Jérôme Lambert is one year back as chief executive officer of Jaeger-LeCoultre. If you ask him how the brand is doing? Well, it’s complicated. Literally.

“The client has become even more discerning,” Lambert said in an interview during a recent trip to New York, emphasizing the new curiosities around craftsmanship and understanding of cutting-edge complications. “When I see what watchmaking was 20 years ago, and what it is today — it’s elevated itself to a level of sophistication and understanding that I would have never thought possible.”

That’s where he sees the opportunity, both in the U.S. and more broadly, for the 192-year-old, Richemont-owned watchmaker. Enter the suite of Reversos that debuted at this year’s Watches & Wonders, and more recently, the launches of Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 and Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945.

“The expectation for the client here in America is more precise, more elevated, more radical — like what you would see in London or Milan,” Lambert said. “I’m more willing to explain not only the manufacturing but the ateliers. We have a house where we produce, but we have 48 ateliers within the maison. They all have their specificities, they all have small units, and you have one or two people mastering every technique.”

It’s the most intricate iterations that he’s focused on. “We get deposits for the Grand Complication [watches], and this is through the digital way,” he said. “It’s not totally irrational. Today, we launch the 945, and social media will speak on that before you ever see the watch in a shop or exhibition. Within two weeks, you may have deposited for a watch over 500,000 euros, which is showing that the client knows what these are about.”

That client, Lambert said, is increasingly female, dovetailing with the appetite for fine jewelry. According to Richemont’s financial results for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, sales for the jewelry maisons swelled 11 percent to 3.9 billion euros. The specialist watchmakers division sales dipped 7 percent to 0.8 billion euros, given soft demand in various markets in Asia, though sales in the Americas grew double-digits. 

That, however, is a narrowing of declines from the previous year period. For the same quarter in 2024, year-over-year declines amounted to 13 percent.

“If you have a choice between a bag at 8,000 euros and a watch at 8,000 euros, during the last 12 to 18 months, you see a preference for the watch,” Lambert said. “It’s a strong move. During this time, there is always eagerness to capture reinsurance and value iconic products, which offer you insurance of value. Whether it’s an iconic model or made out of precious metals and stones, it’s obvious that it keeps its value in a strong way.”

Smaller watches are trending, which is also benefiting the Reverso business. “We see, as well, a shift of new collectors — younger, absorbing more content and experiences, but also quite knowledgeable on more and more things. Many are starting watch clubs,” Lambert said. “They want to know more, they want to see what’s behind the mirror.”

Having been in the same location for the brand’s nearly two-centuries-long history is another differentiator. “It means we have all our archive, it means we have a collection of watches and watchmaking objects over 6,000 units, and we keep applying that,” he said. “It’s an immense wealth when it comes to creation.”

Lambert believes that, despite the brand’s multifaceted history, Reverso is among its most important platforms. “Watchmaking is very visible, and also very pretty. It’s always very important to be focused on one thing,” he said, nodding to Watches & Wonders. “We have Reverso, which is core for the maison. All of what we presented was around Reverso, different dimensions of it, technical complications, celebrations of 100 years, etc. Now, we reveal other products.”

He noted changes in the markets in the U.S. — ”You have Californians in Texas now, Texans in New York,” for example — a pandemic-era shift in clientele that’s stuck. “But last week, I was in Doha and Dubai. All of these cities have their very own dynamic, have their own characteristic, and there is a localized touch and approach. But there’s still a lot in common.”

Establishing the brand’s DNA in the consumer psyche is his top priority. “Watchmaking, for the rest of the world, is so complicated,” he said. “But it’s something we see a lot of resonance with: explaining how Jaeger-LeCoultre has shaped watchmaking for 190 years, taking the time for those who are interested in the maison, taking them to the 48 ateliers to discover the magic element; 192 years is not static. It’s something that you build every single day.”