Three Timepieces Representing the Brand's Past, Present, and Future

Swiss mechanical luxury watches have undergone dramatic evolution and development since their revival in the late 1980s. Leading this charge is the Vallée de Joux, a mountainous region in Switzerland known as the "valley of complicated watches." Jaeger-LeCoultre, located in Le Sentier, is the first manufacture in this region and celebrates its 180th anniversary this year.

In early June, the 180th-anniversary "Jubilee Collection" models arrived in Japan for the first time. We spoke with Mr. Stéphane Belmont, the company's Product & Marketing Director, who led the development of these watches, about the new technologies and the artisans' aspirations embedded within them.



"With this collection, we have expressed the past, present, and future of Jaeger-LeCoultre. The 'Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique à Quantième Perpétuel Jubilee' symbolizes our 'past,' that is, Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 19th century. The 'Master Ultra Thin Jubilee,' the thinnest hand-wound mechanical model in the world today, symbolizes the 'present.' And the 'Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee' symbolizes our 'future.'"

Not Just Old-Fashioned

Mr. Stéphane Belmont, who originally came from a technical background and now serves as both Technical Director overseeing all of Jaeger-LeCoultre's watchmaking and Marketing Director, explains.

"Let me first explain the 'Master Grande TraditionTourbillonCylindrique Perpetual Calendar Jubilee,' which symbolizes our past. At the end of the 19th century, during the era of pocket watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre had astonishingly produced 500 different calibers (movements). I believe people back then were already engaged in watchmaking that was '100 years ahead of its time,' just as we are today. This model is an homage to their elegant, precise, and beautiful watchmaking of that era."

This philosophy is subtly incorporated into the details of this model, which features two complications: a flying tourbillon and a perpetual calendar.

"The elegantly rounded case sides are inspired by the design of pocket watches from that period. The recessed bezel and the rounded lugs are also motifs from the elegant pocket watch designs of the time. Of course, it's not just old-fashioned. To allow for a more dynamic view of the tourbillon's movement, we've used a flying tourbillon without a bridge. At its heart is a cylindrical hairspring, which we were the first in the world to incorporate into a wristwatch. Furthermore, the tourbillon's bearing uses a ceramic ball bearing, which requires no lubrication and offers high durability."

An Ultra-Thin Model Prioritizing "Elegance" Over "Slenderness"

Symbolizing Jaeger-LeCoultre's current watchmaking is the "Master Ultra Thin Jubilee," the thinnest hand-wound wristwatch in the world today, with a case thickness of just 4.05mm.

"This model, conceived and created to symbolize our watchmaking in the 20th century, represents the ultimate in ultra-thin wristwatches, which have always been loved by a wide range of customers, especially in Japan. We focused on 'elegance' rather than 'being the world's thinnest.' Technically, it would have been possible to make the case even thinner. However, we deliberately chose not to."



While the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking technology often draws attention to models with complex mechanisms, ultra-thin mechanical watches are also exceptional creations that require the same level of ultimate technology as complicated watches, making them hidden complications in themselves. Manufacturing paper-thin gears and springs, stacking them in multiple layers, and ensuring they operate precisely without strain requires special techniques and know-how.

"This model, inspired by the design of a 1907 pocket watch, incorporates numerous technical innovations. For instance, it doesn't have what you would call a 'case' in the traditional sense. In a conventional wristwatch case, there would be a bezel and a case back. Here, the lugs are integrated with the case back and secured by screws. The sapphire crystal also has a special shape: flat in the center and rounded at the edges. This means it fuses two forms – a bombé and a flat crystal – a first in watchmaking history."

Pursuing the Future of Tourbillon Mechanisms with the "Gyrotourbillon 3"

And symbolizing the future of Jaeger-LeCoultre's watchmaking, the most advanced mechanical model to date, is the "Master Grande Tradition GyroTourbillon3 Jubilee." It features a mechanism that pursues the ideal of the tourbillon in reducing time deviations caused by gravity, by rotating the carriage (cage) of the escapement and regulating organ not in a flat (two-dimensional) plane, but in three dimensions, much like a spinning top.

This is the ultimate "Gyrotourbillon" model, an evolution of the "Gyrotourbillon 1" announced in 2004, which caused a sensation in the watchmaking world, and the "Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2" announced in 2008.



"This model, symbolizing Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 21st century, employs cutting-edge technologies and materials such as aluminum alloy and titanium in its tourbillon mechanism. The escapement and regulating organ feature the world's first spherical hairspring and a balance wheel made of 14K blued gold. The carriage, made of aluminum alloy, rotates and is double-structured. This mechanism could not have been realized with traditional materials alone."

A unique digital display one-pushchronographmechanism is also incorporated, showcasing Jaeger-LeCoultre's latest technologies without reservation.

The "Pursuit of Precision and Reliability" Common to All Three Models

The excellence of Jaeger-LeCoultre lies in its commitment to the fundamental purpose of a watch – accuracy and reliability as a timekeeping instrument – even in these limited edition models. All three models have passed Jaeger-LeCoultre's unique "1000 Hour Test." This test is significantly more rigorous than the chronometer tests conducted by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). It involves thorough precision testing of the movement not just on its own, but also while housed in the case, over a period of approximately six weeks.

"The pursuit of precision and reliability is fundamental to us at Jaeger-LeCoultre, and we will never compromise on this aspect. The reason we currently do not use silicon-based materials for our escapement and regulating organs is that, at present, traditional materials offer higher precision. We will continue to actively develop new materials and technologies. And we aim to introduce these developed technologies, along with our traditional style, into our standard models."



"For example, the cylindrical hairspring used in the current models has been shown to achieve higher precision than traditional flat hairsprings. It will likely be adopted in many models in the future. We are also considering further evolving the 1000 Hour Test, such as checking precision in dynamic states that replicate wearing conditions."

"The maintenance intervals for mechanical watches are tending to lengthen. We aim to evolve them so that they can be used with confidence for five years, and eventually around ten years. Even as it stands, we are confident that with proper maintenance, they will provide reliable service for over 100 years."

Pursuing Unchanging Style and Beauty in Line with the Times

"In the world of watch design, people's aesthetic sensibilities undergo subtle changes over time. Similarly, the desired case sizes and styles evolve. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly refine our designs in line with the times. However, we will never alter the fundamental style cultivated through tradition. We promise to continue creating timepieces that offer 'value beyond the expectations of the era.'"

Past, present, and future. Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to pursue "beauty" alongside precision and reliability. For this world-leading manufacture, born in the "valley of complicated watches" in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, 180 years is merely a milestone.




Jaeger-LeCoultre
Tel. 03-3288-6370
http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com