Watches & Wonders 2026: Interview With Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert

You have described your return to Jaeger-LeCoultre as “a dream come true twice over”.

It wasn’t until my second term that I truly realised what a dream job it is to be CEO at Jaeger-LeCoultre. The first time round, you focus on doing your job to the best of your ability. It’s only with a bit of hindsight that you realise the extraordinary responsibility and privilege that come with it.

I like to compare it to the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. There are many excellent orchestras – but the opportunity to conduct one of the best in the world usually comes only once in a lifetime. I was lucky enough to have that opportunity a second time at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

You’ve moved back to the manufacture from the group management team. What is it about this role that particularly appeals to you?

After seven years at corporate level, the time was right for me to get closer to the product and the creative side of things again. Over the past few years, there was something new to discover every day, which motivated me to always give my best and keep learning. I now bring this experience to bear in my work at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The key is to keep setting yourself new challenges – situations in which you have to redefine yourself and prove your worth. This is the only way to realise your full potential in the long term.

Running a manufacture such as Jaeger-LeCoultre is an exceptionally multifaceted task. Just think of our workshops, where nearly 240 different crafts are practised. It is a multidimensional undertaking in every sense of the word.

It is about combining creativity with technical excellence, but also about emotion and engaging with extraordinary individuals. All of this enriches my journey in the world of watchmaking. At the same time, this diversity must always be balanced against economic and technological requirements.

As CEO, you develop and orchestrate a strategy that brings all these aspects together and translates them into measurable results. That is what makes the role so challenging – and, at the same time, so fascinating. And, as I said, it is a privilege.

What is your vision for Jaeger-LeCoultre?

Our ambition is to be THE watchmaker among watchmakers – in a sense, the benchmark for the industry. I see Jaeger-LeCoultre as the embodiment of the highest form of watchmaking, as the benchmark of Haute Horlogerie. This ultimate goal drives me every day.

Even after 193 years, our development is far from complete. Excellence is not a static state, but an ongoing process. It is precisely this pursuit that is reflected in our products.

What role do icons play in your brand strategy?

A maison such as Jaeger-LeCoultre is defined by iconic models such as the Reverso. At the same time, our round watches also embody our identity: classic watchmaking, technical precision and timeless elegance.

A good example is the Master Control, which we launched in 1992. It has been continuously refined ever since – remaining true to its core principles whilst remaining open to innovation. Each new generation stays true to its original concept whilst evolving both technically and aesthetically. This is how an iconic range is created.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has many key themes: the iconic Reverso, highly complicated watches, the Métiers Rares … How do you communicate all these themes to new audiences? After all, it takes a little time to truly understand a brand like Jaeger-LeCoultre.

You raise an important point. And part of the answer is already contained in your question. A brand like Jaeger-LeCoultre isn’t immediately obvious. It takes time and consistency in communication. You have to keep telling your story and expressing it in new ways.

The Reverso, for example, has been around for over 90 years – and yet we regularly bring it back into the spotlight. In this way, we raise its profile and deepen people’s understanding of its significance.

The situation is similar with the much younger Master Control, which is setting new trends today – for example, with its integrated bracelet. Such innovations always have a positive impact on the entire Maison.

Both collections serve as ambassadors for our expertise. I am convinced that this message is understood by watch enthusiasts around the world.

How are you dealing with changing global demand? On the one hand, there is declining demand in China, and on the other, a growing appetite for ‘quiet luxury’ in the US and Europe.

That’s a very interesting point. When we talk about ‘quiet luxury’, we’re always referring to an appreciation of intrinsic values – in other words, the substance of a product. That perfectly captures our DNA and what our customers around the world expect from us and receive.

Of course, we also keep a very close eye on geographical shifts in demand. But we are a global brand with a worldwide presence. And we are seeing an equally positive response to our philosophy and our products in new markets as well.

What role do minute repeaters and sonnerie watches play in the history and current collection of Jaeger-LeCoultre?

Minute repeater and sonnerie watches play a very significant role in our collection. Over the course of our history, we have created over 200 of these musical timepieces – and, incidentally, around 1,400 calibres. Those are truly impressive figures.

When it comes to complications, Grande Sonnerie watches are among the most complex designs. They require numerous components to work together seamlessly. We have continuously refined this expertise over more than a century.

The sound of minute repeaters and sonnerie watches is something deeply personal and emotional. And it is one of the few complications where the wearer can immediately appreciate the level of excellence. When it comes to timekeeping accuracy, however, one needs measuring instruments to detect even the slightest deviations.

The sound of a minute repeater or a sonnerie – which, at its best, is truly exquisite – is an immediate experience. And that is precisely why these watches must not only be technically perfect, but also musically compelling and capable of evoking emotion.

How important are Métiers Rares timepieces to the Maison today – in a world where so much can be mass-produced?

What makes the Métiers Rares so special is that these artisanal disciplines are mastered to a high standard by only a very small number of specialists. They preserve the cultural dimension of watchmaking and carry it forward. They demonstrate what watchmaking stood for in the past, what it stands for today, and what it will stand for in the future – and what Jaeger-LeCoultre stands for.

In haute horlogerie in particular, manual work remains irreplaceable in many areas, not just when it comes to the decorative craftsmanship on watches. Take one of our Grande Sonnerie watches, for example: it consists of over 1,000 components. Getting them to work together perfectly cannot be automated. A watchmaker can spend up to a year working on a timepiece of this kind.

Building a machine that could even come close to performing such tasks would be technically very challenging and would take a great deal of time. Ultimately, the effort involved would not make economic sense either.

Even in large manufacturers such as ours, there are very few watchmakers and specialists who have truly mastered specific complications and artisanal disciplines. Yet this combination of technical expertise, experience and artisanal precision cannot be replaced by machines, and it is what ensures the exclusivity and emotional appeal of our watches.

What’s the story behind the incredibly complicated Hybris Inventiva series?

It embodies our commitment to innovation. Under this line, we bring together developments based on long-term research. Every year, we unveil something new. It can take five, ten or even fifteen years before we launch a particular watch or technology.

A Hybris Inventiva project is only brought to fruition once development has progressed sufficiently and it has evolved beyond the concept stage. In other words, Hybris Inventiva stands not only for technical excellence, but also for innovations with long-term potential – technologies that can later be incorporated into our collections.

If you could choose just one watch that embodies your personal philosophy of watchmaking – would it be a classic Reverso or a highly complicated timepiece?

That’s a very good question. I’m fortunate enough to be able to wear many different watches on different occasions. This year, I’m sure I’ll be wearing the new Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar in steel very often.

I travel a great deal, and this timepiece combines technical sophistication with practical functionality. At the same time, it embodies the exceptional skill of our staff and the nearly two-hundred-year history of our Maison.

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