History Time: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre (“JLC”) is a well-known name in the industry of horology. Even if you are a new collector, you have most likely heard of it. If you are considering purchasing your first Jaeger-LeCoultre watch and want to learn more about this iconic brand, we are here to help! With such a rich history and tradition, we should definitely touch on some of its history for you.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmaking workshop was founded in 1833 in Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, by the genius watchmaker Antoine LeCoultre. Since then, LeCoultre has continued to produce revolutionary watchmaking inventions that have become landmarks in the history of horology. His ideas aided the company’s progress and earned it a gold medal at the inaugural World Expo.

Antoine LeCoultre and his son Elie LeCoultre founded LeCoultre & Cie in 1866, becoming the first recognised manufacturer in Vallée de Joux. LeCoultre began to build their own watch components and movements after gathering the greatest talents and expertise in the region, which eventually contributed significantly to the Swiss watchmaking industry.

Within a few decades, the company created over 350 distinct movements, including chronographs, repeater mechanisms, and their combinations to make a breakthrough double complication movement. These significant developments enabled the business to form alliances and offer calibres to major watch manufacturers like Patek Philippe at the time. The LeCoultre Maison supplied movements to the majority of Patek’s wristwatches for the following 30 years.

In 1903, LeCoultre changed its name to Jaeger-LeCoultre after brilliant watchmaker Edmond Jaeger was impressed by LeCoultre’s ultra-thin mechanism and joined the business. With his newly created ultra-thin mechanism, Edmond Jaeger set out to challenge all Swiss watchmakers.

Antoine LeCoultre’s grandson, Jacques-David, who was in control of the firm at the time, accepted the challenge and developed the smallest pocket watch mechanism at the time. This development opened the way for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Perpetual line, which debuted decades later.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has long been a pioneer in complications in the watchmaking business, as evidenced by its almost 200-year history. Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are highly regarded among watch aficionados, with over 400 patented inventions and over a thousand in-house calibres. So, after knowing more about the history of Jaeger-LeCoultre, are you ready to have one?

Discover the Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece collections online or locate The Time Place boutique near you for a visit.