Jaeger LeCoultre

It is amazing what some people are able to achieve with hard work and the will to succeed.  That is how Antoine LeCoultre lived his life.  Compared to his contemporaries who had normally acquired their skills from their parents or through the family business, Antoine LeCoultre’s watch-making skills were self-taught.  His love for watches and what makes them tick enabled him to set up his own little workshop in 1833, at the age of 30.

Despite being self-taught, Antoine LeCoultre’s brilliant mind and mechanical skills were ahead of its time, astonishing even the most gifted physicists and engineers.  He was the one who created the millionometer in 1844, which has enabled him to measure the micrometer or the micron.  The millionometer has the ability to measure to the nearest thousandth of a millimeter.  This device was thought to be so precise, that its inaccuracy cannot be measured by any tool.

Three years later, in 1847, Antoine LeCoultre once again revolutionized the watch-making industry by inventing a system that enabled the setting and rewinding of watches without a key.  All one needed to do then was to push a button and the function of the watch will switch.

As the Switch watch-making industry grew, the need to make the small LeCoultre workshop in Le Sentier into a Manufacture became inevitable.  This was spearheaded by Elie LeCoultre, Antoine’s son.  By transforming the workshop into a Manufactures, they were now able to control all aspects of the manufacturing and assembly of the watches.  They have also benefited from the pool of knowledge that was offered by their employees.  Thus, the first Manufacture in Vallee de Joux, LeCoultre & Cie, was born.

When Edmund Jaeger challenged Edmund Jaeger to produce ultra-thin caliber versions of his own design in 1903, it was Antoine’s grandson, Jacques-David LeCoultre, who took on the challenge.  From this point onwards, the relationship between Jaeger and LeCoultre resulted in other ultra-thin pocket watch collaborations and also the JLC Caliber 145 produced in 1907.  This particular design set the record for having the thinnest movement at 1.38mm.

Unfortunately, the growth of the Jaeger LeCoultre brand also came with its share of difficulties.  It drew criticism from being unable to service watches at the appropriate time spans, making clients wait for a long while to get their watches serviced.  There has also been some confusion in North America as to whether Jaeger LeCoultre watches were the same watches distributed by Longines-Wittnauer group in the 1950’s, due to the change in brand name.  This was because some collectors were unaware that Longines-Wittnauer only distributed the watches and did not manufacture them.

In 1928, Jean-Leon Reutter invented the Atmos Clock.  It is a magnificent timekeeping device that is perpetually in motion and will never stop.  It amazingly draws energy from the slight variations in atmospheric pressure.  Jaeger-LeCoultre is the Manufacture that developed further and produces this clock, which to this day holds the prestigious honor of being the official gift of the Swiss government.

Through its existence, the Jaeger LeCoultre Manufacture has been able to produce and create over 1,000 calibers, with complications incorporated in more than half of them.  Each new development was conceptualized using original technical solutions, combined with functionality, precision and fine watch-making.

Among the Jaeger LeCoultre lines of watches, the Reverso is one of the most distinguished.  The watch models of this line are elegantly crafted in the Art Deco style and its case has the ability to rotate on itself by sliding along its base.  It invites the wearer to “play with the time” and to convert the watch into fine jewelry.

A full range of Jaeger LeCoultre watches are available at www.iconicwatches.co.uk

. This piece of art deco design is the oldest continuously produced wristwatch in the world and was originally designed with polo players in mind. Many members of the Royal family (including the Queen herslef) own one of these watches and this watch is known amongst watch afficianados as ‘The Thomas Crowne Affair’ watch as it was worn in the original film by one of the actors. www.iconicwatches.co.uk Iconic Watches

Instock – http://www.iconicwatches.co.uk/gents-jaeger-le-coultre-reverso-duo-in-rose-gold-272-2-54-used.html