Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “LVMH Takes Stake in Swiss Watch Supplier via Jap”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
The Watches Division of LVMH has taken a minority stake (percentage not disclosed) in the capital of Swiss watch manufacturer La Joux-Perret.
The objectives of this move are to strengthen production and innovation capabilities for the watchmaking houses of the LVMH group, which is already present in Switzerland through the TAG Heuer and Zenith brands (acquired in 1999), Hublot (2008), and Bulgari Horlogerie (since 2011, via the acquisition of the Bulgari group).
These brands all have Swiss manufactures that are 100% owned by LVMH. The group has also created a watch hub in La Chaux-de-Fonds and owns sixteen industrial sites in the country.
In 2024, the LVMH group acquired L’Épée 1839 (via the relevant holding or structure) to strengthen its watchmaking division.
Signing of an Unprecedented Commercial Agreement Between Citizen and LVMH
Here, in an unprecedented move, it involves taking a stake in another watchmaking giant. La Joux-Perret is a Swiss watchmaking subcontractor, founded in 2012 and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The manufacture is owned by the Japanese group Citizen, manufacturer of high-end watches such as Citizen, Alpina, and Frédérique Constant.
The company has approximately 140 employees and benefits from a fully integrated production chain: development, production, decoration, assembly. In other words, it does not merely assemble imported parts but manufactures them.
A partnership has already existed since 2022 between TAG Heuer and La Joux-Perret, which developed a Swiss-made solar quartz movement used in the Aquaracer and TAG Heuer Formula collections. This expertise was also used to design the solar movement for the Tiffany & Co. Rope watch.
La Joux-Perret Manufacture Retains Its Commercial Independence
The minority stake acquisition is part of a long-term approach and a strategy to consolidate LVMH's Swiss industrial partnerships. It represents support for investments in Switzerland.
La Joux-Perret will continue to provide its unique expertise and service mindset to its current and future clients with complete independence. The Citizen Group will continue to operate the brands in its portfolio independently.
“Together, we will be at the forefront of sustainability in terms of high-precision watch movements thanks to an unparalleled mastery of solar energy,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President of the LVMH Watches Division, in the press release.
"This stake acquisition and the strategic commercial agreement concluded with a key partner confirm the recognition of its expertise and constitute a powerful lever to accelerate its long-term development," adds Yoshitaka Oji, CEO of Citizen Watch Group. "La Joux-Perret reaffirms its commitment to developing and producing movements of exceptional quality, while contributing, alongside the LVMH group, to the development of the Swiss watchmaking industry."
Source: Read the original article | Published: November 12, 2025