Daniel Riedo (2016)

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!

Are you sure you have time for this?

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?

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

What do you wear on your wrist?

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

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

What is your favorite watch?

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

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.

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?

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!

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

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?

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.

Second question: date or no-date?

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.

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

Are you a scientist watchmaker initially?

What's your favourite non-JLC watch?

What's your favorite watch in your collection?

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?

What's your guilty pleasure in the watch world?

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?

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

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

Aside from JLC, what watch brands do you enjoy seeing?

Any sneak peeks from JLC for Basel in 2017?

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?

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.

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.