“The entire year is geared towards the SIHH”
Open Gallery
Jaeger-LeCoultre's new lady's watch, the Rendez-Vous, shown here in its ''Celestial'' edition © Jaeger-LeCoultre
Open Gallery
The Duomètre Unique Travel Time watch enables the user to adjust the time in the travel time zone to the nearest minute © Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2013, is set to announce another record year. Jérôme Lambert, Chief Executive of the Le Sentier firm, insists on the importance of training young people, and not just in regions with historic ties to the industry.
It’s with a cheery “tout va bien!” that Jérôme Lambert greets us on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s stand at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Orders have been pouring in all week and the new models have been well received, as has the 180th anniversary theme (the firm has been established in Le Sentier since 1833). “The entire year is geared towards this one week, and once again it’s gone so fast. We sold the entire year’s production within a day and a half,” he declares.
We have to be on the alert on a daily basis. What matters is to have consistent demand all year."
Jérôme Lambert
Genuine enthusiasm
“This influx of orders tells us our customers are loyal, and that they experienced a shortfall in products during 2012 and are eagerly awaiting deliveries,” declares an enthusiastic Lambert. “This week has surpassed anything we could have wished for. By which I do mean this week, not the entire year.” Because what really counts for the brand is sell-out, that is the watches sold to end customers, not sell-in. “We have to be on the alert on a daily basis. What matters is to have consistent demand all year.”
The reason for this loyalty lies in the watches which Jaeger-LeCoultre presented at the SIHH. Once again the company dazzles with timepieces that are the exact embodiment of its identity and the continuation of a spirit established over decades. Especially noteworthy are the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee, the Master Ultra-Thin 41, and the Manufacture’s latest creation for women, the Rendez-Vous, now with a starry blue dial.
Reverso my love
“We’re Jaeger-LeCoultre, so of course I have a soft spot for the Reverso watches we’ve unveiled, in particular the Ultra Thin Duoface boutique edition with blue dial. It is the epitome of our Maison, thanks to the two dials that are the hallmark of this iconic watch. No one else can do that; no one else has a watch that displays one time zone on one side of the dial, and a second time zone on the other. It has to be the most emblematic watch in our 2013 collection,” says Jérôme Lambert with more than a hint of pride.
The company, which is about to post another record year (at end March, with the Richemont Group), is certainly no newcomer to watchmaking, with 180 years of history to its name and the inventor of 1,242 calibres. It employs 1,300 people with expertise in more than 40 specialisations. “We created a further 78 jobs in 2012, bringing the total to 400 over the past four years. This is quite remarkable, considering the crisis of 2009,” Jérôme Lambert observes.
Looking ahead
Recruitment has been on the agenda at a number of watchmaking firms. When asked about training and job creation, Jérôme Lambert recalls his recent conversation with a local politician, who was promoting the idea of setting up training centres outside the industry’s traditional hubs of La Vallée-de-Joux, Le Locle, Geneva or Soleure, as is currently the case. The idea has Lambert’s wholehearted support: “It really makes sense. Young people around Lausanne, for example, don’t have access to these professions. It would be fantastic if a watchmaking school were to open there.”
He is convinced watchmaking has what it takes to appeal to young people. “These are well-paid, motivating jobs that open up opportunities to travel the world, and attract a lot of media attention.” ■
Article published in WtheJournal.com
