My short bio: Hello Reddit! I'm Daniel Riedo, Chief Executive Officer at the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre where we've been making watches for the last 183 years. I've heard there were some watch enthusiasts here so ask me anything!

My Proof: http://imgur.com/a/QaVrx

UPDATE : Our watches are timeless, unfortunately not AMA Reddit sessions! I had a great time answering your questions, I would be happy to do another one soon.

Comments: 232 • Responses: 47  • Date: 

TimeInHands60 karma

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!

DanielRiedo22 karma

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

Fish_Supreme22 karma

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?

DanielRiedo18 karma

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.

topmemories19 karma

What is your favorite watch?

DanielRiedo27 karma

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

TheAyrax19 karma

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

DanielRiedo37 karma

Traveling or hosting meetings

jcu31118 karma

What do you wear on your wrist?

DanielRiedo77 karma

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

daveime17 karma

Are you sure you have time for this?

DanielRiedo63 karma

Luxury is all about having time!

AlphonseJr17 karma

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

DanielRiedo33 karma

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.

fakecartergtwin15 karma

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

DanielRiedo31 karma

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!

nnjawarfare14 karma

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

DanielRiedo32 karma

I own Rolex, Tudor, Panerai and Lange

morgan4314 karma

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.

DanielRiedo31 karma

Thank you for your kind words on the Reverso.

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

ramonesf211 karma

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?

DanielRiedo11 karma

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.

DanielRiedo7 karma

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.

disco_monster_11 karma

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!

DanielRiedo13 karma

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.

tuomasjo10 karma

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.

DanielRiedo2 karma

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…

wg50009 karma

Second question: date or no-date?

DanielRiedo11 karma

It all depends of the watch!

sweetcuppingcakes9 karma

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

DanielRiedo7 karma

Downtown Abbey

topmemories8 karma

Are you a scientist watchmaker initially?

DanielRiedo6 karma

I studied micromechanics and law

wg50008 karma

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?

DanielRiedo16 karma

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

therinlahhan7 karma

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.

DanielRiedo11 karma

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

THE_BARCODE_GUY6 karma

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

DanielRiedo25 karma

Professional : Mercedes, private : Porsche

tutsmabarreh5 karma

What's your guilty pleasure in the watch world?

DanielRiedo7 karma

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

medzer5 karma

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

JYJS4 karma

What's your favourite non-JLC watch?

DanielRiedo8 karma

Maybe Lange

thewatchjunkie4 karma

What's your favorite watch in your collection?

DanielRiedo5 karma

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

toilet-soup3 karma

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

DanielRiedo9 karma

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

Lievain3 karma

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?

DanielRiedo2 karma

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.

Ben8past103 karma

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?

DanielRiedo4 karma

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

takeareport3 karma

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

DanielRiedo5 karma

2018 possibly

coachly633 karma

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

DanielRiedo6 karma

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

Pemcdona3 karma

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.

DanielRiedo2 karma

  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.

joergisgodly2 karma

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

DanielRiedo2 karma

Greubel Forsey certainly

vese1 karma

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

DanielRiedo3 karma

A Lange watch

THE_BARCODE_GUY1 karma

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

DanielRiedo2 karma

Every brand is doing market research as in any marketing department

brtzygrr1 karma

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?

DanielRiedo3 karma

The Lange 1 is a very nice piece

JYJS1 karma

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!

DanielRiedo2 karma

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

mmurphy4841 karma

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!

DanielRiedo1 karma

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

jeffersonballsack1 karma

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

DanielRiedo3 karma

It was a surprise

dubailover11 karma

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?

DanielRiedo4 karma

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

aperture_aniva1 karma

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.

DanielRiedo6 karma

Let’s hope not !!

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

ChronObsession1 karma

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

DanielRiedo2 karma

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

AnnonTheMouse1 karma

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.

DanielRiedo1 karma

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

Shrimpbeedoo-1 karma

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

DanielRiedo3 karma

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