Weekend Briefing: Can Frédéric Arnault reshape LVMH’s watch division?

Frédéric Arnault, the second-youngest son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, took over as CEO of LVMH Watches last week as the company seeks to become a major player in the space. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Glossy Podcast for interviews with fashion industry leaders and Week in Review episodes, and the Glossy Beauty Podcast for interviews from the beauty industry. -Danny Parisi, sr. fashion reporter

Frédéric Arnault’s watch ambitions

Last week, Frédéric Arnault, former CEO of the LVMH-owned watch brand Tag Heuer and son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, was announced as the first CEO of the newly-formed watch division LVMH Watches. That puts Arnault in charge of not just Tag Heuer but all of LVMH’s watch brands which include Zenith and Hublot.

LVMH, and Louis Vuitton in particular, has its eyes on the lucrative and growing luxury watch market. It already has a solid footing there, but its watches are considered by most enthusiasts as “fashion watches” — high quality, but not on the same level as a high-end horological brand like Rolex or Patek Philippe. But LVMH has been meaning to change that view. Last year, it announced that it would be reshaping Louis Vuitton’s watch output by reducing the number of watch models sold and significantly increasing the price to better position its watches alongside other premium brands.

Continue reading this article on glossy.co. Sign up for Glossy newsletters to get the latest on the business of beauty, fashion and pop culture.