Linda Brandwood was introduced to retailers and journalists as the new sales manager for UK & Ireland at Maurice Lacroix today.
Ms Brandwood took over the role in August from Matthew LeFevre, who left to head sales at Frederique Constant.
She has been working in the luxury jewellery and watch business since 1999, holding commercial roles at Pandora, Rado and Ebel where she has built up a gilt-edged network of contacts in the independent and multiple retail channel.
At a breakfast briefing in London today, Ms Brandwood joined journalists for a presentation by Stéphane Waser, managing director at Maurice Lacroix and Bernd Skell, sales director of DKSH Luxury & Lifestyle Europe, the parent company of Maurice Lacroix.
The event promoted the 25th anniversary of Masterpiece watches from Maurice Lacroix, the top end complicated pieces that demonstrate the Swiss watchmaker’s mastery of horological micro-engineering, design and creativity.
Masterpiece watches started life in 1992 when Maurice Lacroix started modifying movements to create complex watches at affordable prices.
The company produced its first fully manufactured movement, the ML106, in 2006, and this has been the base calibre for 14 different movements to-date that have enabled the creation of Masterpiece watches with unique complications selling at prices under £5000.
The watches are produced in considerably smaller quantities than entry level quartz models, which drive volume sales and profits for Maurice Lacroix, but the Masterpiece watches give Maurice Lacroix the credibility of a top-end Swiss manufacturer, which helps its retailers promote watches at all price points, according to Mr Waser.
