I am Daniel Riedo, CEO of Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre -- AMA

Hi Daniel, I am an AWCI Certified watchmaker in California. Why does your brand restrict access to spare parts, preventing us from servicing your watches?

We want to be your partner, acting as your voice, serving your clients in their neighborhoods. Please explain why qualified, certified independent workshops cannot get spare parts? Thanks!

Servicing our watches is a craft… it takes lengthy training. We would be glad to train your teams!

What is it like to have the pressure of a several hundred year old brand and the responsibility to shape it in years to come? How do you approach this, and what do you hope to achieve?

The legacy and patrimony of the brand is a great concern for me. But before that, the people composing the Manufacture is really important. Preserving the transmission of the know-how is my top priority.

What is your favorite watch?

My favorite watch is the Reverso Tribute Duoface, timeless design and very useful with the two time zones. Luckily I have it here as well : http://imgur.com/a/ooVFb

How does a CEO of a luxury watch company spend the day at work?

Traveling or hosting meetings

What do you wear on your wrist?

I am wearing the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 equipped with the caliber Jaeger-LeCoultre 176. Here is my wristshot : http://imgur.com/a/kI2Yo

Are you sure you have time for this?

Luxury is all about having time!

What is Jaeger's innovation you're most proud of?

The timelapse reduction of the Hybris Mechanica Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon, the thinnest minute repeater wristwatch in production and it also incorporates a flying tourbillon. We have integrated a silent-timelapse reduction feature into the strike train. This eliminates the suspenseful pause between the chiming of the hours and minutes when there are no quarters to be struck — that is, between the first and 14th minute of each hour.

Were you a watch enthusiast before you started working at your company?

Yes I was! My first watch was a Longines Conquest I got when I was 18 years old. It had an octogonal shape, I already liked watches that weren’t round!

Aside from JLC pieces, what else do you have in your collection?

I own Rolex, Tudor, Panerai and Lange

With Jaeger-LeCoultre's great selection of luxury watches, I think it would be fair to assume that your target demographic skews a bit older. My question is: what do you believe is the best way to reach a younger demographic and convince them that your watches are a great investment?

Thank you very much for your time! The Reverso is honestly one of the most beautiful watches I've seen.

Thank you for your kind words on the Reverso.

Regarding younger people, it is important of showing openness like engaging here with an AMA.

Hi Daniel. I currently own two Jaegers, RG Reverso Duo and MC Date, and JLC is one of my favorite brands. However, I've heard some horror stories about JLC servicing/quality control. Is there anything that you are doing to try to improve the company in those categories? Also, will the NYC boutique be taking any steps to enhance security following the recent robbery? Last question is, I have a LeCoultre women's watch from ~1958, but I was told by customer service that minimum costs to service it is around $2k. The watch is worth nowhere near that, so do you have any suggestions?

Come hang out with us at /r/watches!

P.S. I love receiving gifts in the mail. You should send me more free things :)

Edit: Can you please tell me the correct way to pronounce the Jaeger-LeCoultre? Do I spy a Duomètre on your wrist?

Regarding the New York event, this is a very unfortunate event, we know it can happen to us. We are trying to support our team the best to take them through this bad time.

Dear Ramones, coming from another group, which I am sure you know, you must guess that After Sales & quality improvement is among my biggest priorities. I am happy to hear that you did not have any problem with your Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Hello Mr. Riedo, and thank you for taking the time to do this AMA!

As a designer, I've always considered Jaeger-LeCoultre to be timeless. What do recent collaborations with contemporary designers like Christian Louboutin or Marc Newson say about the direction that Jaegar-LeCoultre is moving in?

I will be graduating with a degree in industrial design next year. What advice would you give someone who's trying to get into the luxury goods industry, specifically in product design?

Once again, thank you for your time!

Creative partnerships are only pop up stories – our wristwatches are 100% designed, developed and produced in-house. Best of luck for your new career. Have fun and stay an independent mind.

Dear Mr Riedo,

Is JaegerLecoultre facing the same problems as all the other same level watch companies around the world finding professional restoration watchmakers who are capable of doing a proper repairs and producing new parts for vintage timepieces? And i know this should be answered by someone in HR but what Swiss companies benefit from only hiring french speaking watchmakers and then complaining about the situation that qualified workforce is not available and service times for simple vintage timepieces can be even 2 years.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has been restoring watches for 40 years – after next SIHH we will open the doors to our lucky visitors of our restauration workshop. Watchmakers are more famous for their crafts than their mother tongue…

Second question: date or no-date?

It all depends of the watch!

So, what TV shows do you... watch?

Downtown Abbey

Are you a scientist watchmaker initially?

I studied micromechanics and law

Hello Mr. Riedo, thank you for taking the time. I love JLC and especially the MUT 38 which is imo the greatest watch in terms of value for money ever created, but my question for you is:

If you had to buy one watch other than JLC, what would it be?

As I've said above, the Lange 1 would be a good choice

What was the reasoning behind featuring the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual in Doctor Strange? Did Marvel come to JLC to request to use it, or did JLC go to Marvel with the idea first? I was glad to see a high end, somewhat niche brand featured so well in the movie.

There are some placements we can pay for. This one was actually a beautiful surprise

Working in the auto industry the question most burning on my mind is what sort of vehicle you drive?

Professional : Mercedes, private : Porsche

What's your guilty pleasure in the watch world?

Asking myself what time it is and looking at my wrist! http://imgur.com/a/kI2Yo

Can I come be work in your marketing dept?! I've got the chops

Here is our career page : http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/our-maison/careers.html

What's your favourite non-JLC watch?

Maybe Lange

What's your favorite watch in your collection?

I've answered that above, it is the Reverso Tribute Duoface, that one : http://imgur.com/a/ooVFb

Will there ever be a re-release of the Geophysic 1958?

Unfortunately they won't be one. But who know what we'll do in 2058!

Thanks for taking the time to do an AMA. I love JLC. Just followed your 'Master-class' in Brussels, Belgium, however it was far below my level. I just have this question for you: As a young watchmaker, I would like to grow my skill further, yet I can not do it on my own. I can do simple chronographs, date mechanism and automatics already.

What should or could be a good place to start?

Very few brands offer the ability of learning watchmaking from the entry level watches to high complications, this is why I think Jaeger-LeCoultre is a great place to start. Best of luck with your career.

JLC is renowned for its enameling. Is there any chance more simple enameling will find its way into the more affordable timepieces such as the master ultra thin collection?

There is the Master Ultra Thin 1907 Grand Feu with some great enameling skills. You can find it here : http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/watches/master/master-ultra-thin-1907/12935E1.html

When will JLC manufacture a line of sports watches akin to their discontinued Master Compressor Diving series?

2018 possibly

Why should I chose a Master Reserve de Marche above an IWC Portuguese Hand Wound?

For the Manufacture movement that makes the watch unique from a design perspective

Hi actually have 3 questions. 1. Why does jlc use golden moons on stainless steel watches. 2. How come the master annual calendar doesn't have minute markers. 3. Why does the date on the master chronograph sit in between the 4-5 hour markers? Would love to know.

1. This is part of watchmaking tradition. 2. In order not to mix up with the "minuterie" of the date. 3. In order not to interrupt one of the three counters.

Have you had an inspirations from independent watch makers? Innovations or design choices?

Greubel Forsey certainly

What's your favorite piece in your collection that is not a JLC?

A Lange watch

Does Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre perform market data analysis on it's clientele (such as average household income, brand preferences, etc)?

Every brand is doing market research as in any marketing department

Can you gift me a watch?

Ok.. seriously. Which watches apart from JLC-ones do you admire/respect the most? Do you have a personal 'grail' watch you long for?

The Lange 1 is a very nice piece

As a young adult, it seems like it'll be forever (or maybe never) until I can budget enough money to justify buying a truly high end timepiece these days. I look back at how our grandparents used to be able to buy watches for much cheaper (both relatively and absolutely) and really envy them. Do you think these prices today are justified? Do you think they could possibly hurt the industry by deterring an entire generation from experiencing them? Thank you and love the Reverso!

The investment made in R&D, the hours of our craftsmen and the exclusive designs explains the prices.

Curious about how much the R&D inside the Richmont lux brands work together? Clearly the brands own overall design, but regarding movements do Lange, IWC, VC and JLC share research costs? I think the perp cal plate in my JLC ultra thin PC is originally the IWC Kurt Klaus design. Is that incorrect? Thx!

Your are right but this was way long before Richemont… Besides fundamental research (for example lubricants) we develop our own calibres and complications

Was the namedrop in Bad Teacher product placement marketing, or was it just a nice surprise?

It was a surprise

we have seen in the past few years slower introduction of new calibers, vs the past, any reason? Doesn't it go against the innovation claim of your brand?

I'm not sure we can say that as we introduced at least 8 new calibers last year and will continue releasing calibers this year

Hi Daniel,

the Swiss watch industry has seen revenues fall throughout 2016. I have 2 questions:

1. Do you think this is the start of a prolonged dip like the quartz crisis in the 70s, or is it just temporary?

2. What is JLC doing to differentiate itself from its competitors? Are there any smart watches in the pipeline?

Thanks for your time.

Let’s hope not !!

Our differentiation is : Trust, authenticity & sharing – based on 100% in-house design & watchmaking…

Mr Riedo, What is Jaeger-LeCoultre's digital strategy and would you consider selling online? Greetings from Germany!

This is already the case in Europe (including Germany!), US and Japan. China will be the next location available for ecommerce.

Hi My Riedo,

The Reverso is my absolute favourite watch; I hope to purchase on someday soon. My questions for you are: Would Jaeger-LeCoultre make a meteorite dial Reverso? Was the appearance of your brand in Marvel's Dr. Strange a marketing decision from your company, or was that a stylistic choice made by creative team?

Thank you.

We already have a meteorite dial Reverso available in the Atelier Reverso. Dr. Strange's appearance was a surprise as said above

What do you think the next big leap is in watch fashion?

I think, that "Subdued" smart watches would/will be a big hit. A normal looking watch that can vibrate slightly with an alarm/text/ etc. You could talk into it to send a message "Ok google/siri send a message/where is/etc etc" and have it transmit to your phone/car/etc

Maybe even programmables? plug your watch into your pc with a micro usb port and map two buttons on your watch to Start your car or unlock your smart door.

I feel like the current smart watches aren't in line with executive dress codes but that the capability is a big step up from what your standard watch can offer

Finding innovation in the materials we are using, the way we measure time in order to increase the accuracy of our timepieces but also their longetivity. This is what we have been doing for example with the gyrolab which equips all of our Geophysic new line. Our dream is for them to still run in a hundred years which is something a smartwatch will never be able to achieve