LVMH Acquires High-End Clockmaker L’Epée 1839

Known as the largest luxury group in the world, owned by the Arnault family, LVMH continues its development in all fields related to rare and artistic crafts. Already the owner, through its Watches Division, of TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith (as well as jewellery brands Bulgari and Tiffany, not included in this division), the group expands its portfolio by announcing the addition of a renowned yet niche company, L’Epée 1839, through the acquisition of its owner Swiza. 

Founded 185 years ago and based in Delémont, in the Swiss Jura, L’Epée 1839 is one of the few surviving clockmakers on the scene. The brand and its owner, Swiza, have unique expertise in this field. The production of these unique timepieces brings together a wide range of craftsmen and savoir-faire, with more than 80 designers, engineers, watchmakers, mechanics and employees working alongside Arnaud Nicolas, CEO and Creative Director of L’Epée 1839.

When it was founded by Auguste L’Epée in the 19th century, the company initially specialised in the manufacture of watch components and was a pioneer in the production of music boxes. While maintaining these rare skills alive, the company has evolved and managed to expand through the modernization of its designs, which have been made famous by various collaborations – the most popular ones being done with independent watchmaker MB&F.

The clockmaker has recently worked with Tiffany, which presented a carriage clock in the shape of the first Formula 1 car from the 1950s, and with Louis Vuitton to create a hot-air balloon, a symbol regularly used by the brand. All clocks are designed and mostly produced in-house, with mechanical movements and automata.

Today, LVMH through its Watches Division (led for a few months by Frédéric Arnault, son of the group’s owner Bernard Arnault, brother of Jean Arnault, head of watches at Louis Vuitton) has announced the acquisition of this highly specialized and niche company, reinforcing its “determination to preserve and develop historic savoir-faire, and to ensure that it is passed on and cultivated over time.” The terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed.

In an official statement, Frédéric Arnault, CEO of LVMH Watches Division, indicates that “L’Epée 1839 has initiated a number of watchmaking partnerships that we will maintain and develop with Arnaud Nicolas, and I am excited by the untapped creative potential of the various LVMH Group Maisons associated with this exceptional expertise”. It seems that, for now, the long-term links between the clockmaker and several indie watchmakers are intact.

For more details and the full statement, please visit www.lvmh.com.