Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a luxury Swiss watchmaker. They have a reputation as one of the finest watchmakers and have produced movements for other high-end companies such as Patek Philippe. Their motto is "we must base our experience on science".Since 1833 the company has filed over 100 patents, a tribute to their tradition of technical excellence and innovation.
History
The LeCoultre family of Le Sentier had a tradition of manufacturing before they becamed famed for their watches. They had previously made items such as musical boxes and keyboards before moving on to mechanical watch movements for which they were to become best known.In 1833 Antoine LeCoultre opened a manufacturing workshop in Le Sentier for production of watch movements. This was the start of the famous Manufacture LeCoultre. The company workshop today is on very nearly the same spot as the original workshop.
At this point LeCoultre was strictly a producer of mechanical movements, it did not sell any completed watches under its own brand name.
From the very first, technical excellence was the hallmark of Le Coultre. This was assisted by Antoine's 1844 invention the "Millionometre". This was the first device capable of measuring size to within a micron (a millionth of a metre). The precision of LeCoultre movements meant that many other prestige watchmakers would buy them for their own products.
In 1925 the LeCoultre company merged with another technical production company, Jaeger. Thus was formed today's Jaeger-LeCoultre and the company soon began producing watches under its own name.
The company is today 60% owned by the giant Richemont group. The Manufacture still operates in Le Sentier and employs hundreds of skilled craftsmen. Jaeger LeCoultre is one of the few Swiss watchmakers today that produces almost all of its own components.
One of Jaeger LeCoultre's most interesting accomplishments is the wonderful Atmos Clock that runs without batteries, electricity or winding.
The Reverso
The most popular Jaeger-LeCoultre model is probably the Reverso watch. This was introduced in 1933 and is still going strong today.The Reverso was a brilliantly simple solution to a common problem. Sports people - in particular polo players - would often find the glass on their watch cracked when hit by a ball.
To avoid this, the Reverso had a rectangular case that could be rotated through 180 degrees. When not needed, the face of the watch could thus be potected.
This site is not associated with or endorsed by Jaeger-LeCoultre
Contact an authorised dealer for prices and availability