Jaeger-LeCoultre Brand Direction Debate

remarque · 2019-04-03T19:35:43Z

JLC's direction debated after Geophysic discontinuation. Collectors discuss brand identity, product strategy, and future of Master Control and Polaris lines.

remarque

WPS member · Jaeger-LeCoultre forum

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remarque's candid assessment of Jaeger-LeCoultre's direction, particularly following the discontinuation of the Geophysic line, ignited a passionate debate among collectors. This discussion explores the brand's identity, product strategy, and the challenges of balancing heritage with innovation in a competitive luxury watch market.

With the announcement that JLC has discontinued the fruitless Geophysic line, my perception is that the brand is lost. Of course, due to lack of any real information from the company, I will never know if the the overlords of Richemont thought as much of the brand over the past few years and brought in Mme Renier to take control and reverse the course, or, the brand is foundering as a result of Mme Renier's ascension.

Whereas the tribute to Geophysic brought welcome attention to the brand (despite lack of a central second hand manual wind movement), the True Second movement was divisive and the brand, since the release of the True Second, has does nothing to refine, enhance or modify/improve the controversial if confused design language (Geomatic anyone?). One year after its release, JLC with fanfare brought out the True Second World Timer tourbillon, which promptly went nowhere but into oblivion.

So now the brand has deserted it, for what? A similar situation with the "new" Polaris line? (sigh -- supercompressor style but not real supercompressor case, recycling the same old movements, etc). And don't forget there has been no innovation of new life to the Master Control series in years, and all we do with Reverso series is change colors/dials and Duometre series has limited audience and...

Voila, now Mme Renier tells us she is refocusing the brand on haute horology! and Jewels! Let's bedazzle and we can price our watches in the hundreds of thousands, not just tens of thousands of euros/dollars/...

What ever happened to JLC producing the best (modern) movements and putting them in journeyman watches for reasonable price ($5-10K range) which have some timeless design, flair and life? Methinks the brand is lost, and sadly, when too many people like me have the same perception, perception DOES become reality. Which is sad and disappointing. I guess modern movements across the board with things like PR 70 hours, manual wind central seconds, tight tolerances aka Rolex, Omega, etc etc are no longer that for which JLC wants to be known. Maybe JLC is no longer the "watchmaker's watchmaker."

Key Points from the Discussion

Many brands, including JLC, struggle with maintaining clear product categories and a unified design language, unlike brands like Rolex which benefit from consistent, recognizable lines such as the Submariner or Datejust.
JLC's period from mid-2013 to 2018 saw cautious evolution rather than bold new introductions, with the Geophysic being a notable exception, and the brand's current leadership faces the challenge of revitalizing the collection without immediate, radical changes.
The Geophysic line, despite its tribute, lacked a clear market segment and design identity, often overlapping with the Master collection, which contributed to its eventual discontinuation.
For JLC to regain its footing, it needs to modernize movements in its core lines, establish a focused design language for the Master Control and Polaris series, and commit long-term to new pieces while pursuing haute horology.
Recent JLC models, such as the Reverso Grande Centre Seconds and the Polaris Memovox, have faced criticism for using less impressive movements or lacking true functionality (e.g., a 'fake' dive watch), raising concerns about the brand's commitment to its 'watchmaker's watchmaker' reputation.
The challenges faced by JLC, including perceived brand greed and a lack of clear market positioning, are seen as systemic issues within the Richemont group, affecting other brands like Panerai and Vacheron Constantin.

The Discussion

Mister M

Apr 3, 2019

might say, affected the quality. On the flip side, brands like pp, Rolex and ap, by limiting certain models are thriving. Apparently the limiting of certain models is to enhance the quality, by spending more time in making sure they produce the finest. My question is, if jlc or iwc adopted the same strategy, could this help in their brand appeal? The other factor is, what does this do to profits? After all , pp, Rolex, and ap do not seem to be affected by this, although customers are not happy w

amanico

Apr 3, 2019

4 very ( too ) prudent years. From the half of 2013 to 2018, we saw, mainly evolutions and a few introductions of really new watches, such as the Geophysic, principally. AND, let's not forget, the Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon. I have to agree with your assessment. Now, we cannot ask to Mrs Renier to bring a whole new collection of let's say 3, 4 or 5 all new watches in less than one year. Even Jerome Lambert just introduced the Master Compressor line in 2002. And if you remember well, it was n

VinnieD

Apr 4, 2019

But the world has changed a lot since then and the company has to adapt to world tastes and desires. I hear that the work atmosphere at JLC is not great at the moment but I hope this is changing for the better. I have no internal feedback so I am taking this with a pinch of salt. Mr Lambert seems to be revered in the industry but I see that he has tried a few major unsuccessful launches: - revamp of the Reverso with the Squadra - introduction of the compressor sports line Both were unsuccessful

amanico

Apr 4, 2019

As for the ambience at the Manufacture, it is much more positive now... For some months. The good pieces under Jerome Lambert's reign? The Amvox I and II, for sure, the Duometres, the Gyrotourbillons, the Tributes ( Polaris, DSA, Reverso ), The Extreme Lab One and II, The Master Minute Repeater, to mention only a few. Best, Nicolas

VinnieD

Apr 4, 2019

Nicolas, I was expecting a swift reaction... True that there have been many nice pieces launched under the helm of Mr Lambert but no real breakthrough. All the pieces you mentioned are very creative but small product lines/tweaks/reeditions. - The Duometre is great, but I wonder how many do they produce annually? - JLC clearly led the way on the reeditions front. I love them but they whilst the concept is creative and daring, there is limited innovation in dusting off old designs The current Pol

Echi

Apr 4, 2019

I'd say yes and probably true for a number of brands out there. The average watch lover (not necessarily a WIS) likes to be able to think in categories. Even if we say that folks would like for brands to think outside the box, even what is outside that box needs to be something familiar. Which leads us to focus and stability as elements that underpin these categories. The favorite examples inadvertently lead us to brands like Rolex with clear categories like the sub, gmt, or the datejust all wit

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