Nobody actually needs a watch, says Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO

Bani McSpeddenWatch editor

And so the lofty come down to earth. From May 10 to 19 the venerable Jaeger-LeCoultre, famed for its mechanical movements and two-sided Reverso watch, plans on tapping the wider audience that throng Sydney’s Martin Place every day.

The idea is to acquaint visitors with the brand’s 150 years of creativity and expertise, the temporary structure arranged to offer an ‘immersive and hands-on’ experience with videos, displays and demonstrations with an inviting finale: a hit of coffee and Swiss chocolate in a dedicated 1931 Café pop-up, that being the year the Reverso debuted.

Speaking from Switzerland, Jaeger chief executive Catherine Rénier tells Life & Leisure its ambition is to embrace the public at large – not just collectors – in a world where the watch is not necessary. “Nobody needs a watch, so we need to explain what we do and where we come from, why watchmaking was so important in the last century. It has given birth to so much craftsmanship and there’s a lot to dig into beyond the technical aspect.”

Renier sees the pop-up as an extension of the brand’s boutique (a mere stone’s throw away in King Street) but with a more involving dimension and an array of heritage pieces and watchmaking classes on a scale not possible in the boutique. “It will cover all the collection and history of JLC and a wider audience – that’s the important part.”

As to whether sales are the ultimate aim, Renier says the pop-up is not a “selling event”. Rather it “brings awareness about watchmaking, understanding what they’re about beyond the usefulness of their function”. While creating a bond with the object itself, she stresses it’s more about what watchmaking is today and what Jaeger-LeCoultre brings to the equation.

Watchmaking today is, in fact, under some pressure after the surprisingly strong COVID-19 lockdown years. Swiss watch exports, considered a barometer, fell 16 per cent in March, a dismal figure. But Renier doesn’t buy into a “tough times” scenario.

“It’s not tough, it’s different ... It’s a new era after a few years of a lot of changes. We continue our journey – stronger than we’ve ever been, I believe.”

She puts this surprisingly confident position down to “creativity and innovation” while noting the changing role a watch plays.