Carinthian success story

Jacques Lemans: Where quality has been ticking for 50 years

Andreas Riedl runs the family business Jacques Lemans with his father Alfred, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

(Bild: Evelyn Hronek/EVELYN HRONEK)

The St. Veit-based family business Jacques Lemans is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Founder Alfred Riedl and his son Andreas talk about the success story of the internationally renowned watch brand.

50 years ago, the trained electrical engineer Alfred Riedl founded the company Jacques Lemans with the vision of creating an internationally recognized watch brand. Today, the St. Veit native can look back on a remarkable success story. "In the beginning, it was a four-man operation; we now employ 370 people. We have ten stores of our own in Austria and are represented by around 1700 jewelers. We have been the clear market leader in our price segment in German-speaking countries for 25 years," explains founder Alfred Riedl, who has shared the management of the company with his son Andreas since last year.

"After completing my school education at the HLW St. Veit, I joined the company straight away, where I spent three years working in all areas, from purchasing to production and sales, before joining the management team," says the 23-year-old, who is in charge of designing the new watches. His brother Christian and sister Michaela are also active in the family business. 

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The company currently produces 900,000 pieces per year, with customers able to choose from 800 different models. In addition, there are another 900 jewelry models that are also produced by Jacques Lemans. "With us, everything comes from a single source. From the idea to production and marketing - we do everything ourselves. That's why we can only charge 190 euros for a top-quality watch, while others offer the same product for 500 euros, for example," father and son agree.

Film legends and sports stars as testimonials 
Austrian film and theater actor Tobias Moretti has been recruited as the latest advertising face. Hollywood celebrities such as Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood, as well as sports aces like Anna Gasser, Jürgen Melzer and, of course, Formula 1 icon Bernie Ecclestone also appreciate the Carinthian watches.

Incidentally, a big anniversary celebration is planned for the fall at Taggenbrunn Castle, which Alfred Riedl bought 13 years ago and painstakingly renovated. "Others buy a yacht in the Mediterranean, we invested the money at home," says the 74-year-old, who has remained frugal despite all his success: "We've been working with equity for 32 years and I'm very proud of that. Nevertheless, modesty is what our family lives by."