Christian Lattmann

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Christian Lattmann - Jaquet Droz
2 minutes read
Interview with CEO of Jaquet Droz, Christian Lattmann*.

Who’s Who - Christian Lattmann, CEO of Jaquet Droz

We met at the start of 2020, when Christian Lattmann had just turned 50, his piercing blue gaze as it ever was: honest, straightforward, and kind. His career is an immense tribute to his ability to get people working together. Christian Lattmann has put his diplomatic flair to good use in several firms, including Longines, Omega, and Breguet. His way in was usually the same – product manager.

Christian Lattmann

“Looking back, I’ve always loved the passion and history surrounding watches,” he says. There have been some decisive encounters along the way, too. As Longines CEO Walter von Känel, puts it, “He knew everybody personally; he’s an incredible leader.” Then he was headhunted by another brand: Omega. “I used to go past them every day on my way to school,” recalls Lattmann, born and bred in Bienne.

At Omega, he experienced all the energy of a brand vibrant with renewal. Then one day he was introduced to N.G. Hayek. Noting Lattmann’s close affinity with the product itself, Hayek enlisted him in a top management position for a brand that had just become part of the Swatch Group: Breguet, where Lattmann’s personal leadership was to be a renowned success. As Breguet’s product manager and later, its Vice President, Christian Lattmann gained intimate knowledge of the brand’s distinctive fine watchmaking and craftsmanship – and above all, exuded the charisma and energy of an outstanding boss.

Christian Lattmann

From 2009 onwards, Lattmann divided his time between Breguet and Jaquet Droz. In 2016, Marc Hayek invited him to take over as head of Jaquet Droz full time. Christian Lattmann agreed: “I enjoy a challenge, and I was keen to get back to being more hands-on with the product and sharing my passion.” Together with Marc Hayek and his staff, he brought the brand back to its core values and the genius of its founder, developed its landmark Grande Seconde collection, created its first wrist automatons, introduced its Ateliers d’Art pieces, enlisted new talents, and worked with the very best retailers and suppliers.

N. G. Hayek would often say to him: “You’ll come to see that we’re on a unique adventure here.” Those words have stuck with Christian Lattmann as he continues to write his own adventure at the helm of a firm which, in the illustrious history of watchmaking, is already building a legacy of its own.

* On the occasion of GMT Magazine’s 20th anniversary (and WorldTempus’s upcoming 20th anniversary in 2021), we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with delivery aimed just in time for the holiday season.  Use the code WT2020 at checkout get 10% off your first order!

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