Sapphire and hardwork make Vertu ring a profitable tone

It's been a little over a decade since luxury mobile phone manufacturer Vertu set up shop.

Today, the company is one of the leading players in exclusive handcrafted mobile phones.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, the United Kingdom-based company unveiled its first product in 2002. Currently, it is sold in more than 50 countries along with some of the most luxurious jewellery and watch brands.

In the Middle East, Vertu is sold in 13 exclusive boutiques, six of which are in the UAE, and in more than 30 other points of sales.

Frank Nuovo, Principal Designer at Vertu, conceptualised the idea for the brand many years ago and has designed each of the products that have gone into production.

He says despite the highs and lows of the economy, there will always be a place for products such as Vertu.

In an increasingly cost-conscious world – and where technology changes swift and fast – is there really a place for products such as Vertu mobile phones?

I think cost consciousness varies around the world and is very much relative to particular points in time – there are always highs and lows.

However, there will always be a place for finely crafted solutions where appreciation of precision designed and constructed objects has been stable through history. In particular, objects that have a specific function and are personally carried by the owner will always have a demand. The objects have become more complex, but the desire is the same.

How has Vertu performed during the worldwide recession? Which markets have been the strongest and the weakest?

We are a part of this world, just like everyone else, so we have also seen challenges. However, we are a global company with very successful customers who have continued to support our brand. We are launching our new Constellation Ayxta product line so clearly we anticipate a bright future as the world continues to witness recovery.

From an engineering point of view, what makes the Vertu so special?

Vertu is an engineering dream if you are interested in excellence and the highest degree of scrutiny regarding quality and care in the experience. The marriage between design and engineering at Vertu is clearly demonstrated when holding the product in your hand and using it. It is all in the details but can be realised by creating, for instance, the best mechanical hinge ever created on a folding phone form factor or the quarter turn release mechanism for the back cover.

How different is the Vertu approach in terms of production from conventional mobile phones?

Conventional mobile phones are optimised for high volume production with simple steps that reduce any large amount of handling. A Vertu mobile phone depends on a great deal of handiwork or bench time.

Experts deal with many levels of finish and assembly techniques, which are required by our strict quality standards and the demands of our extraordinary materials such as sapphire, ceramic and leather.

How versatile is the technology in Vertu?

The core technology is much more long lasting than most people realise. Features are maturing very quickly and Vertu has always selected technologies that are lasting and at the core of most users' list of needs. This changes over time and so accordingly we add features. While we have many features in our products, including GPS in our new Constellation Ayxta, the core use is still voice communications and up to now our customers have mostly been interested in the world's best mobile phone.

What is the profile of the Vertu user?

We have a widening range of Vertu communication instruments in function, form and style variation. Our users vary widely around the world but the one thing they all have in common is a desire for the best and an appreciation of how our products are designed, manufactured and how we present and back them for the long term.

What determines the price of each device?

Like any fine watch or automobile, it is a direct result of how difficult, how time consuming and how rare each of the components are to manufacture and assemble. Add to that, the very limited volume we are able to manufacture due to the material selection and also include unique environment and service, which is part of the Vertu experience.

Does Nokia have any contribution or role in the development or research of any of the mobile devices?

Vertu works completely independently of Nokia. Of course, we took the world's best core technology, which happened to be from Nokia, and is the result of billions of dollars worth of research and development.

For Vertu, we have our own research and development team as well.

What are some of the most rare objects you have used or incorporated in a Vertu device?

The rarest would be the highly jewelled solutions that use rare stones. Then again the absolute rarest is the solid gold Boucheron 150. It is made purely from a case of gold, sapphire and ceramic – however, only a single phone was ever made.

Have you made or are you planning to make any devices targeted exclusively at Middle Eastern customers?

The Middle East has been a significant and very much appreciated market for Vertu. There have been a number of very limited editions, even bespoke products, which have been commissioned around the world including for customers in the Middle East. We customise language variants around the world and it is possible we will make something unique to the region with regard to style in the future.

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