One of the best brands in making dressy timepieces. Jaeger-LeCoultre was founded in 1833, on the borders of the Swiss Jura. It was founded by Antoine LeCoultre.
Known for its reverso model, Jaeger-LeCoultre is known for making the smalled calibres/movements in the history of watchmaking. In 1844, Antoine LeCoultre invented the world’s most precise timepiece at the time, the Millionomètre. The Millionmètre was the first to measure the micron, and Jaeger-LeCoultre used it for around 50 years.
In 1866, for the first time in watchmaking history, LeCoultre & Cie. began to manufacture calibres with small complications in small series, and in 1891 combined the chronograph and minute repeater complications into a double complication calibre.
This subsequently led in the mid-1890s to the production of grandes complications, or watches comprising at least three classic horological complications, such as a perpetual calendar, chronograph and minute repeater.
However, the name Jaeger-LeCoultre only came in 1937, after Jacques-David LeCoultre accepted the challenge of Edmond Jaeger in 1903 to create the world thinnest watch; which led to Jaeger and LeCoultre collaborating and naming the company Jaeger-LeCoultre. Although the watches made by the company sold under the name Vacheron-LeCoultre due to the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act from 1932 to 1985. It’s also worth mentioning that the company was named LeCoultre & Cie. in 1866.
Refrences:
- https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/our-maison/our-history.html
- https://www.chronext.com/bh/guide/jaeger-lecoultre
