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What do you do....?
What do you do when you're the Chief Operating Officer of one of the largest luxury goods conglomerates in the world, and the former CEO of our beloved JLC...
...and your name is mentioned (in a reserved way) as you walk past, headed to company boutiques in South Coast Plaza, Southern California?
Well, if you're Jerome Lambert, you turn around and genially say hello to an enthusiast.
This happened to me yesterday.
I was finishing up some shopping, just coming off an escalator and I see about six well-dressed gentlemen heading toward me. I immediately recognize Mr. Lambert and as they pass, I quietly mention his name. One of his colleagues glances at me and I address him mentioning Mr. Lambert's name a second time. Shortly, Mr. Lambert turns, walks back, offers his hand and we exchange a few pleasantries. I show him the watch I'm wearing at the time (a JLC, thankfully!) and he offers some kind and genuine comments. The gentlemen are on a business trip, so I'm not one to hold them up. We shake hands to say farewell, and Mr. Lambert offers me his business card. Such a pleasant interaction, and entirely consistent with all I've heard about Mr. Lambert for many years now.
Cheers,
John
What do you do....?
What do you do when you're the Chief Operating Officer of one of the largest luxury goods conglomerates in the world, and the former CEO of our beloved JLC... ...and your name is mentioned (in a reserved way) as you walk past, headed to company boutiques ...
Mr Lambert is a good guy and exceptional businessman with Huge EQ
Over the years, I count only a handful of real nice CEOs in the watch industry. Jerome Lambert is one of them. Regards, MTF
Cool story!
From everything I’ve read, Mr. Lambert is one of the shining lights of the whole industry. Now the story would have been better if you had pulled him aside and said we’ve got to make a PuristS Edition JLC sports watch. 😉😜😁 South Coast Plaza...I remember g...
A possible Purist JLC SPORT WATCH!?! This news deserves its own thread!
Jeeves, my smelling salts! And HURRY! 🤡 Good luck on this potential project, Nicolas. Ano “I feel sporty already!” Nuevo
Sporty, but also classic...
Something semi-vintage inspired. Something like a Longines Heritage Diver watch but no bulky case like this year's Tribute to Polaris. Looking for Swiss-French design, not Swiss-German proportions. A PuristSPro JLC Reverso, simple, in steel, but with the ...
My priority is I want special movement finishing!
This has to be a special watch inside and out! JLC has the habit of only doing elaborate finishing on some really special pieces. Even the base Master Tourbillon's finishing is a little plain. Something special, something faultless, something for a purist...
Someone will order in food delivered...
Food is delivered... Some PuristSPro members, will have a glass of wine and become very talkative and bother the rest of us whom are hard at work getting that perfect mirror polish. The motorcoach driver doesn't want to wait any longer, we all go to the h...
Fine finishing is nothing to sneeze at, but...
While you guys are polishing and beveling and chamfering, you’ll find me in the Enameling Department working on the dial! Ano “Now, WHERE is my single-hair chinchilla brush?” Nuevo. 😜
Oh! Good idea!
Hey, sorry, I borrowed your chinchilla brush to tickle another Purist who fell asleep in finishing department. Don't set the place on fire with the firing of your enamel dial!
Thanks for ‘fessing up, Patrick!
You’re an honest — Oh, rats, the timer just signaled the end of my 9th firing. Can’t type. Gotta run! Ano “Now WHO took my asbestos gloves?!?l” Nuevo
Would have been nice to talk longer, for sure; but I felt it was not the time/venue for such a thing.
South Coast Plaza has really grown into a destination shopping venue. Many luxury boutiques, as well as watch boutiques: Lange JLC Vacheron IWC Panerai Patek (run by Tourneau, I believe) Omega Rolex The "Tourbillon" Swatch brands retail space did not surv...
I don’t believe any of those boutiques existed in mid 90s there.
I think Omega had just started to open their own boutiques in 1996, under JCB.
You're right...Tourneau was the dominant retailer until the late 2000s.
And Ben Bridge carried Rolex. Tourneau still exists at SoCo Plaza, but for the most part does not carry many Richemont brands at that location (few exceptions). Half its main space is dedicated to preowned watches. And it runs Patek and Breitling boutique...
Watches aside...
It's also super important to support the good people in the industry. Happy to hear such good things about Mr lambert. I've huge respect for him too! Happy that u had the chance to meet him!
An immediately warm guy with warm eyes...
I've run into him many times before; most recently in April in Paris at a hotel in the Place Vendome. Glad you had a great interaction with him at South Coast Plaza!
That is a great way to describe it: immediate warmth.
There was no apparent "switch" reflecting the need to be cordial...just genuine warmth and friendliness. Cheers, John
I met him once
I had the chance to sit next to him a few years ago during a JLC dinner. He is a man of class, fun and generosity. He has vision and strategic skills. So far he has been the most inspiring man I met in the industry. It was a true pleasure interacting with...
And I wish he had not left JLC :)
Although he presumably still has much influence over both JLC and ALS, so that is good for us.
Cool.
He has authentically built himself an immaculate reputation. Certainly my favorite horology executive, his time at JLC was paramount. Thanks for the story . Cheers, Filip
Very nice story. It fits with the image I have as well.
I was having a dinner conversation with one of his former staff at JLC (high ranking) who said he was definitely the best and the toughest boss he had ever had. And that he is also a very nice person. - so there you have it.
Yes, exactly:-)
Recalling the conversation, what he meant by tough was that he was extremely demanding of his staff.
Coming from Jerome Lambert, that doesn't surprise me at all. It was a great pleasure to be in relation with him during all these JLC and Montblanc years.
Open minded, friendly, listening to others, a lot of energy, loyal... A friend. Best, Nicolas
Love to hear stories like this! Similar experience . . .
. . . with Jean Claude Monachon of Omega several years ago. I was walking into the local Omega boutique, he was walking out. We'd been introduced at Omegamania years before, but I couldn't remember his first name. "Monachon!", said I. J-C turned around. W...
Very nice story. Nice to see the human connection despite that we are all chasing mechanical devices.
The humanity behind luxury goods greatly increases the appeal. Cheers, John