JAEGER-LECOULTRE CELEBRATES A GREAT LEGACY OF PRECISION AT WATCHES AND WONDERS 2024

 ·       A reinterpretation of the authentic blacksmith workshop

·       A celebration of craftsmanship and an educational journey

·       A modernist gastronomy experience through a gustatory exploration

In 2024 Jaeger-LeCoultre showcases the pursuit of precision – a central tenet of the Maison since it was established in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre. An inventor even before he taught himself watchmaking, LeCoultre was obsessed by precision and his spirit continues to drive the Manufacture’s watchmakers and engineers to this day. At Jaeger-LeCoultre, the pursuit of precision lies not only in the design and structure of calibres and the technological aids to micron-perfect component production but also in the precision of the essential human gestures behind the finishing and assembly of every component, and the decoration of every case and dial.

Today, we take accurate timekeeping for granted but, while digital devices translate atomic time (accurate to millionths of a second) to the screens of our phones and computers, mechanical watchmaking is a unique fusion of art and science. In 2024, this pursuit of mechanical precision is most eloquently expressed by the new Duometre models that take centre stage.

Deep Immersion into a Fascinating Story of Precision

At Watches and Wonders in Geneva in April, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the magic of mechanical watchmaking. Revealing the intellectual rigour and technical ingenuity that lie at its very foundation, the Maison tells the intriguing story of precision in four chapters.

The Precision of Production tells the origin story of how the Maison’s founder translated his obsession with precision into inventions that were to lay the foundations for the modern watchmaking industry. It reveals how the founder’s spirit has continued to drive the Manufacture for almost two centuries, harnessing cutting-edge technologies to enhance and complement the irreplaceable value of precise hand-craftsmanship. 

The Precision of Chronometry identifies milestones in the Manufacture’s development of chronometer-certified timepieces, from pocket watches in the 19th century, to today’s new timepieces that are all certified under the rigorous 1000-Hour Control protocol. Chronometry means, simply, timekeeping accuracy, and this chapter reveals the deep research that must be undertaken to compensate for the challenges that a wristwatch faces during daily wear.

The Precision of Regulating Organs reveals the vital role of the regulating organ (namely, the balance wheel and hairspring). This is the beating heart of the watch that we find so fascinating to observe and the regularity of that heartbeat – known as isochronism – is crucial to accurate timekeeping. Visitors will discover Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ceaseless research into the ideal forms of hairsprings and innovative tourbillons, which have resulted in many patented innovations. 

The Precision of Complications explores a fundamental conundrum of watchmaking: how to maintain a perfect flow of energy while adding complications that require extra bursts of energy – by definition compromising that regular flow. This chapter demonstrates why the chronograph is the most challenging of complications in terms of precision and reveals Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ground-breaking solution. Invented by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Duometre mechanism was introduced in 2007 in the form of a chronograph and has subsequently been united with other complications, forming a collection in its own right. 

For 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces two entirely new Duometre calibres: the Duometre Chronograph Moon (Calibre 391) and the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual (Calibre 388), as well as a fresh interpretation of the Duometre Quantieme Lunaire, in steel.

A Booth Designed to Bring a Great Heritage to Life

At Watches and Wonders 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre pays homage to the genesis of precision – a story that began many generations years before the Maison was founded and is intrinsically bound to the history of the Vallée de Joux and the metalworking crafts that flourished there before the advent of watchmaking.

To offer visitors a rich experience of this fascinating story, the design of the booth was inspired by the forges of the 18^th and 19^th centuries, where the Vallée de Joux’s blacksmiths honed their skills. The use of industrial-style design elements, and materials such as rusted metal, brushed metal, mineral stone, bricks and oak evoke a sense of time and place. At the centre of the space, the flames of the forge are translated into a spectacular Fire Pit set in a hearth of iron stone. Projected onto huge LED screens that surround the fire, a sound-and-light show narrates the story of Swiss watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux – beginning with the first inhabitants to settle this harsh and wildly beautiful landscape, tracing the arrival of the LeCoultre family, the birth of metallurgy, the dawn of watchmaking and the birth of what was to become one of the great names of fine watchmaking: Jaeger-LeCoultre. Different scenes are animated with fire effects – smoke, sparks and flames – for dramatic effect. The show is presented every hour, with a running time of three minutes.

Featuring discrete spaces and different levels, the layout of the booth invites visitors to immerse themselves more deeply in the principles of precision, exploring the many layers of the story while also discovering the Maison’s newest timepieces

A Celebration of Craftsmanship and an Educational Journey

A viewing room is dedicated to the 180 skills mastered within Jaeger-LeCoultre’s fully integrated Manufacture and the five steps essential to the creation of every timepiece: design, production, finishing, assembly and ornamentation. This space showcases the video series ‘In the Making’, which goes behind the scenes of the Manufacture to tell the story of various watchmaking skills from the perspective of the artisans themselves.

At stations located around the booth, master artisans from the Manufacture reveal the precision of gestures that are so crucial to watchmaking precision, demonstrating three of the key skills where hand-craftsmanship remains intrinsic to fine watchmaking: gear cutting, hand bevelling, and the shaping of hairsprings.

At the Atelier d’Antoine, the 2024 programme of hands-on Discovery Workshops will focus on precision, harnessing a dynamic and highly interactive format that takes participants deeper into the principles and processes of this vitally important, yet rarely highlighted, element of watchmaking. Discovery Workshop places are available by prior appointment.

A new Gastronomic Experience Inspired by Precision

For 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre commissioned two Michelin-starred Chef Himanshu Saini to create The Precision Atelier, a new gastronomic experience dedicated to the science of ingredients. The latest collaboration under its Made of Makers programme, The Precision Atelier invites visitors to sample four savoury bites paired with beverages specially created by Chef Himanshu Saini to showcase his unique fusion of flavour and science, his remarkably precise blending of spices and the beautiful precision of his highly artistic presentations.

Watches and Wonders takes place in Geneva from 9 – 15 April 2024 and is open to the public from Saturday 13 April to Monday 15 April. Following its debut in Geneva, The Precision Maker exhibition will travel to Dubai in May 2024 and Beijing in September 2024.

Public day tickets to Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 can be purchased online at: https://www.watchesandwonders.com/en/geneva-2024