Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO weighs up management buyout

Jaeger-LeCoultre is rumoured to be negotiating a buy-out from Richemont, led by CEO Jérôme Lambert.

According to Miss Tweed and its sources close to the negotiation, Lambert is looking to use his own own funds, along with backing from private investors.

It claims that the deal would value the brand at more than CHF 1 billion.

If a deal does materialise, it will be the second in a short space of time after the news that Baume & Mercier had been sold to Damiani Group.

Rumours have circulated for some time regarding the attitude of Richemont towards some of its lesser performing assets and divisions.

Although sales growth for watches was up 7% in the final quarter of the 2025 calendar year, jewellery sales growth in the same period was 14%, advancing the wtheory from some quarters that Richemont sees the jewellery division (led by Cartier) as being the horse it needs to back. 

In a recent Morgan Stanley report, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 2024 turnover was estimated at CHF 524 million.

The Miss Tweed report said that more details would follow on Sunday.