Hodinkee Radio

This week on The Business of Watches, we get to the heart of what makes a mechanical or quartz-powered watch tick. Jean-Claude Eggen is the Chief Executive Officer of La Joux-Perret, a Swiss movement manufacturer that's on the rise as it competes with rivals, including Sellita, as a supplier to brands ranging from mainstream mass market players such as TAG Heuer to upstart micro-brands, including Kollokium.  Eggen doesn't pull punches when discussing what's driving growth at LJP as he talks prices, movement development, and technology, and how to keep clients coming back. LJP has experienced massive increases in volumes and production under his leadership since 2020. From fewer than 10,000 movements annually less than a decade ago, LJP is now producing about 200,000 watch movements a year. He tells us how they got here and where they might go next, with new products boasting greater precision and smaller movements in both quartz and mechanical.  But first, a good news initiative about a new non-profit organiz