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Jaeger Le Coultre

'A veritable tool for life'Jaeger-LeCoultre advertisement, 1974

It stands to reason that many other manufacturers ask Jaeger-LeCoultre to produce movements for them. They have made parts for IWC, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe; even the dials in classic Aston Martin cars were produced by the venerable watchmakers. Their exquisite range caters for both classic and sporty tastes.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre History

Sometimes a brand just seems so effortlessly stylish, and Jaeger-LeCoultre is definitely one of those brands. But don't let that fool you; some of hardest-working and most innovative minds pooled their knowledge and experience together to form the company you see today.

It began in 1833, when thirty year-old Antoine LeCoultre set up a watchmaking workshop in the small Swiss town of Le Sentier. He focused his efforts on high-quality timepieces, but to manufacture the quality he desired, he had to invent higher levels of accuracy than currently existed. Using his newly invented 'millionometer,'he was able to measure one micrometre; one-millionth of a metre.

In his drive to increase the usability of his watches, Antoine looked to reduce clutter. In 1847 he invented a push button system that not only changed the function of the watch, but also eliminated the need for a key to wind it. This incredible dedication to quality was not overlooked; he was awarded a gold medal for his work at the Great Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace in 1851.

Antoine's son, Elie, exhibited the same desire for perfection when he expanded the workshop to include manufacturing. The scene was set; from 1870, the factory began to produce complicated movements, utilising the expertise that had been gathered into the company. By the end of the nineteenth century, LeCoultre had produced over 350 different movements. Such was the quality of the components that another Swiss brand, Patek Philippe, had LeCoultre produce their movement blanks.

The brand stepped up a notch with the introduction of Edmond Jaeger, a Parisian with a penchant for ultrathin movements. He challenged Jacques-David LeCoultre, Antoine's grandson, to manufacturer an ultrathin movement of his own design in 1903. This challenge put the manufacturing team at LeCoultre to the ultimate test, and finally, after four years of working together, the world's thinnest movement was produced - the calibre 145. It measured at a paltry 1.38mm thick. The partnership then went on to create the world's smallest movement, the calibre 101, which weighed less than a gram.

By 1937, the partnership had evolved into a firm friendship, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre name was born. From then, JLC have been the masters of movements, producing more and more complications, and ever-improving accuracy and reliability. Such is the quality of their movements that many other brands borrow from them for their own watches; IWC, Panerai, Cartier, to name but three.

Not satisfied with merely producing some of the best movements, JLC also tried its hand at alternative power movements with the Atmos clock. The principle was simple, but the manufacture complex; using the energy within changes in temperature to power a clock. Variation of a single degree was enough to power the clock for two days.

The list of achievements goes on and on, and with a thousand different movements and 350 patents under its belt, it's easy to see why JLC has earned its reputation for being a master watchmaker. And as for producing some of the most stylish wristwatches on the market? That just comes naturally.

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