Remembering Jean-Marie Schaller, One Of Watchmaking’s Brightest Characters
We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jean-Marie Schaller, the owner and creative force behind Louis Moinet. Jean-Marie passed away peacefully on May 16th at the age of 66.
I wanted to share a few personal words about Jean-Marie because he was someone I came to know not only through watches but also through the friendship that grew around them. For me, the watch industry has lost one of its brightest characters. That term feels right for Jean-Marie because he was never simply a CEO or brand owner trying to build a watch company. He was warm, curious, generous with his time, and genuinely interested in people.
More than watches
I first got to know Jean-Marie properly in 2022 during a trip to his atelier in Saint-Blaise, Neuchâtel. Of course, we spoke about watches, design, history, and the story of Louis Moinet himself. But with Jean-Marie, the conversation never stayed there for long. He always wanted to know the person behind the work. My family, life, travel, football, and my dog all came up in conversation. It was never that polite, small-talk kind of interest people sometimes show before getting back to business. With him, it was wholly genuine. He remembered things, and he cared about the details. Over time, that relationship became something more than a professional connection. Jean-Marie became a friend. He would sometimes call me out of the blue, often by video, just to chat. Sometimes his family would join, and he would nearly always ask to see my dog. Those calls were never about chasing coverage or pushing a new release. They were just real, human moments.
That was always what stood out to me. Jean-Marie loved watches, but he loved the human side of this industry just as much. In a world that can sometimes become too focused on product launches and the commercial side of things, he reminded us that this hobby and this industry are still built on people. He exemplified so much of what’s right with watchmaking. Yes, there was creativity, history, and craft. But above all of that, there was warmth. Jean-Marie made people feel seen. He made time for conversations that had nothing to do with business. That might sound simple, but it’s rarer than it should be.
Looking back at an interview we did with Jean-Marie from a few years ago, one line now feels especially fitting. Speaking about Louis Moinet and watchmaking more broadly, he said, “It is the heart that rules.” At the time, it was a wonderful expression of how he saw his brand. Now, it also feels like a pretty accurate description of the man himself.
Reviving Louis Moinet
Jean-Marie’s work with Louis Moinet deserves huge respect too. He revived the name of one of watchmaking’s most important historical figures and spent years championing Louis Moinet’s place in the story of the chronograph. He was deeply passionate about the man, his achievements, and the idea that Louis Moinet deserved to be properly understood and remembered. But Jean-Marie didn’t bring that name back with quiet, safe watches. Under his leadership, Louis Moinet became a brand full of color, mechanical theater, and serious imagination. The watches often had real drama to them, but there was always a purpose behind it. In many ways, they reflected Jean-Marie himself. They had energy and character, but they weren’t trying to be everything to everyone.
That passion came through whenever he spoke about the brand. You could tell it was personal to him. This wasn’t just a company; he was the custodian of an important part of watchmaking history. It was a story he felt responsible for telling.
Football, family, and friendship
Jean-Marie was also a long-standing supporter of Arsenal Football Club. As a Tottenham Hotspur fan, I probably shouldn’t admit how much I enjoyed those conversations, but I did. We always seemed to find a few minutes to talk about football, shared passions, and the strange emotional punishment that comes with following your club through the good weeks and the terrible ones. I was usually on the receiving end of the latter…
Those conversations meant a lot. They were small moments, but they said a great deal about him. Jean-Marie had a way of making time feel personal. Whether you were discussing a watch, a football result, your family, or your dog, he gave the conversation his full attention.
A rare character
That is how I’ll remember Jean-Marie. He wasn’t just the man behind Louis Moinet. He was also someone who brought warmth and humanity into every room he entered. Jean-Marie was a rare character in the best possible sense, and I’m very grateful I had the chance to know him.
He’ll be missed by many people across this industry and far beyond it. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schaller family: Micaela, Raphaëlle, Dominique, Christopher, and Nathanaël.
