Added value and true luxury

Mar 03, 2017,01:51 AM
 

Dear Dean, 


Thank you for reminding me what a great manufacture JLC truly is. This is my first post in quite some time. I had become disenchanted with JLC as a brand and the entire luxury watch industry at large. Living in Hong Kong has provided me with the opportunity to witness first hand how the notion of luxury has become diluted by too many boutiques with inadequately trained staff and overstocked ADs', churning out 20 - 30% discounts on their products which in the end devalued their watches completely. (imho). Has it been a buyers market in recents years? Yes, but at what cost?! 

I sincerely hope, that JLC will focus on their products first and their perceived value, and leave marketing and  advertisement campaigns till the end. As a brand, they have to redefine their values plus identity and communicate those with the watches they produce first and foremost. 

Best, 
Andreas

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Comments: view entire thread

 

An Open Letter To Georges Kern...

 
 By: watchme : February 24th, 2017-09:20
Dear Georges Kern, I was excited to hear that you will be taking over the reigns at Jaeger-LeCoultre, AKA: "Sleeping Beauty." Your tenure and track record at IWC, with whom JLC has been linked since the 1980s (at least) under the Mannesmann's SMH, has bro... 

Although I understand and like what you are saying...

 
 By: vitalsigns : February 24th, 2017-09:49
JLC is my favorite brand. While I understand that JLC is in the business of selling watches, and generally speaking, healthy sales=a healthy company, I personally am not at all interested in a big marketing campaign a la IWC. IMO, IWC has gone too far: to... 

Standing ovation

 
 By: piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) : February 24th, 2017-10:30
But I'm a bit scared of what's coming.

I, frankly, believe JLC to really be the "best" brand out there - although "best" can be defined many different ways....

 
 By: watchme : February 25th, 2017-06:55
But JLC's lack of decent marketing hurts them in the primary and secondary markets. Patek's and Rolex's marketing is such that both markets do well, but they keep an eye on their brands. JLC talks about doing "events," but those tend to be "preaching to t... 

I hear you. JLC doesn't seem to have the traction and respect it deserves.

 
 By: vitalsigns : February 27th, 2017-09:29
Like you, I hope that will come. Cheers, John

That's what I thought.

 
 By: willski : February 24th, 2017-13:37
New title for Georges Kern is to be \'Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital" and Jerome Lambert to be "Head of Operations". I will add that I have enjoyed the development of JLC and Montblanc over the last decade much more than of IWC...

I would agree. [nt]

 
 By: TheMadDruid : February 24th, 2017-14:13

Absolutely!

 
 By: Joepny : February 24th, 2017-14:45
It came as a great surprise that Mr. Lambert\'s "promotion" would take him away from the watches. I am hoping that Mr. Rupert just wants to round out Mr. Lambert\'s experience with the other parts of Richemont before he gets the keys to the empire. But th... 

I think you sum it up perfectly

 
 By: ChristianDK : March 14th, 2017-15:35
I will refrain from elaborating but say that I think you expressed my thoughts very elegantly.

++1 [nt]

 
 By: agyzace : February 25th, 2017-00:21

Agree 100%! JLC is never want for good products...

 
 By: watchme : February 27th, 2017-10:35
but the lack of a marketing campaign for said products means that retailers need to discount them (which hurts the brand in the long run) in order to sell them. Good marketing creates strong demand. Strong demand creates stronger price/discount structure ... 

We agree to agree, Dean. Marketing is mandatory, but only to support a good product. An example? The Duometre line.

 
 By: amanico : February 27th, 2017-11:31
They should have bombarded on this line, to defend it, and to promote it. They just did it in a shy way. Best, Nicolas

I know, right? It's like they still have the 1990's mentality...

 
 By: watchme : February 28th, 2017-06:55
when they were still supplying large quantities to AP & VC, and a few movements to PP, and didn't want to step on anyone's toes. FORGET THAT! It's the 21st century now! The QL 42mm made a great picture in a few adds, but they needed to bombard the public ... 

Focus on the product - priority one

 
 By: gup502 : March 2nd, 2017-15:22
Products have different tiers. JLC has produced some technically amazing pieces, those are however a bit beyond reach for some enthusiastic watch lovers. In other tiers, in my opinion, that is where more effort should be put into it. In the past years, I ... 

Aaah, my friend... Thanks for this elaborated answer. We can feel through your words how much you love JLC. And how much you'd like to see the sleeping beauty...

 
 By: amanico : March 2nd, 2017-19:53
waking up... JLC is a Beauty, and no doubt they will wake up. I know the people behind the brand, and I know they have tons of ideas. Creativity is alive, it is in the DNA of the brand, it is just a matter of letting them play and express themselves. As f...  

Thanks for reminding me

 
 By: gup502 : March 2nd, 2017-21:27
there is a GMT with alarm however I want to see a simple GMT with an alarm like the GP Traveller II. Simple enough to see home time and not world time and yet with a nice alarm bell which is what JLC is renown for. We all know an annual calendar is differ... 

Hmmmm

 
 By: jim vancouver : March 2nd, 2017-21:22
I'm not sure that a big promotion campaign would make a difference. Ultimately, it's about the product. IMO, JLC makes attractive value watches. But, doesn't differentiate its products enough. It's not singular like A Lange. Not outrageous like Hublot. No... 

Exactly, they have been in their comfort zone for too long.

 
 By: gup502 : March 2nd, 2017-21:49
Perhaps if the numbers in the books read all right, why bother. If there is some known issues which could be a fundamental design flaw, why bother to get it fixed once a for all for in the next generation. The movement might not be popular enough and need... 

Added value and true luxury

 
 By: spinoza : March 3rd, 2017-01:51
Dear Dean, Thank you for reminding me what a great manufacture JLC truly is. This is my first post in quite some time. I had become disenchanted with JLC as a brand and the entire luxury watch industry at large. Living in Hong Kong has provided me with th... 

Thanks for your comments, Andreas (my birth-name and the name of my son)..

 
 By: watchme : March 3rd, 2017-07:06
I just hope Georges is listening (reading) and others at MJLC. -Dean