
Combining groundbreaking designs and manufacturing prowess, the company became one of the world’s greatest watchmakers. The challenge extended to the construction of the world’s smallest movement, the calibre 101, which weighed less than a gram.īy 1937, the friendship had become a partnership, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre name was christened on a watch dial. It was called the calibre 145, and it was a world record breaker at 1.38mm thick. After four years of work, LeCoultre finished it. In 1903, he set Jacques-David LeCoultre-Antoine’s grandson-the ultimate challenge: to produce a movement he’d designed that would be the thinnest in the world. The introduction of Edmond Jaeger, a Parisian watchmaker with a penchant for ultra-thin movements, marked the next milestone in the Jaeger-LeCoultre journey. Such was the quality of the components that another Swiss brand, Patek Philippe, had LeCoultre produce its movement blanks. The scene was set from 1870, the family-run factory began to produce its own complicated movements, and by the end of the 19th century had produced over 350 different calibres. This incredible dedication to innovation was not overlooked: Antoine was awarded a gold medal for his work at the Great Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace in 1851.Īntoine’s son, Elie, exhibited the same desire for perfection when he expanded his father’s workshop to bring manufacturing in-house. In 1847, using his unparalleled tolerances, the watchmaker designed a push-button system that not only cycled the function of the watch, but also eliminated the need for a key to wind the mainspring. To that end, he invented the Millionometer, a device able to measure one micrometre (one-millionth of a metre). He focused his efforts on high-quality timepieces, but his suppliers were unable to produce components to a tolerance he found acceptable. The brand’s journey began in 1833, when 30-year-old Antoine LeCoultre set up a watchmaking workshop in the small Swiss town of Le Sentier.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are effortlessly stylish, but the beauty is more than skin deep with almost two centuries of watchmaking experience, this prestigious company presents some of the very best watchmaking to have ever existed.
