What makes a niche brand strong is precisely the cult of the niche. Jaermann & Stübi makes sophisticated timepieces for those who like something specific… and a golf caddie on their wrist.
It’s been an eternal dilemma in the watch industry: when a niche brand gains a higher profile, should it capitalize on momentum and embrace a larger share of the market with mainstream-oriented products or keep its focus on a specific demographic?
Established in 2007 by a golf aficionado and a watch expert, Jaermann & Stübi is probably the Swiss watch company most clearly oriented towards a very specific clientele and the level of success achieved to date has been enabling the brand to develop further models inspired by the sport – but while the timepieces are tailor made for the gentleman golfer, they have enough appeal to be worn by whoever wants to wear something quite different on the wrist.
Official licensee status
Nevertheless, it was its precise vocation that enticed St. Andrews. Any golf-related brand or product wants to be endorsed by St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf, where the sport has been played since the 15th century. The St. Andrews Links Trust was enthusiastic about the concept from the word go because Jaermann & Stübi is a niche brand that focuses exclusively its activities on golf and positions itself as a golf brand; working on that basis, it was easy to set up a collaborative venture that includes a specific St. Andrews Links model of which the sales partly contribute towards maintaining and preserving the historic Old Course.
The St. Andrews Links Collection reflects history and tradition, using colours such as blue and silver (the St. Andrews Cross represents Scotland) or black and gold (the colours of St. Andrews Links). Other lines for style-conscious golfers include the Stroke Play collection with a large display for the strokes per hole; the Trans Atlantic with a COSC-certified chronometer movement and a conversion table on the bezel showing the most common golfing distances in both meters and yards; the Queen of Golf feminine series with a counter for the number of strokes per hole and a totalizer for the score after a round was played; and the Royal Open Course Timer & GMT that tracks down how long a round takes. No need for a caddie!
Strategic move to Baselworld
Jaermann & Stübi has been a part of the Excellence Holding that also owns Vulcain and high-end retailer chain Les Ambassadeurs. Following the resignation of Urs Jaermann due to health issues and the appointment of chairman Renato Vanotti ad interim, the company has been headed by Daniel Wechsler since April 2013 and showcased its golfing creations on the impressive new booth shared with sister company Vulcain in Baselworld’s exclusive Hall 1.2, after several editions spent in a showroom at the adjacent Ramada hotel.
The change to a more prestigious setting allowed Jaermann & Stübi to present itself to a wider audience: “We are particularly satisfied with our new stand and the positioning at Baseworld”, explains Marc Roulin, from the media department; “it gave us a lot of visibility and allowed us to expand our international network by adding four more markets to our portfolio – Russia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico”. Annual production is 1,200 pieces, powered by Soprod movements and modules manufactured by Jaermann & Stübi.
Due to its prestige and appeal, golf has always been a favourite territory for luxury watch brands eager to sponsor the biggest competitions or the brightest stars. In addition to the high-profile endorsement by such a respected institution as St. Andrews Links, Jaermann & Stübi has also captivated legendary golfers such as the late Severiano Ballesteros, who was an ambassador for the brand, and now Sir Nick Faldo. Many of the best players of the world are indeed watch aficionados and a number of them are sponsored by luxury brands. Some have even come up with the occasional golf-pinspired timepiece, from Richard Mille’s Bubba Watson Tourbillon to TAG Heuer’s Professional Sports Watch (formerly known as Golf Watch). But Jaermann & Stübi has the whole catalogue dedicated to golfers, exclusively composed of mechanical timepieces featuring additional functions related to the sport and a special shock guard allowing them to be worn on the course by avid swingers.
The tremendous acceleration that a golf swing requires (generating forces between 20 and 40G within a millisecond) combined with the impact of the golf club on the ball and ensuing vibrations have always been a major problem for mechanical watches. The shock guard is, therefore, a main feature that gives Jaermann & Stübi’s timepieces the capacity to withstand the most strenuous challenges: a special patented absorber (named G-Shock Guard) with flexible stem was developed with the help of professional players and protects the mechanical calibre against the sudden acceleration and impact; the innovative solution allows the movement to move freely within the case and thus remain better protected.
The other main feature is a useful one for any golfer wishing to concentrate on his technique and round – founder Urs Jaermann was not quite a golf expert but instead an average player who found it difficult to keep score, hence the idea of developing a specific timepiece that, a decade later and after meeting with Pascal Stübi, would become a reality.
Making the most of “a good walk spoiled”
The device that keeps score, christened JS02, is a patented mechanism that provides Jaermann & Stübi timepieces with a counter for strokes per hole and another one to keep track of the total number of shots per round, plus a retrograde counter that displays how many holes have been played. A second pusher resets the first counter automatically and all counters can be reset when the round is finished (the reset function is simple and also prevents incorrect manipulations). It works pretty much like the start/stop mechanism on a chronograph – but counting shots instead of time lapses.
If the great American writer Mark Twain described golf as “a good walk spoiled”, it’s because he never played with a Jaermann & Stübi on his wrist…
