Pix is the one of the newest staff members on RWI, and one that took a while to persuade to come on board. (The man was wise enough to have an idea what he was in for.
Since getting to know him better, I've been informed by others that he is widely known for great shirts and great pecs. But I've also learned that he is articulate (even in a language which is not his first), sensible, modest (an uncommon trait amongst those with big chest musculature), and has a great sense of humor.
You'll see some of these things (well, not the pecs) in the interview he has agreed to share with us below.
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1) It's been said: "show me a man's friends and I'll show you the man".
Describe your best friend. How long have you been friends? What has kept the friendship going?
I met the one I consider my best friend at the college, something like 25 years ago. We have very similar tastes but are different characters and share the exact same understanding of human behaviour : therefore we will laugh or get worried by the same situations and often don’t need to speak to understand each other. He’s quite misanthropic and has an artistic mind.
2) Now tell us something about yourself that that best friend does not know about you.
There’s quite a lot as I rarely confide. The most relevant thing is maybe that he doesn’t know I always passed him modified versions of my homework when at school, to make sure he did not get better marks.
3) Tell us something about your family. What about kids? Pets?
I’ve one daughter and she’s the reason I live for. I believe the relationship between a father and his daughter is something unique, which fortunately or not will influence most of her choices in life, especially regarding love.
On the pet topic, well, I’ve not been brought up with animals, and never really felt any particular attraction or need for pets. To split the difference, we bought 3 guinea pigs when my daughter asked for a dog: funny little fur balls if you ask.
4) I've always been fascinated by the folks on RWI who post so fluently in English, even though it's not their first language. Some of our members may not even realize that you are actually French. When did you learn to speak English? What other languages do you speak? If you could learn other languages, which would you choose first?
Thanks for asking this question, it gives me the opportunity to kill a myth. It’s widely told that French are bad at foreign languages. I only partially agree. As for all countries which have or have had a strong international presence (I’m speaking of the colonial eras), the French (like the Spanish or English) did and still don’t feel necessary to speak the neighbour’s language, as the neighbour probably speaks his language. A big part of the African continent, Canada and most French former colonies still speak French. A part of Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg too. Also since France is being the first touristic destination in the world, most of the French surely think that they don’t need to make the effort, they are the guests, not the visitors (I don’t say I agree). Last point, the governments orientations in education have always put more importance onto science rather than literature and foreign languages, which is a pity IMO.
Now about me, I started to learn English quite late actually : when I was a kid typically we started learning foreign languages in the College, at 11. Maybe I was lucky to have some preference for literature, history and generally culture, which made my taste for other countries’ languages develop more than my taste for mathematics. Eventually I’m using
English daily in my job, but always with people whose mother tongue is not English. That leads me to have real understanding problems when I orally communicate with a British or an American. Besides I learnt German, which I also use daily, although I don’t have the same ease. Latin too, which is close to useless in my daily life, but helped a lot with etymology (French is a Latin language). I started Italian very late (20), therefore have a weak level. I’d love to take some lessons on the occasion, for I’m half Italian.
5) What are some of your favorite quotes? If you choose something in French, a translation would be helpful, thanks.
“Tout vient à point à qui sait attendreâ€, which I would roughly translate by patience is a virtue (which I’m missing when it comes to watches)
6) I keep hearing reference to these fancy shirts that you wear. In fact, I think I had a nightmare about those shirts recently that I'm pretty sure is due to you. So what is it about these shirts? Who makes your favorites?
As long as you have nightmares with my shirts and not with me, I’m ok. Actually this shirt legend is a pure invention of Rooster ! It’s true I mostly wear shirts, therefore have an extensive shirt wardrobe and am sometimes led to buy unusual patterns to avoid boredom in my clothes. Most of the time you see these in the wristshots, and every little pattern can look strange in macroshots. In real life I believe they’re just original, neither really fancy nor (hopefully) ugly.
I have no preference in shirt makers : as I buy new ones continuously I don’t put a lot of money in having branded shirts. The fabric and the fit is more important to my eyes.
7) What is your earliest memory?
Strange that you ask this, I tried to figure it out not so long ago. It’s my father helping me lacing my shoes. I was probably 4 years old.
8) Out of your watch collection, which ones are you the proudest to own? And if an authorized dealer would be willing to offer you anything you wanted (like in exchange for fashion advice from you), what would you choose?
I believe I’m known to have a quite large collection, and this is because I just can’t decide for one style or design. I enjoy wearing something different, which may sound like I’m snobbish, (I would hate that, but can’t tell I’m definitely not).
Technically I’m proud of my HBB which has been extensively modded, from the movement to the bridge engraving, Ti screws, thick crystal, AR coating, DW and these things.
If I had to keep only one, maybe I’d stick to my Navitimer (gen 7750 and rotor), and that’s what I would chose as a gen if I had to buy one. I like its busy yet elegant style and absolutely only love it on leather. I’m not the bracelet guy at all.
I love the Ulysse Nardin design in general too.
9) What do you like best about yourself? What attributes do you hope no one ever finds out?
Difficult to speak about myself. It’s being said that I like a job well done, so maybe perseverance and taste for clear things and situations is some good side of my personality.
The other side of the coin is that I’m sometimes nit-picking.
10) When you were a child, what did you hope to grow up to be? How close did you get?
I can’t really remember if there has ever been one single target. Once you want to be a doctor, once a singer, the other time a millionaire. Until you realize it’s not a job…
I’ve not come close to any of these, but am happy with my condition and job today.
11) You've been asked to star in a major motion picture. Give us a story line. And whom would you get for a stunt double for the action scenes?
I love sci-fi, so definitely it would be some movie involving aliens, black holes and spaceships. I would have all scenes where I get a kick in the ass doubled by Rocketeer… lol
12) Whom did you admire most, or whom did you most hope to emulate growing up? And why?
Fortunately I have never focused on only one person, that would be idolatry. I have a great respect for those who put all their efforts in making their country a better place to live,, or just bringing new ideas for the sake of their fellow creatures. Also for the great inventors who made mankind progress. In no particular order Leonardo da Vinci, Charles De Gaulle, Napoleon Bonaparte (not for his warlike campaigns but for his visions of the organisation of his country), George Washington… I know that sounds like being utopian, but we definitely miss such persons these days.
13) What other countries have you visited, other than your native land? What do you see as being the biggest difference between French culture and other others?
Quite many countries, but most in the good old Europe. My job makes me travel regularly and I used to ride a motorbike which made me travel a lot : in no particular order the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden… I’ve been once in Tunisia.
French people are seen as arrogant, which is often true unfortunately, and I sometimes suffer from this. This is why I avoid saying I’m French when not asked. I believe the French culture is different as we inherited a real taste for contestation. Probably coming from the revolutionary era (18th Century). A natural way to express is to moan. That will sound odd, even irritating for most foreigners, strikes being the best example. At the same time we do not have the culture of taking legal actions for anything (gagging a pretzel for instance), so I came to the conclusion that striking and moaning is the other way of trying to have one’s
right respected. Typically the French loves his independence therefore hates to depend from anyone or being told what he has to do. Once you know that, you’re ready to visit us.
14) Okay, although *I* may not necessarily need to know anything about this, I'm sure the other guys would like to know. What are French women *really* like? And if you could choose a harem of six, whom would you invite to keep you company?
I like the idea of having a woman asking this question, and hope it means that French women are somehow taken as a model by other women. Don’t see any chauvinism in this, rather some kind of pride. Not talking about the physical beauty (which anyway can’t be forever), French women are elegant, feminine, hate complication in dressing and making-up, but
absolutely take care of themselves : I like to call this “sophisticated simplicityâ€. That make French women some kind of ideal beauty to my eyes, the beauty that lasts over years.
Harem is probably not the right word, the French like to charm in all situation, but in the end I believe they can only love one woman…at a time.
Sophie Marceau, Marion Cotillard for the French who are more or less known abroad. Unknown but famous here is Melissa Theuriau. Google her name and you may have an idea of how I see French women. Then we have the Italian and Spanish Venus : Monica Belucci, and Penelope Cruz, the 6th of that “Harem†being my wife.
15) I personally love ethnic food, but know almost nothing about French food. What would be a typical day of eating for you? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Snacks?
I don’t eat snacks, maybe that’s the secret of my fitness…
Cereal and fruit juice in the morning, 1 dish of meat + vegetables for lunch, and something more consistent in the evening or week end, where one has more time to enjoy more complicated cuisine and wine. No beer. I try to eat in a Restaurant once a week, I just like the atmosphere.
My favourite dish : beef in any of its shape. Busy life has made the legendary French lunch being shorter and shorter, but still we have a good hour break during the office day.
16) Have you ever had to be a patient in the emergency room or in the hospital? If it's not too personal (like you don't have to tell us if you got something stuck in a private place), what happened?
Once, it was some kind of cutaneous eruption. We never found out what that was. If that had to ever happen again, I’d probably not return so quickly to the hospital. Unless you have real physical injury, that’s not the place to go when you’re ill.
17) That proverbial housefire that I've plagued all of my interview victims with has finally come to your home. Assuming that all family, friends, and pets get out safely, what else would you save? (You can have anything that you can carry in your two arms.)
My laptop, as many watches as possible…. Shirts ! (let the legend grow, Roo !)
18) What's on your bucket list? (In case anyone else lives under a rock, like I do, a "bucket list" is a list of things to do before you die.)
I’d like to visit Asia and Egypt/Greece : I’m fond of the Antiquity period.
19) What did you buy with your last $1000 of optional spending dollars (so not rent, insurance, food, childcare, etc.)
A multimedia harddrive and a lcd screen. Sometimes I behave like a geek I must confess.
20) Mandatory Standard Question #20: for whom would you turn gay?
To turn gay, the first condition would be to be turned into a woman, then I’d surely turn gay for Melissa Theuriau...
