watchme
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From my perspective...
having been around the brand for 31 years, it takes real vision and emotional attachment to sell a brand with passion.
Jerome Lambert, who started with JLC in '96 and then was thrust into the driver's seat when (1) Gunther Blumlein passed and (2) JLC had recently been purchased by Richemont for the highest price for any watch brand to date, drove the brand tirelessly and with passion for a decade. During that time, the Compressors (PLEASE, JR, update and re-release this family!), the 8-day Reversos, the AmVox series were all released and the brand became many of my friends' "favorite brand." But the 3 successive CEOs didn't have their heads or hearts in the game. They were just "doing time" at JLC.
My hope is that Jerome will wisely expand the brand's appeal again, but also give us a reason to pay the higher prices (better movement finishing) that true watchanistas appreciate.
Time will tell. Lord knows, almost no other brand has the DNA and pedigree of JLC. Even Thierry Stern in 2015 when asked who he thought the "next best brand was" replied, "The ONLY brand like us, is Jaeger-LeCoultre." I believe Thierry has a deep respect for the brand. But JLC has not had the hype that Patek, AP and others have received from the Hip-Hop & Rap artists - and this may be a good thing. But at the end of the day, for many people, they aren't going to spend their hard-earned dollars on something with no "bragging rights," even if they are as great as JLC really is.
Just my 2 cents.
-Dean
The Jeager-Lecoultre Problem - Have you watched it?
Hello all, Not particularly fan of the slightly-too-energetic-and-too-superficial-for-my-taste presenter, but this video turned up on my youtube app (I guess I watch slightly too many videos on JLC www.youtube.com I watched it and thought she was ...
Ok, so they're cheaper to buy used and the marketing hype machine has failed...?
Most of that works out just fine for me. Buy them depreciated 12-24 months later and focus on older models if you don't like the current offerings. As for "brand equity" or marketing concerns, most collectors don't need to worry about that. It's Richemont...
I see this point. A Master Minute Repeater for $45k, lots of folks loving seeing that.
There are opportunities to be had if one likes the brand.
Hi, E.
The reasons why I'm personally not as attracted to JLC as I would like to be are quite different from the ones mentioned by Britt Pearce: the lack of 'Rolex-like' entry-level models, the very dull appearance of the ads, the lack of partnership with famous...
The "JLC Problem" - A little hard to listen but worth a go.
E., you bring up an interesting discussion about JLC's current struggles and potential ways forward. The video’s four main points—lack of an accessible GADA model, pricing issues, brand recognition challenges, and identity concerns—are well-articulated, a...
I know what you mean.
I've been recording watch videos on YouTube for ten years going on eleven, and I've probably spent ten minutes going on eleven listening to YT wristwatch channels. Most are an ear sore - for too many reasons to list. Best, Tim
So you have spent 10 to 11 minutes
And that was enough to conclude that *most* are an ear sore for too many reasons to list? I like your stuff, I watch a fair number of your live shows but this sounds a tad, how shall one say, conceited? In life, not just in the watch world, it is good to ...
I second this:
“ JLC could launch a new all-purpose, under-10K steel sports watch with 100m WR, a slim case, and classic styling—perhaps inspired by vintage Polaris/Geophysic models”
It's very interesting to read the insight of someone who knows the brand much better than I do.
And what a beautiful GM Réveil! I like the Amvox too, but that Réveil steels my heart...
With all the credit in the world to Miss Pearce...
Miss Pearce is a new person in an old game. And I don't think she's fully understood the marketplace despite her number of views and rising status as an influencer would suggest. She offers no catharsis nor any revelation here in this video. Perhaps she's...
Oh, he knows.
He's all about playing JLC's strengths. And he did that fairly quite well. The problem is that it's hard to market your strengths. And the brand has been pushed so upmarket that we're in a space where they're in the right price zone, but at a zone where t...
True... was just at another Richemont brand Boutique several weeks ago to have a bracelet resized. The salespeople butchered the screws, weren't able to remove any links, and ultimately after calling the Beverly Hills Boutique...
....told me to just go to a local watchmaker (which I did and had the job done satisfactorily in a matter of minutes). I'm not sure if many of these salespeople really know what they're doing, unfortunately.
I can tell you that salespeople receive some training before they're put on the floor. But I can't say they retain a lot of it.
The salespeople sit through an online training that tells them the product lines, the history, and some basics about the brand, they do this at the same time they do their online sexual harassment training (sorry for the crude statement, this isn't suppos...
I very much agree with your analysis.
I know too little about JLC, but what you write seems to me to be very relevant.
I probably should've just focused on the last few sentences.
JLC isn't priced low enough to be a bargain and the standard product isn't good enough to be among "the best" products. Which puts it in a middling territory. A no man's land. And thus, only watch lovers really understand and appreciate the brand!
Some of the perceived issues are attractive to me.
I like that JLC is an enthusiast brand. Models like the Amvox 7, True Second, and Extreme LAB2 bring unique designs and complications at comparatively attainable prices. I would like to see an Extreme Lab 3 developed that brings the look and tech of the E...
EVERY single watch JLC creates should be available with metal bracelet
That alone will help increase market interest
True, it’s all a matter of perspective
It’s probably a good thing “influencers” don’t understand or appreciate JLC
From my perspective...
having been around the brand for 31 years, it takes real vision and emotional attachment to sell a brand with passion. Jerome Lambert, who started with JLC in '96 and then was thrust into the driver's seat when (1) Gunther Blumlein passed and (2) JLC had ...
Y'all are missing the point.
She's pretty and she's talking about watches. You're not supposed to be thinking this hard!