In a chess move worthy of a grandmaster, LVMH has placed industry stalwart Jean-Christophe Babin at the helm of its watch division, a kingdom that includes the precision-crafted crowns of TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith. The appointment comes as Frédéric Arnault—scion of the Arnault dynasty—shifts gears to steer luxury fashion house Loro Piana, leaving behind a chronograph-shaped void.
Babin isn’t just stepping into the role; he’s surging into it like a tourbillon escaping gravity. A veteran with the strategic finesse of a Formula One pit crew (fitting, given TAG Heuer’s recent billion-dollar F1 coup), he’ll juggle dual crowns: retaining his CEO title at Bulgari while orchestrating LVMH’s horological symphony. His resume reads like a watchmaker’s fever dream—12 years at TAG Heuer, a decade sculpting Bulgari into a jewelry titan—making him less an executive and more a maestro of mechanical poetry.
Meanwhile, rival Richemont quietly dismantled its specialist watchmakers’ throne, leaving no successor for Emmanuel Perrin. The contrast is stark: LVMH doubles down on centralized leadership while its competitor opts for decentralization. It’s a tale of two strategies—one sharp as a diamond-tipped minute hand, the other dissolving like champagne bubbles at dawn.
For now, Babin’s ascent feels less like a corporate memo and more like the quiet click of a vault locking shut—LVMH’s watch division isn’t just protected; it’s fortified.
