Bernadette Png talks to Cesar Jean-Mairet about creating and cultivating a brand.

César-Jean Mairet, founder and CEO of the watch brand, Jean-Mairet & Gillman, better known as JMG, has done what many enthusiasts can only dream about set up his own watch company. In an industry filled with candidates trying to capitalise on the booming watch market, Jean-Mairet’s resilience and ‘slow and steady’ approach has set the brand apart in this horological rat-race.

As a teenager, Jean-Mairet has been sketching watches and dreaming up innovative designs although he never thought these would become actual timepieces. An adult he took his passion to the next level by making impressive watches for friends and family.

In 1999, the entrepreneurial Jean-Mairet started developing his timepieces commercially. By 2001, his debut collections the Grand Voyageur and the Seven Days line were unveiled. A year later, he registered JMG bringing together both sides of his parentage and exhibited at the Basel watch fair.