Jaeger LeCoultre
Watches of the highest class - the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufactory
The Swiss watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre enjoys an excellent reputation in the production of luxury watches around the globe. The watches are characterized by their most extravagant design, their precision, as well as their great functionality and robustness.
The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre
The company was founded in 1833 by the two brothers Charles-Antoine and François Ulysee LeCoultre in the town of Le Sentier in the Vallée de Joux. Both founders were talented craftsmen who mastered the manufacture of watch movements down to the last detail and were able to establish themselves quickly. The first few years were characterized by constant expansion. In 1903, Jacques-David LeCoultre, the grandson of the company founder Charles-Antoine, met the Alsatian Edmond Jaeger, who enabled the company to enter the luxury watch market. After several years of friendly and business ties, the company finally merged with Jaeger's company in 1925 and the new name Jaeger-LeCoultre was established. The company brought out an important technical innovation in 1948 - the so-called crown winding system. This made it possible for the first time to set the hands and wind the movement at the same time. At the first World Exhibition in London, the crown winding mechanism, which was installed in a pocket chronograph, was presented to the public and awarded the gold medal. In the following years, the company continued to expand. In 1960, more than 100 employees were already working for Jaeger-LeCoultre. At this time, the company's portfolio included repeater watches and calendars in addition to chronographs. The company also specialized in the manufacture of complex watch movements. After a number of changes in shareholdings and ownership, Jaeger-LeCoultre finally came under the umbrella of the luxury watch group Richemont in 2000. The company is now managed by Daniel Riedo, who oversees around 900 employees.
Famous achievements of Jaeger-LeCoultre
The most famous wristwatches that Jaeger-LeCoultre brought onto the market are called Reverso, Master Reveil and Master Memovox. The Atmos table clock also achieved great fame. This clock is powered exclusively by fluctuations in air temperature. Over the years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been able to attract attention with a number of other developments that have caused a stir in the industry. In 1903, for example, the world's flattest watch movement was introduced, and in 1929 the smallest watch was presented. This weighed just 0.9 grams, but was made up of 74 individual parts. The so-called Duoplan watch also attracted a lot of attention, as it was able to score points with its accuracy, which was unbeatable for its time. In total, Jaeger-LeCoultre has now produced more than a million watches. The largest customer market is now the USA. The current collections are called Reverso , Rendez-Vous, Master , Geophysic , Duomètre, Master Extrem, Atmos, Hybris Mechanica and Hybris Artistica.