact with the client, ensuring smooth communication and addressing any concerns.

To effectively reach audiences across language barriers, the book needed to be available in seven languages and variants: English, German, Spanish, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Korean, and the original French. After translation and localization, the versions in the two non-European languages required additional expert design work to accommodate different typography needs.