jh8cw
200
It'd be interesting to see what the next CEO brings.
Jun 16, 2018,10:39 AM
Because watches are no longer necessary like cars, ie. we have other ways to tell time accurately via cell phones; this puts a great deal of pressure on watch companies to offer something other than technical prowess either via finishing, unique, dials, or some sort of artisan touch. In this endeavor there are trade-offs companies must make in regards to their short-term or long-term future; when the sole interest is profit and jobs depend on profit today and not in the next 5 years, then the watch company will have to act favoring the short term goals. The same is the underlying basis for the current trends in governments, research, etc.
I fear this is hard for any watchmaking company to focus on long-term goals when they are heavily influenced by an umbrella luxury company (motivated by short-term profit), and that is what we all fear as fans of companies like JLC, the maker of "watchmaker's watches". I suspect (although far from certain) this is similar to one of the reasons why collectors are hesitant to consider A. Lange watches after being bought out by Richemont (despite tremendous volume of journalism reporting to the company's independence). Jerome Lambert's move to Montblanc within Richemont also seems to add to the perception that JLC is merely a cog in the industrial machine that is Richemont. I also had similar sentiments as VC flashed entry level Traditionelle watches in SIHH 2018 that resemble JLC watches.
In other words, how can watch companies under the Richemont (or Swatch) umbrella emphasize long-term goals rather than short term goals and compete with the likes of Patek / Rolex that operate independently. Richemont seems to have made some splashes this year attempting to control distribution of watches. It remains to be seen what they do to production and where they invest their money.