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Jaeger-LeCoultre

Could be good news...

 

Having already climbed to the top of the Richemont ladder, I'm hoping Mr. Lambert's is returning to JLC with passion and an intent to stick around for the long term.

From my outside perspective, Jerome the Group CEO did no favours for the brand where he realized his meteoric rise. There did not appear to be a lot of advancement in the movements after Mr. Lambert departed for Montblanc, especially at the more affordable end of the market. The occasional small movement in an oversized watch can be charming, but it is a reputational hit to the brand when it becomes the norm. A company known for its strong movement development stopped doing just that, instead following the best practice of the corporate luxury manual by raising prices and moving its entry products upmarket.
 
Labeling an 8 mm thick running small seconds dress watch as ultra-thin suggests a brand that has collective amnesia of its watchmaking capabilities. Easy profits are seldom long lasting.

This is the environment that Jerome Lambert is returning to. The meat and potatoes lines are need to up their game in the face of advanced competition. We will get a chance to see whether Catherine Renier set up Mr. Lambert for a potential headwind. My eyes will be on the entry level products released, hopefully not an integrated bracelet watch that is five years too late.

The halo products have been consistently interesting, but JLC is currently a brand that needs to sell higher volume lines. Those are the products that must be compelling. I'm cautiously optimistic for Mr. Lambert's second tenure.

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