What If? JEANRICHARD

Would you buy this watch?  I know I sure would, and for approximately 21 months, most of the watch world would have too.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

My personal obsession with both Girard-Perregaux and in this particular case, JEANRICHARD, borders on the unhealthy.  In 2013 JEANRICHARD reemerged from a long, somewhat drunken slumber, born again in the form of a modular casing system that not only allowed for a consistent look across three different families (Terrascope, Aquascope and Aeroscope), it also allowed for easier production and manufacture owing to a standard "chassis".

I was excited.  Hell, most of the watch world was excited.  The timing of the release was, seemingly, cursed as Tudor returned to the US market the very same year.  But curious to relate?  JEAN RICHARD had a very successful debut as GP had decided to come back to BaselWorld, and that first year they enjoyed a fair bit of success.  But post BaselWorld, their marketing and PR folks (both in-house, and the US PR firm that they hired) started making some decidedly dubious choices about how to promote the brand.  They literally walked a "high wire" with Nik Wallenda, rugby players, a Master Chef winner (Luca Manfe), and then grasped for the brass ring with their partnership with Arsenal.  In a PR/publicity sense their eyes were bigger than their wallets.  What started out as a very sound, very rational product offering ran off the rails, and in less than 2 years' time, jumped the shark.  

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

I got an early peek at the new collection in January of 2013, later that year we all got to see everything at BaselWorld.  And that was a curious experience for myself and several other journalists covering the story.  In that first year, it was challenging for JEANRICHARD to get the big dogs to pay attention.  Many of the established outlets poo-poo'd them.  For myself and others covering it, we thought it was something interesting, something cool that had very real potential.  And for us it was great because we had access to review product, we got asked to lunch when the US brand manager was in town, emails actually got answered.  

And then there was a shift.  Suddenly the bigger outlets were starting to cover them, and those of us "early adopters" were, essentially, jettisoned from the press list, forced to read the news on other outlets.  But this went further.  Because what had started out as a charming campaign, referring to actual watches, then shifted to a focus on partners, co-branded watches, and the amount of SKUs multiplied at the rate of the cooties in that movie Contagion.

The inevitable happened, in order to make sales numbers, sales managers started looking the other way as the prices were slashed.  It didn't help that the shot-callers were selling directly to trans-shippers and grey market outlets.  You couldn't find a JEANRICHARD at full price, because they were all deeply discounted.  Keep in mind, this all happened in approximately a 2 year period.  From hero to zero.  Their first year back at BaselWorld, they had an equal sized hall to GP.  Year 2, that was halved.  Year 3, there was one room that looked as if the junk drawer of a watch repair shop had exploded, with a very harried PR person nearly in tears trying to present watches in a setting that was not dissimilar to a Walmart following the Thanksgiving Day sale.

Brand managers left for pastures greener, retail partners opted to cut bait, and JEANRICHARD was put into a "Sleeping Beauty", where it slumbers still.  Their last Facebook post was in February, THREE YEARS AGO, and there is no other apparent "proof of life".

But, and it's a big but -

there is one guy out there with the talent, experience, and let's just call it like it is - COMMON SENSE to bring JEANRICHARD back from its deep sleep.   The core collection of three families is good.  People wanted it, they will want it again.  But it will take someone who can park their ego at the door.  A sort of "elite commando" team of watch dogs who can roll up their sleeves, and focus on making and selling watches, not on photo opportunities, friends of the brand and velvet ropes.  It can be done, but it will take some outside of the watch-box thinking. 

Focus on watches, communicate consistently and evenly, punch your weight.

Kering, if you're reading this, I know the guy to take this on, and I won't even charge you a finder's fee.

Alas Poor JEANRICHARD, I Knew Them...

Life is full of disappointment.  A lot of missed opportunities, a lot of "What If's" and the rapid revival, ascension and now decline of JEANRICHARD should serve as a cautionary tale.

In less than 3 years (think about that pals and gals) THREE YEARS a seemingly dead brand was brought back to life with a very well-thought out and well executed plan, brought to the forefront of the watch buyer's consciousness, then sent crashing down through the squabbles, arguments and disputes within its own walls.

I remember when the new JEANRICHARD was rolled out - it was late 2012.  In early 2013 I was one of the first folks in North America to get my mitts on one at a "semi-private" viewing in Los Angeles.

What had killed JEANRICHARD in the past was too many SKUs, no clear message, and seemingly random (some might say) brain-dead partnerships.  Hundreds of JEANRICHARDs flooded both the grey market and Ebay.  What had always been considered an after-thought of a brand had pretty much run itself into the ground.

But change was about to happen.

And change came in the form of Michele Sofisti and Bruno Grande.  The concept was simple - an essentially modular watch case that could be adapted to three different collections - standard (Terrascope) diver (Aquascope) and chronograph (Aeroscope).  There was also a somewhat stand-alone collection that would house a manufacture movement while the other pieces would use "so-called" industrial movements (i.e. ETA, Sellita, etc.).

The watches were well-received.  That was the good news.  Some of the "notions" that went along with it left many of us scratching our heads -

The tag line for the brand was (and still is) - "Philosophy of Life"
Now I am not going to say that I am the world's best copywriter, but I still have NO IDEA what the f*&k that is supposed to mean.

In addition, what to many of us in the fourth and fifth estates privately voiced concerns over but publicly smiled and nodded were the very, very random and downright odd choices of "celebrity ambassadors" -

Nik Wallenda?  The JEANRICHARD Rugby Team?  And who could forget that world-famous culinary genius Luca Manfe?  Oh yeah, you're right - I never heard of him either.  But he toils away in the kitchen's of Manhattan, a true "Philosopher of Life".  

An Aresenal partnership was heralded as the tipping point that would put JEANRICHARD over the top and into the public consciousness.  The Gunners offered one big boom, and then not much else.

And then when sales stalled because budgets were once again predicated on unrealistic sales numbers which resulted in overproduction... retail partners bailed out.  A new CEO was brought in who clearly viewed JEANRICHARD as a grasping child.  JEANRICHARD staff either left or were "encouraged" to leave, and by the time BaselWorld rolled around again this year, the JEANRICHARD booth had been collapsed into the Girard-Perregaux booth and the viewing rooms looked like the aftermath of a garage sale visited by particularly aggressive bargain shoppers.  It had literally been turned "upside down".

And now, not unlike Wonka's factory - "Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out" could be applied to the feeling most of us have about JEANRICHARD.

The good news for many bargain hunters out there is that retail stores who have to "cover their nut" are slashing and burning - there are most assuredly bargains to be had - including those limited edition Arsenal watches

It didn't have to be this way.  It didn't have to (possibly) end like this

JEANRICHARD Congratulates Nik Wallenda on NASCAR walk

This just in from JEANRICHARD -

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

JEANRICHARD congratulates Nik Wallenda for making a high-wire walk at the pre-race entertainment at NASCAR’s Bank of America 500 this past Saturday at the
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

This walk pushed the limits by inviting his sister Lijana to walk on the wire with him for a spectacular and very challenging dual skywalk.  This was the second year in a row Wallenda walked in the pre-race entertainment at the Charlotte Motor Speedway following last year’s walk over the grandstand to a tower near victory lane. It is also the second time Nik has walked while wearing his JEANRICHARD Terrascope. The Charlotte Motor Speedway has a reputation for spectacular pre-race entertainment that in the past has featured battle reenactments and a three-ring circus amongst other performances. Nik Wallenda’s daring high-wire walk fit perfectly with the breathtaking performances of past pre-race events.

“I was very excited to return to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the second year in a row,” said Wallenda. “I love the challenge of raising the bar to keep the fans on the edge of their seats and it was even more special this time having my sister join me on the wire.”


“We admire Nik and his personal values and how he lives his passion and pursues his dreams. He is an extraordinary man and has accomplished wonders”, said Bruno Grande, COO of JEANRICHARD.
In the same way that Wallenda enjoys the challenge of walking on a wire, JEANRICHARD creates watches for those who enjoy authenticity. The timepieces are made for independent spirits who play by their own rules, and rather than just focusing on the destination, prefer to enjoy the road being traveled. 

Congratulations to Nik Wallenda

Well I am sure that everyone else who just sat through Nik Wallenda's latest feat of daring-do is toweling off the sweat and breathing a collective sigh of relief!

JEANRICHARD ambassador Nik Wallenda has successfully completed his high-wire walk across the Grand Canyon.

Well done!  And now we can all breath again!

Nik Wallenda is JEANRICHARD's Latest Partner

JEANRICHARD announces a new partnership with Nik Wallenda.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

Having conquered Niagara Falls, Mr. Wallenda has set his sites on the Grand Canyon later this month. 

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD



Should be exciting times ahead - stay tuned!

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

 www.jeanrichard.com