There could be no better setting in which to showcase the time-honoured skills of La Grande Maison’s Métiers Rares workshops: presenting the priceless human skills behind the creation of rare objects, Homo Faber brings together 15 exhibitions that celebrate the savoir-faire of exceptional master artisans from all over Europe. This year, reaffirming the shared values of craftsmanship that transcend cultures and borders, Homo Faber features 12 Japanese Living National Treasures as guests of honour.

In homage to this connection, La Grande Maison has chosen to depict the sakura or cherry blossom on the new Atmos Régulateur. An emblem of Japan, cherry blossom has become a universal metaphor for Spring, a symbol of renewal and a precious reminder of the fleeting nature of life, and of time itself. In keeping with this year’s Stellar Odyssey theme, the Atmos movement features a moon-phase display – the best-known and perhaps most beloved celestial complication of all.

Noble in presence and delicate in detail, the Atmos Régulateur ‘Cherry Blossom’ is a one-of-a-kind work of art, showcasing the clock’s mechanism within a transparent glass cabinet set between two dramatic panels of black Grand Feu enamel.

A branch of cherry blossom, hand-painted in enamel, extends seamlessly from one side, across the dial ring, to the opposite panel. Petals scatter in the air around it, as if shaken free by a passing breeze.

With the enamelling alone requiring 200 hours of dedicated work by the master artisans in the Métiers Rares® atelier of Jaeger-LeCoultre, this is the largest enamelled piece ever undertaken at La Grande Maison. While the enamellers have thoroughly mastered the techniques of enamelling on watch cases and dials, the large scale of this piece presented an entirely different set of challenges. Rising to it, the artisans of the atelier worked closely together, spending countless hours on preliminary research, exchanging ideas, experimenting and making trials before the enamelling could begin in earnest. Materials and techniques were examined and reconsidered – and a new kiln specified, to accommodate such large pieces.

For the panels – measuring 196mm by 105.2mm – copper was found to be more suitable than the gold used for enamelling on watches. For such large surfaces, the enamellers had to perfect the ‘dry enamelling’ technique of sifting powdered pigment onto the copper plates (rather like dusting the top of a cake with icing sugar), repeating the process again and again, to achieve the desired depth and uniformity of black. After every layer, the panels had to be fired, then cooled and perfectly flattened – with every stage carrying the risk of bubbling, cracking or dust specks, any of which would ruin the work.

For the two dial rings, it was determined that silver was the best material – despite its being a soft metal and therefore less resistant to firing at the high temperatures required for grand feu enamel. Normally, to prevent deformation, the back of an object is prepared with ‘contre-email’, but in this case it was impossible since the dial is visible from behind. The rings were hollowed out to form a trough into which the enamel was applied. Then, as for the panels, came the challenge of multiple firings.

Finally, when the black enamel backgrounds were completed to perfection, the work of the miniature-painter could begin – bringing with it the almost contradictory needs for artistic flair and absolute precision. As with the black enamel, this work was done in a series of layers, each needing to be fired, with every firing again carrying the risk of damaging everything that had been done before. To succeed in such work is testament to an extraordinary level of finesse, and a degree of mastery that can be achieved only with countless years of experience.

Invented in 1928, with a unique mechanism that is driven by tiny changes in air temperature, the Atmos is an extraordinary timepiece and an objet d’art in equal measure. Since the 1970s the Manufacture has invited a series of leading designers and proponents of the artistic crafts to reinterpret this mechanical prodigy. With a clear sense of artistic intention, this new interpretation, the Atmos Régulateur ‘Cherry Blossom’, amplifies the distinctive identity of the clock with balanced proportions and visual harmony allied to fine artistry.

The movement of this exceptional piece, conceived and entirely produced within La Grande Maison, is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 582, which is distinguished by its regulator display. With an architecture defined by circles within circles, the large minutes ring and smaller hours ring are complemented by a monthly calendar and moon-phase display, as well as by the shape of the annular balance that slowly oscillates beneath the displays. The moon-phase indication is so precise that it will take 3,821 years to diverge by just one day from astronomical reality.

As a one-of-a-kind work of art, the Atmos Régulateur ‘Cherry Blossom’ is testament not only to La Grande Maison’s exceptional depth of savoir-faire but also to its commitment to preserving rare skills within the Manufacture, supporting and encouraging the expansion of those skills, and celebrating human creativity.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

ATMOS RÉGULATEUR ‘CHERRY BLOSSOM’

Dimensions overall: 468 mm x 183 mm x 255 mm

Dimensions of panels: 196 mm x 105.2 mm

Calibre: Mechanical, perpetual Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 582

Functions: regulator type display of hours and minutes; 24-hour indication; month indication; perpetual moon-phase indication (one-day discrepancy every 3,861 years)

Dial: Grand Feu Enamel

Panels: Grand Feu Enamel

Cabinet: glass

Reference: Q5604302

Homo Faber Event is open to the public from 10 April to 1 May 2022, at Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the island of S.Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. Information and tickets are available at homofaber.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre is a fully-integrated manufacture with more than 180 crafts under one roof. From Research and Development, to design, to assembly, decoration or crimp, every different stage required for the creation of a Jaeger‑LeCoultre timepiece is conducted within the Manufacture in the Joux Valley in Switzerland.

This quest for excellence drives the Maison’s creativity and the quality of its timepieces, and Jaeger-LeCoultre constantly dedicates its investments to improving the satisfaction of its clients.

Manifesting an advanced client centric program in the watchmaking industry

In the course of spring 2019, Jaeger-LeCoultre customers can register exclusively their Jaeger-LeCoultre clocks and watches on a dedicated online platform that enable them to manage their personal collection and to benefit from the Maison’s personalized new services – the Jaeger-LeCoultre Care program.

Timepieces under the original International limited warranty today will be eligible for the warranty extension upon online registration to this program on jaeger-lecoultre.com/services

After their registration, Jaeger-LeCoultre clients will receive personalized services throughout the life of their timepieces, including:

• In-store: added-value services regarding maintenance or enhancement of their timepieces, such as functional checks or engraving tool.
• Online: specific information and advices provided by our craftsmen on their specific timepieces in addition of pre-configured digital tools for personalization and care

The set of new services will be managed via a dedicated online platform available in 12 languages (English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Russian, simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean). Wechat users will also benefit from the program thanks to the integration of the platform.

Designed to foster an intensified relationship with customers around the world, the Care program is supported by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s global multi-channel network to meet customers wherever they prefer to shop or connect with the Maison. Customers can receive advice and support related to the online platform across all of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s official POS [and e-commerce partners] globally, regardless of whether they have made their purchase in store or online.

The spirit of inventiveness anchored in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s heritage

In line with the Maison’s principle of innovation at the service of watchmaking, the Care program is rooted in the Maison’s alchemy between past, present, and future to provide the highest technical expertise and unparalleled service levels.

It is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s A to Z approach and exceptional teams of watchmakers, artisans, engineers, technicians, artists and other specialists that drives the Maison’s creativity, the quality of its timepieces and related services or experiences.

The collective passion of the Manufacture for innovation and its appetite to master together the technical challenges of watchmaking has resulted in the creation of over 1,200 calibers including the world’s most iconic watches and high complications.

Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, statement

“We are proud to say that our new Care program is an integral part of our Maison’s values to foster a long-term and caring relationship with our customers. We continuously invest in the satisfaction of our valued customers and this program and warranty offer is a true milestone designed to assist our customers in knowing better and taking care of their timepieces. We are excited to offer this new solution to our customers’ evolving preferences while remaining true to our Maison’s long traditions and status as the Home of Watchmaking, by constantly challenging ourselves to take technology, design and service quality to the next level.”

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s history is rooted in the Vallée de Joux, bordering the Swiss Jura Mountains. Beyond the peaceful image it conveys, this setting forged the very identity of the Manufacture. Against this backdrop where patience and calm are intrinsic to the landscape, there grew up a tradition of precision bound up with a profoundly authentic artistic élan.

A balance of technical sophistication and perfected skill

For Jaeger-LeCoultre, the quintessence of the watchmaker’s art lies in achieving a perfect balance between precision techniques and the deft craftsmanship required to perform them. From the invention of the Millionomètre to the Gyrotourbillon, this balance is expressed in the diversity of the Manufacture's Rare Handcrafts (“Métiers Rares®”) and the many-faceted expertise of its master watchmakers, united in a common pursuit: to match technical sophistication with esthetic finesse.

Craftsmanship and precision

The Manufacture set itself two objectives from the outset: accuracy of the movement, and technical precision. These goals both emerged from, and flourished in, this Swiss natural setting, whose calm and serenity seem to abide, undisturbed, from one season to the next. The Manufacture's master watchmakers are deeply influenced and inspired by this environment, throwing their heart and soul into every ingenious sketch, every oscillation of the balance wheel, every escapement wheel—always pushing the boundaries of precision.

An endless wellspring of inspiration

From its caliber to its case, every Jaeger-LeCoultre watch is entirely designed, manufactured and assembled under one roof. This is why the name Jaeger-LeCoultre is so closely associated with some very revealing figures. Almost 180 specialist skills and trades are assembled in our manufacture, along with nearly 1,250 calibers from the simplest to the most sophisticated and some 400 patents.

The quest for precision is also reflected in milestones of invention, all of them world firsts, from the first tools to cut the pinions invented by Antoine LeCoultre who was determinate to reach excellence. Then Millionomètre in 1844. First grande complication pocket watch in 1895. Chronomètre Geophysic in 1958. Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 920 in 1967. Master Control 1000 Hours in 1992. Gyrotourbillon 1 in 2004. Duomètre and Dual Wing concept in 2007. Grand Prix de Chronométrie in 2009 … This list is far from exhaustive, and is constantly expanding with new precision inventions that mark out the Manufacture as the irrefutable gold standard, both nationally and worldwide. At Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, pursuit of excellence, attention to infinitely small details, and patience are necessary at every single stage of designing, making and finishing/completing each watch and clock.

When precision becomes art

Jaeger-LeCoultre has made precision an art form in its own right: because technical and mechanical precision are matched by the precision and artistry of the workmanship. Age-old skills like guillochage, engraving, gem-setting, and enameling are still at the heart of the expertise preserved in the Maison and its Rare Handcrafts (“Métiers Rares®”).

As the name “Manufacture” suggests, the hand of man is indeed at the helm here. It is man who dreams up and designs the prototypes. It is the hand of man that directs and breathes life into the tools and instruments, the movement and its heartbeat, the materials and the precious stones. These hands belong to craftsmen who never cease to hone their skills—that is, to ensure that their tiniest gestures are as careful, as rigorous, as fitting, and as precise as possible. Even if it means going higher than where the bar is usually set.