Smiling quietly in front of the Jaeger-LeCoultre booth, Naohiro Hamaguchi is the brand's development director. There are Japanese people involved in assembly and repair at Swiss watch maisons, but he is the only one to be involved in design at the heart of such a prestigious brand, saying, "I don't know of anyone else like me."
To be precise, he moved to Switzerland and has already acquired Swiss citizenship. He grew up in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. As a high school student, he had a vague desire to become a craftsman and learn about Swiss watchmakers through a magazine.
"The same page had a photo of a watchmaking school pamphlet. That's what inspired me to go to Switzerland."
He was 19 years old at the time, and after attending a language school in Neuchâtel for two years, he studied watchmaking at a technical school in the Vallée de Joux, and then at a school in Le Locle where he studied watch repair, when a fateful encounter occurred.
He was scouted after completing a six-week graduate training course at Renaud & Papi, a luxury movement manufacturer under the umbrella of a major watch brand. The company provides complicated mechanisms to a variety of brands, and its current name is Audemars Piguet Le Locle. Its president, Julio Papi, is also one of the leading designers in the watch industry today. He was the first to recognize the young man's talent.
"Julio is my design mentor. I learned a lot from him."
After four years, he moved to a major fashion house, where he also worked for four years, before choosing the movement company Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. He was attracted by the idea of being involved from the prototype research stage onwards. He spent seven years there, eventually being promoted to head of development and vice president.
His achievements up to that point were recognized, and he finally received an offer from Jaeger-LeCoultre. He accepted the invitation because he wanted to be involved not only in the movement but also in the final product, but before joining the company he had no idea of the true strength of this prestigious brand.
"More than 180 different job types are gathered on the same premises, and almost everything related to watches can be handled in-house. We have an abundance of personnel and facilities, and our development capabilities are unmatched. It would be difficult to release multiple new movements in a year anywhere else. Our designers have a lot of authority, and we make repeated design changes to the movements and exteriors to ensure the designs they want are realized."
He is now also in charge of exterior design, something he has little experience in. For the new Reverso Tribute Geographic, he struggled to attach a sapphire crystal to the worldtimer on the back in a way that would look natural.
What about Switzerland as a place to work?
"Because it is a country that has accepted many immigrants, it is tolerant of different cultures. I think it is an environment where Japanese people can easily fit in," he says, and now he is so fluent in French that he is more fluent in it than Japanese. In soccer, he would be like playing the role of playmaker at a prestigious club in a top European league. The path has been opened for him as the first Japanese to do so. Let the next generation follow in his footsteps with dreams!
