MTF[PuristS]
13383
Some parallel JLC history
Mar 19, 2013,21:02 PM
FrX,
The Piaget boffins are searching their archives so we don't know the answer yet.
In my research, I found some history of JLC (Jaeger leCoultre) that surprised me.
JLC, a so-called "true manufacture", used A.Schild movements for a short
time in 1970s.
Jaeger LeCoultre produce "affordable" watches in the 1970's, at a time when the luxury Swiss watch industry was facing extinction from quartz watches. Jaeger leCoultre tried to offer a lower-end range of watches using outsourced movements. This is something they had not done in the past, and have not done again since. These were called the "club" line with A.Schild movements.
Did Piaget find itself in the same situation?
It would be illogical because Piaget used two different strategies during that period:
1) Piaget was at the forefront of electronic timekeeping, first with 'tuning fork' technology and then with quartz oscillators (Beta 21 project). Piaget embraced quartz and really expanded their products for the jet-set with Piaget Polo that could be adjusted across time zones by a twist of a crown.
2) Piaget already had an affordable line of watches under their Baume & Mercier brand that they had acquired.
This investigation is getting interesting.
Regards,
MTF