{{short description|Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer}} {{coord|46.61279|6.23678|display=title}} {{Infobox company

| | name = Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA | type = Subsidiary | logo = Jaeger-LeCoultre_logo.svg | founded = {{start date and age|1833}} | founder = Antoine LeCoultre | hq_location_city = [[Le Sentier]], Vaud | hq_location_country = Switzerland | industry = Luxury [[watchmaking]] | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Jérôme Lambert, CEO<ref>{{cite web | title=Richemont names new CEOs at Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin brands | date=December 2024 | url=https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Richemont-names-new-ceos-at-jaeger-lecoultre-and-vacheron-constantin-brands,1683171.html }}</ref> | products = Watches, clocks | parent = [[Richemont]] | website = {{URL|http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/}} }} '''Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA''', or simply '''Jaeger-LeCoultre''' ({{IPA|fr| ʒeʒɛʁ ləkultʁ}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahdP3uPqAOU&t=11s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/ahdP3uPqAOU |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Our Maison - "Beyond the gesture" by Jaeger-LeCoultre|work=Jaeger-LeCoultre|date=10 December 2015|access-date=23 February 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> is a Swiss luxury watchmaker and [[clock]] manufacturer founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 and is based in [[Le Sentier]], Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=5644349|title=Company Overview of Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2019-02-01}}</ref> Since 2000, the company has been a fully owned [[subsidiary]] of the Swiss luxury group [[Richemont]].<ref>{{Citation|title=History including Significant Investments and Divestments|url=http://www.richemont.com/press-centre/company-announcements.html?view=article&id=238/|access-date=5 February 2017|archive-date=25 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025075237/https://www.richemont.com/press-centre/company-announcements.html?view=article&id=238%2F|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Jaeger-LeCoultre is regarded as a top-tier Richemont brand.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/arieladams/2013/06/27/top-watches-for-social-peacocking/|title=Top Watches For Social Peacocking|last=Adams|first=Ariel|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.bucherer.com/editorial/5-reasons-to-own-a-jaeger-lecoultre/|title=5 Reasons To Buy A Jaeger-LeCoultre {{!}} Editorial {{!}} Bucherer|date=2013-07-22|website=Editorial|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302210355/https://uk.bucherer.com/editorial/5-reasons-to-own-a-jaeger-lecoultre/|archive-date=2019-03-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has hundreds of inventions, patents, and more than one thousand [[Movement (clockwork)|movements]] to its name, including the world's smallest movement, one of the world's most complicated [[wristwatches]] (Grande Complication), and a timepiece of [[Perpetual motion|near-perpetual]] movement (the ''[[Atmos clock]]'').<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/brands/brand/s/jaeger-lecoultre/|title=Jaeger-LeCoultre - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie|website=www.hautehorlogerie.org|access-date=2019-02-04}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/brands/history/h/jaeger-lecoultre/|title=History - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie|website=www.hautehorlogerie.org|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref> Enthusiasts refer to the brand as the 'watchmaker's watchmaker'.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davis |first1=Johnny |title=Jaeger-LeCoultre Is The Watchmaker's Watchmaker |url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/watches/a33624020/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-memovex-polaris/ |website=Esquire.com |date=18 August 2020 |publisher=Esquire |access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Early history === [[File:Jaeger-LeCoultre Monument Antoine.jpg|thumb|Monument of Antoine LeCoultre]]

The earliest records of the LeCoultre family in Switzerland date from the 16th century, when Pierre LeCoultre (circa 1530 – circa 1600), a French [[Huguenot]], fled to Geneva from [[Lizy-sur-Ourcq]], France, to escape religious persecution. In 1558, he obtained the status of “inhabitant” but left the following year to acquire a plot of land in the [[Vallée de Joux]]. Over time, a small community formed and in 1612, Pierre LeCoultre's son built a church there, marking the founding of the village of [[Le Sentier]] where the company's factory is still based.<ref>{{Citation|author=Fabrice Gueroux|title=La Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre célèbre 175 ans de développement continu autour de l'atelier d'Antoine LeCoultre|url=http://www.fabricegueroux.com/LA-MANUFACTURE-JAEGER-LECOULTRE-CELEBRE-175-ANS-DE-DEVELOPPEMENT-CONTINU-AUTOUR-DE-L-ATELIER-D-ANTOINE-LECOULTRE_a68.html|access-date=2013-04-26}}</ref>

In 1834, following his invention of a machine to cut watch pinions from steel,<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.businessdestinations.com/relax/fashion/sign-of-the-times/ | title=Business Destinations delves inside the painstaking precision behind fine Swiss watchmaking| access-date=2011-03-15}}</ref> Antoine LeCoultre (1803–1881) founded a small watchmaking workshop in Le Sentier, where he honed his horological skills to create high-quality timepieces.<ref name="Book" /> In 1844, he invented the world's most precise measuring instrument at the time, the Millionomètre, and in 1847 he created a keyless system to rewind and set watches.<ref name="Book">{{Citation | title=The Manufacture's Book of Timepieces, Le Sentier, VD, CH: Jaeger-Lecoultre, 2007.}}</ref> Four years later, he was awarded a gold medal for his work on timepiece [[Accuracy and precision|precision]] and [[mechanization]] at the first [[Universal Exhibition]] in [[London]].<ref name="Book" />

In 1866, at a time when watchmaking skills were divided up among hundreds of small workshops,<ref>{{Citation | url=http://menspassion-online.com/PagesDetalies.asp?PID=546 | title=175 years of continuous development around Antoine LeCoultre's original workshop | access-date=2009-04-12 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114101714/http://menspassion-online.com/PagesDetalies.asp?PID=546 | archive-date=2014-01-14 }}</ref> Antoine and his son, Elie LeCoultre (1842–1917), established the Vallée de Joux's first full-fledged manufactory, LeCoultre & Cie., pooling their employees' expertise under one roof. Under this set-up, they developed in 1870 the first partially mechanised production processes for complicated movements.<ref>{{Citation| url=http://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/news/news/new-temporary-exhibition-in-the-jaeger-lecoultre-heritage-gallery-1938/| title=New temporary exhibition in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Heritage Gallery| access-date=2010-06-21}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

By the same year, the business employed 500 people and was known as the "Grande Maison of the Vallée de Joux", and by 1900, it had created over 350 different calibres, of which 128 were equipped with chronograph functions and 99 with repeater mechanisms. From 1902 and for the next 30 years, LeCoultre & Cie. produced most of the movement blanks for [[Patek Philippe]] of Geneva.

=== Re-organization === [[Image:LeCoultre 1899.jpg|thumb|Share of the SA de la Fabrique d'Horlogerie LeCoultre & Cie, issued 30. June 1899]]In 1903, Paris-based watchmaker to the French Navy, Edmond Jaeger, challenged Swiss manufacturers to develop and produce the ultra-thin movements that he had invented.<ref name="Book"/> Jacques-David LeCoultre, Antoine's grandson who was responsible for production at LeCoultre & Cie., accepted the challenge, giving rise to a collection of ultra-thin pocket watches, including the thinnest in the world in 1907, equipped with the LeCoultre Calibre 145.<ref name="Book" />

The same year, French jeweller [[Cartier (jeweler)|Cartier]], one of Jaeger's clients, signed a contract with the Parisian watchmaker under which all Jaeger movements for a period of fifteen years would be exclusive to Cartier. The movements were produced by LeCoultre.<ref name="Book"/> Edmond Jaeger also acquired the patent for the atmospherically driven clock ''[[Atmos clock|Atmos]]'' from its inventor Jean-Léon Reutter and licensed it to LeCoultre from 1936 for France, and in 1937 for Switzerland.

The collaboration between Jaeger and LeCoultre led to the company being officially renamed ''Jaeger-LeCoultre'' in 1937. Before that, LeCoultre of Switzerland and Jaeger of France also formed a company in England, ''Ed. Jaeger (London) Limited'', in 1921 to make instruments for prestige car manufacturers. In 1927 Jaeger LeCoultre sold 75 per cent of the company to [[Smiths Group#First half of 20th century|S Smith & Sons]] and in 1937 the company name was changed to British Jaeger Instruments Limited.<ref>John Glanville and William M Wolmuth, ''Clockmaking in England and Wales in the Twentieth Century: The Industrialised Manufacture of Domestic Clocks'', Crowood Press 2015 {{ISBN|9781847978967}}</ref> The 1930 [[Bentley Speed Six]] also features gauges made by Jaeger and a clock by S. Smith & Sons.

=== American LeCoultre watches 1932-1985 === Due to the [[Smoot Hawley Tariff]] Act, from 1932 to approximately 1985 watches were cased in locally produced cases in North America and sold under the name ''LeCoultre'' by the company ''Vacheron-LeCoultre'', a subsidiary of [[Longines]]-Wittnauer, with slightly different case designs.

After 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre was adopted uniformly worldwide. According to factory records, the last movement to be used in an American LeCoultre watch was shipped out of Le Sentier in 1976.

Some collectors and misinformed dealers have made the erroneous claim that American ''LeCoultre'' is not associated with Jaeger-LeCoultre Switzerland. The confusion stems from the 1950s, when the North American distributor of LeCoultre watches was the Longines-Wittnauer Group, which also was responsible for the distribution of [[Vacheron Constantin]] timepieces. Collectors have confused this distribution channel with the manufacture of the watches. According to Jaeger-LeCoultre enthusiast Zaf Basha, the "Galaxy", an upmarket mysterious dial diamond watch, is a collaboration between Vacheron & Constantin and LeCoultre for the American market. It features “LeCoultre” on the front and “Vacheron &amp; Constantin — LeCoultre” stamped on the case. Watches for ladies also bore "LeCoultre" on the front.

The LeCoultre trademark expired in 1985 and was replaced by the Jaeger-LeCoultre trademark.<ref>{{Citation | title=Jaeger-LeCoultre: a guide for the collector, Basha, Zaf, 2008. }}</ref>

== Watch manufacturing ==

=== Notable inventions and patents === [[File:Talbot speedo by Jaeger (17001304221).jpg|thumb|120px|Speedometer 1934 [[Talbot 105]]]] Since Jaeger-LeCoultre's founding, the company has produced over 1,242 different [[Movement (clockwork)|calibres]], registered approximately 400 patents and created hundreds of inventions.<ref name=":0" />

* In 1844, Antoine LeCoultre invented the Millionomètre, which was the first instrument in history capable of measuring the micron, allowing for the precise manufacture of watch parts. The invention was never patented, as no such system existed in Switzerland at the time. However, its unique composition was kept a closely guarded secret, used by the company for more than fifty years. It was presented at the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exhibition]] in Paris in 1900.<ref name="Book Cologni" /> * In 1847, Antoine invented a keyless watch,<ref name="Book Cologni">{{Citation | title=Jaeger-LeCoultre: La Grande Maison, Franco Cologni, Flammarion, 2006.}}</ref> the second simple and reliable winding and time-setting system to do without a key after [[Patek Philippe]]'s version of 1845.<ref>Stacy Perman: ''A Grand Complication: The Race to Build the World's Most Legendary Watch.'' [[Simon and Schuster]], 2013. p. 155. {{ISBN|9781439190104}}.</ref> Instead, it relied on a small push-piece that activated a lever to change over from one function to another.<ref name="Book" /> Again, the invention was not [[patent]]ed, allowing other watchmakers to quickly implement the system.<ref name="Book Cologni" /> * In 1866, for the first time in watchmaking history, ''LeCoultre & Cie.'' began to manufacture calibres with small [[Complication (horology)|complications]] in small series, and in 1891 combined the [[chronograph]] and [[Repeater (horology)|minute repeater]] complications into a double complication calibre.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/FR/en/content/double-complications-1.html | title=Double complications | access-date=2013-05-13 | archive-date=2013-07-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713144151/http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/FR/en/content/double-complications-1.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Book Cologni" /> In 2004, Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Gyrotourbillon I, its first grande complication wristwatch, featuring a [[tourbillon]] gravitating on two axes, along with a perpetual calendar with double retrograde indicators and a running equation of time.<ref name="Book Cologni" /> In 2006, it released the Reverso grande complication à triptyque, the first watch in history to be equipped with three dials driven by a single movement,<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.timeandwatches.com/p/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-history.html | title=History of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, 2012}}</ref> and in 2009 the company produced one of the world's most complicated wristwatches, the Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie with 26 complications.<ref>{{Citation | title=Jæger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica, Professional Watches, 2009-6.}}</ref> * In 1907, the LeCoultre Calibre 145 set the record for the world's thinnest movement at 1.38&nbsp;mm thick, appearing in pocket watches that remain to this day the thinnest in their category.<ref name="Book Cologni" /> From 1907 until the 1960s, the movement was produced in some 400 copies.<ref>{{Citation|title=Master Ultra Thin Jubilee|url=http://www.europastar.com/premiere/1004086018-jaeger-lecoultre-special-master-grande-tradition.html#.UV6iLqt-ZW0|access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref>

=== Environmental rating === [[File:Top_5_Gold_Producers.png|thumb|Top 5 gold producing nations]] In December 2018, [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] (WWF) released an official report giving environmental ratings for 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in [[Switzerland]].<ref name=":44">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wwf.ch/sites/default/files/doc-2018-12/2018_12_07_WWF%20Watch%20and%20Jewellery%20Report%202018_final_e_0.pdf|title=Environmental rating and industry report 2018|website=World Wide Fund for Nature|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref><ref name=":45">{{Cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/benchmark-report_swiss-luxury-watches-fail-to-meet-environmental-standards/44628536|title=Swiss luxury watches fail to meet environmental standards|website=SWI swissinfo.ch|date=19 December 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref> Jaeger-LeCoultre, along with 3 other manufacturers including [[Vacheron Constantin]] and [[Cartier (jeweler)|Cartier]], was given an average environmental rating as "Upper Midfield", suggesting that the manufacturer has taken first actions addressing the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment and [[climate change]].<ref name=":44" />

In jewelry and watchmaking industry, there are general concerns over the lack of transparency in manufacturing activities and the sourcing of precious raw materials such as [[gold]], which is a [[Environmental impact of mining|major cause of environmental issues]] such as [[pollution]], [[soil degradation]] and [[deforestation]].<ref name=":44" /><ref name=":45" /> The situation is especially serious in the [[developing countries]] which are top producers of gold, including [[China]], [[Russia]] and [[South Africa]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/aug/15/developing-countries-high-price-global-mineral-boom|title=How developing countries are paying a high price for the global mineral boom|last1=Vidal|first1=John|date=2015-08-15|work=The Observer|access-date=2019-02-02|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/6996-China-needs-to-get-to-grips-with-its-gold-mining-pollution-crisis|title=China needs to get to grips with its gold mining pollution crisis|website=www.chinadialogue.net|date=28 May 2014|language=en|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://born2invest.com/articles/mining-in-russia-an-economic-boost-or-an-environmental-threat/|title=Mining in Russia: An economic boost or an environmental threat?|last=Einhorn|first=Dom|date=2015-02-09|website=Born2Invest|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mining.com/south-africa-has-failed-to-protect-locals-from-gold-mine-pollution-harvard-report/|title=South Africa has failed to protect locals from gold mine pollution: Harvard report|date=2016-10-12|website=MINING.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref> It is estimated that the watch and jewelry sector uses over 50% of world's annual gold production (over 2,000 tons), but in most cases the watch companies are not able to or are unwilling to demonstrate where their raw materials come from and if the material suppliers use [[eco-friendly]] sourcing technologies.<ref name=":44" />

== Notable models ==

=== Reverso === [[File:Jaeger-LeCoultre-Reverso.jpg|thumb|right|The Reverso watch]] Its name inspired by the [[Latin]] “I turn around”, the Reverso was created in 1931 as a watch capable of surviving the hard knocks of a [[polo]] game: The origin of the watch creation is rooted in the early 1930s when a group of Polo players asked César de Trey, a watch dealer, to create a timepiece that could withstand the rigours of their sport. César de Trey followed up on the request with a letter to his colleague and watch manufacturer, Jacques-David LeCoultre. René-Alfred Chauvot, was a French engineer with LeCoultre, and was engaged to develop this new watchcase. Mr. Chauvot designed a reversible case that could protect the fragile dial and glass of the watch. The final design, that is still in use today, allows for the case to be swivelled in its carrier to protect the watch glass. The design is considered a classic of [[Art Deco]].<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

A list of notable watches from the Reverso line include the following:

* The Reverso Classic Large Duoface Small Second, available in stainless steel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Insider: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Large Duoface Small Second. Hands-on with an Elegant Understated Timepiece that is Like Having Two Watches in One.|url=https://www.watchcollectinglifestyle.com/home/insider-jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-classic-large-duoface-small-second-hands-on-with-an-elegant-understated-timepiece|access-date=2020-07-14|website=WATCH COLLECTING LIFESTYLE|language=en-US}}</ref> * The Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Burgundy Red, available in stainless steel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Insider: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Burgundy Red|url=https://www.watchcollectinglifestyle.com/home/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-tribute-small-seconds-burgundy-red-review|access-date=2020-07-14|website=WATCH COLLECTING LIFESTYLE|language=en-US}}</ref> * The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931, available in stainless steel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Insider: Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931. One of the Most Iconic Watches of All Time.|url=https://www.watchcollectinglifestyle.com/home/insider-jaeger-lecoultre-grande-reverso-ultra-thin-tribute-to-1931|access-date=2020-07-14|website=WATCH COLLECTING LIFESTYLE|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Duoplan === In 1925, the LeCoultre Calibre 7BF Duoplan was created in an effort to bring together miniaturisation and precision. The fashion of the period was for small wristwatches, however small calibres often suffered from a loss of reliability. Created by Henri Rodanet, the technical director of Etablissements Ed. Jaeger, the Duoplan was built on two levels – hence its name – enabling it to maintain a large-size balance.<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

The Duoplan was also one of the first gem-set steel watches and, in 1929, its glass was replaced with [[Sapphire|sapphire crystal]], a first in watchmaking. The Duoplan was insured by Lloyd's of London with a special after-sales service, and a damaged movement could be replaced in a few minutes, leading London-based store owner Tyme to display in its shop window: “You won’t have time to finish your cigarette before your watch is repaired”.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation | title=The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates its 180th anniversary}}</ref>

=== Joaillerie 101 === The Duoplan led to the creation in 1929 of the world's still-smallest mechanical movement, the Calibre 101, whose 74 original parts (98 today) weighed a total of approximately one gram. The second family of watches equipped with the Calibre 101, Joaillerie 101 Étrier appeared in the 1930s. In 1953, [[Elizabeth II]] of the United Kingdom wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 wristwatch for her [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|coronation]].<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.ablogtowatch.com/reflecting-on-the-jaeger-lecoultre-calibre-101-movement-worlds-smallest/ | title=Reflecting on the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 101 movement – World's smallest| access-date=2010-07-16| author=Ariel Adams| date=16 July 2010}}</ref>

=== Atmos === {{main|Atmos clock}} [[File:Atmos img 3422.jpg|thumb|The Atmos]] The [[Atmos clock|Atmos Clock]] is a timepiece of [[Perpetual motion|near-perpetual movement]] needing no human intervention and almost no energy. Invented by Swiss engineer Jean-Léon Reutter in 1928 in [[Neuchâtel]], the Atmos clock has been the Swiss government's official gift for important guests since 1950. Patented in 1928, the first version – known today as the Atmos 1 – was marketed by La Compagnie Générale de Radiologie (CGR) in 1930.<ref>{{Citation | title=Wireless Sensor Networks: Architectures and Protocols, Callaway, Edgar H, US CRC Press, 2003.}}</ref>

It derives energy from small [[temperature]] and [[atmospheric pressure]] changes in the environment, and can run for years without human intervention. Wound by a capsule filled with a mixture of temperature-sensitive gases, a 1&nbsp;°C fluctuation is enough to store sufficient energy to supply the clock with two days' autonomy.<ref>{{Citation | title=Jaeger-LeCoultre: a guide for the collector, Basha, Zaf, 2008.}}</ref> Its balance, suspended from a steel-alloy wire thinner than a hair, performs two vibrations per minute; its gearing requires no lubricant. The Atmos' gearing is known for its accuracy: the moon-phase model, for example, accumulates a one-day discrepancy only once every 3,821 years.<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

The patents were subsequently purchased by Jaeger-LeCoultre in France 1936 and in Switzerland in 1937. The company then spent ten years perfecting the clock before beginning to manufacture it in its current technological form in 1946.<ref name="Book Cologni"/> In 1988, the Kohler and Rekow design agency created a two-piece limited edition showcase for the clock and, in 2003, the Manufacture released the Atmos Mystérieuse, driven by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 583 and comprising 1,460 parts.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://en.argusdesmontres.com/jaeger-lecoultre/the-atmos-the-other-jaeger-lecoultre-icon-20-12-2012-1604769_955.php | title=Atmos Mystérieuse | access-date=2013-05-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310175659/http://en.argusdesmontres.com/jaeger-lecoultre/the-atmos-the-other-jaeger-lecoultre-icon-20-12-2012-1604769_955.php | archive-date=2013-03-10 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Futurematic === In 1951, the Manufacture released the [[Futurematic]], the first automatic movement that lacked the ability to be hand wound, the calibre 497, Calibre 497 debuted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic and was much more advanced than the earlier JLC 476 and JLC 481. It features a larger balance for improved accuracy and hacking seconds. One unique feature is a lock that holds the swinging weight in place when the mainspring is fully wound. It also features a special 6 hour power reserve, allowing the watch to immediately function when it is put on, rather than requiring it to be wound first.

The Calibre 497 featured a power reserve indicator along with small seconds located at the unusual position of 3:00. There is no crown on either side of the case. The crown to set the time is on the rear of the case.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://montrespubliques.com/new-1minute-reads/the-jaeger-lecoultre-futurematic-the-ultimate-automatic-movement|title=THE JAEGER-LECOULTRE FUTUREMATIC: THE ULTIMATE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT - Montres Publiques - the vintage watch magazine |work=Montres Publiques }}</ref>

Calibre 817 was used in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic and was a modification of the existing Calibre 497. Like that movement, it has a power reserve indicator at 9:00 and small seconds 3:00, but in Cal. 817 and Cal. 837 these are tiny round windows rather than being full subdials. Calibre 827 returned to the full subdial format.

Calibres 817, 827, and 837 were produced from 1956 through 1958, with just 3,500 movements made. About 3,000 of Cal. 817, 1,000 of Cal. 827, and just 500 of Cal. 837 were made.

Approximately 52,500 examples of Calibre 497 were produced between 1951 and 1958.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

It has been said that the whole project for the Futurematic almost made the company bankrupt, as they never fully recovered their investment from sales of the Futurematic series of watches.

=== Memovox === [[File:Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox model E855 with calibre K825 (2).JPG|thumb|Memovox]] In 1950, the Manufacture released the [[Memovox]] (portmanteau of ''memoria'' and ''vox'', “voice of memory”), a year after the model ''cricket'' was released by ''Vulcain''. Its striking mechanism could be used as an alarm for waking up, appointments, timetables, etc. The first models were hand wound and equipped with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 489.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.watchtime.com/reviews/wake-up-caller-jaeger-lecoultres-master-memovox/ | title=Wake-up Caller: Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master Memovox| access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref>

In 1956, a Memovox featuring the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 815 became the first self-winding alarm watch in history, while shortly thereafter the company marked its 125th anniversary by releasing the Memovox Worldtime. In 1959, the Memovox Deep Sea was equipped with a specific alarm to remind divers to begin their ascension, and in 1965, the Memovox Polaris was released with a patented triple case back to optimise the transmission of sound under water.<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

The latter model would go on to inspire the current Master Compressor and AMVOX lines. It was reproduced in 2008 under the name Memovox Tribute to Polaris.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.worldtempus.com/en/watches/find-your-watch/detail-view/news_category/jaeger-lecoultre/element/tx_worldtempus_cache/memovox-tribute-to-polaris-2/ | title=Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Polaris | access-date=2013-05-13 | archive-date=2013-01-14 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114234143/http://www.worldtempus.com/en/watches/find-your-watch/detail-view/news_category/jaeger-lecoultre/element/tx_worldtempus_cache/memovox-tribute-to-polaris-2 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Geophysic === [[Image:Jaeger Lecoultre img 0992.jpg|thumb|Jaeger-Lecoultre [[Tourbillon]] movement watch|alt=|285x285px]]In honour of the [[International Geophysical Year]] in 1958, Jaeger-LeCoultre created a watch protected against magnetic fields, water and shocks. The Geophysic chronometer was proposed by long-time employee Jules-César Savary as a watch intended for scientific bases in [[Antarctica]]. The watch was fitted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 478BWS and featured seventeen jewels, a [[Breguet (watch)|Breguet]] overcoil, a regulating spring on the balance-cock, a shock-absorber and a Glucydur balance. The year of its release, the Geophysic was offered to [[William Anderson (naval officer)|William R. Anderson]], the captain of the [[USS Nautilus (SSN-571)|Nautilus]], the first American nuclear submarine to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the North Pole.<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

=== Grand Complication === JLC produces some complicated watches ([[Grand complication]]), e.g. the Master Gyrotourbillon 1<ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3z3XIl2nYfA Master Gyrotourbillon 1 (WatchAdvisor - YouTube)]</ref> with a spherical [[Tourbillon]].<ref name="Book"/> The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon is equipped with a tourbillon adjustable to the nearest second; the Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau is equipped with a minute-repeater shutter as a third face covering one of its two dials; the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication is equipped with a flying tourbillon that follows the rhythm of celestial phenomena and indicates [[sidereal time]], and a minute repeater comprising cathedral gongs; the Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie is equipped with gongs capable of playing the entire [[Big Ben]] chime; the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 is equipped with a spherical tourbillon principle, a reversible case and a cylindrical balance; the Master Compressor Extreme LAB is oil-free; the Gyrotourbillon 1 is equipped with a tourbillon evolving in three dimensions to compensate for the effects of gravity in all positions.<ref name="Book Cologni"/>

== Notable patrons and owners == [[File:Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (Kremlin exhibition) by shakko 28.jpg|thumb|237x237px|A Jaeger-LeCoultre pocket watch]] [[Image:Jaeger-Lecoultre-p1000841.jpg|thumb|Jaeger-Lecoultre mechanical automatic movement watch with day of the month [[Complication (horology)|complication]] and [[power reserve]] indicator]] === Artists ===

* [[Charlie Chaplin]], English comic actor & filmmaker<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethdoerr/2016/07/30/found-charlie-chaplins-jaeger-lecoultre-memovox-from-1953/|title=Found: Charlie Chaplin's Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox from 1953|last=Doerr|first=Elizabeth|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-03-02}}</ref> * [[Pablo Picasso]], Spanish artist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/article/pablo-picasso-watch-collection|title=The maker of Pablo Picasso's most valuable watches remains unknown|last=Tong|first=Alfred|website=GQ|date=3 July 2020 |language=en|access-date=2022-05-29}}</ref>

=== Celebrities and Musicians ===

*[[Benedict Cumberbatch]], English actor *[[Pierce Brosnan]], Irish actor *[[Steve McQueen]], American actor<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://quillandpad.com/2019/08/15/steve-mcqueen-the-set-of-le-mans-and-a-surprising-cartier-tank/ |title= Steve McQueen, The Set Of ‘Le Mans,’ And A Surprising Cartier Tank|website=Quill & Pad|language=en|access-date=2025-09-24}}</ref> *[[Leonardo DiCaprio]], American actor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-02-07-0502080045-story.html|title=$325,000Price of the Jaeger-LeCoultre watch best actor...|website=chicagotribune.com|date=7 February 2005 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europastar.com/news/1003560354-leonardo-dicaprio-jaeger-lecoultre.html|title=Leonardo DiCaprio & Jaeger-LeCoultre|website=www.europastar.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-02}}</ref> *[[Robert Downey Jr.|Robert Downey, Jr.]], American actor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/robert-downey-jrs-watch-collection-is-strange-sordid-and-very-expensive|title=Robert Downey Jr.'s Watch Collection is Strange, Sordid, and Very Expensive|date=2016-05-11|website=GQ|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> *[[Kit Harington]], English actor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/25-top-watches-hollywood-loves-948877/item/top-25-watches-robert-iger-officine-panerai-948940|title=Robert Iger in Officine Panerai - 25 Top Watches Hollywood Loves|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 November 2016|language=en|access-date=2019-03-02}}</ref> * [[Jay-Z|Jay Z]], American rapper<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/spotted-jay-z-wearing-a-jaeger-lecoultre-tribute-to-1931-rev|title=Watch Spotting: Jay-Z Wearing A Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute To 1931 Reverso At Carnegie Hall|date=February 8, 2012|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> * [[Amanda Seyfried]], American actress<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/chronicles/amanda-seyfried-and-reverso.html|title= Amanda Seyfried x Reverso}}</ref> * [[Stromae]], Belgian Artist<ref>{{Citation |title=10 Things Stromae Can't Live Without {{!}} GQ | date=29 April 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o99d66wNfQ |language=en |access-date=2022-05-08}}</ref> *[[John Mills]], English actor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://almostontime.com/what-watch-does-john-mills-wear-in-above-us-the-waves/|title=What watch does John Mills wear in Above Us The Waves?|website=Almost On Time|language=en|access-date=2022-05-30}}</ref> *[[Meryl Streep]], American actress<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/style/watches/my-jaeger-lecoultre-stephane-belmont-meryl-streep|title=Why Jaeger-LeCoultre Gifted Meryl Streep A Vintage Reverso Watch, And How Margaret Thatcher Played A Part In It|website=Tatler Asia|language=en|access-date=2025-09-24}}</ref> *[[Eddie Van Halen]], Dutch American musician<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quillandpad.com/2021/10/06/wrist-watching-3-of-eddie-van-halens-watches-as-amazing-as-his-guitar-solos-from-jaeger-lecoultre-corum-and-bell-ross-reprise//|title=Wrist watching 3 of Eddie Van Halens Watches|website=Quill and Pad|language=en|access-date=2026-03-20}}</ref>

=== Adventure and Sports === *[[Amelia Earhart]], aviation pioneer & author<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/msolomon/2016/03/23/a-brief-history-of-jaeger-lecoultres-reverso-watch-85th-anniversary/#4b38a2f975ef|title=Found: Luxury Lineage: A Brief History of Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso Watch|last=Solomon|first=Michael|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-06-18}}</ref> *[[Carlo Ancelotti]], Football Manager & player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DH_gDXEPkJV|title=Don Carlo wears the Jaeger-LeCoultre Squadra Hometime|last=Ancelotti|first=Carlo|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref> *[[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], Snooker Champion<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.watchprosite.com/digest/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-classique-grande-taille-guide|title=Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classique vs. Grande Taille|last= O’Sullivan|first=Ronnie|website=WatchProSite|language=en|access-date=2026-04-08}}</ref>

=== Politicians === *[[Winston Churchill]], British Statesman and soldier<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://relojesatmosreparacion.com/atmos-famosos/|title=Atmos famosos|website=relojesatmosreparacion.com|language=es|access-date=2022-05-30}}</ref> *[[Lyndon B. Johnson]], 36th President of the [[United States]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-hodinkee-weekly-round-up-returns-a-jlc-memovox-owned-by-a-us-president-a-nice-old-camaro-and-killer-submariner|title=The Hodinkee Weekly Round-Up Returns! A JLC Memovox Owned By A US President, A Nice Old Camaro, And Killer Submariner|date=May 3, 2013|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> * [[Bill Clinton]], 42nd President of the United States<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deployant.com/spot-the-watch-bill-clinton-the-42nd-president-of-the-united-states/|title=Spot the Watch: Bill Cindia-20 |date=13 March 2015 }}</ref> *[[Douglas MacArthur]], American [[Five-star rank|Five-star General]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/macarthurs-personal-jlc-reverso-pictures|title=Hands-On: General Douglas MacArthur's Personal Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso|date=September 14, 2015|first=Benjamin|last=Clymer|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-01-24}}</ref> * [[Salvador Allende]], 28th President of Chile (1970-1973).

=== Royalty ===

* [[Edward VIII]], King of the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Duke of Windsor]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-made-for-king-edward-viii|title=Found: The Watch That Would (Not) Be King: A Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Made For King Edward VIII|date=February 15, 2016|first=Arthur|last=Touchot|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> * [[Elizabeth II]], Queen of the United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/chronicles/news-events/heritage-wonders-caliber-101.html|title=Heritage Wonders: caliber 101|website=Jaeger-LeCoultre|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref>

== Sponsorship and philanthropy == Since 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre has held close ties with the equestrian sports community and counts the Polo Club de Veytay as one of its partners.

In 2004, Jaeger-LeCoultre teamed with [[Aston Martin]] to launch the Aston Martin Jaeger-LeCoultre gentleman's watch - the AMVOX1. The design of the timepiece was inspired by a 70-year historical link between the two companies. The dashboard of the 1930s, 1.5-litre Aston Martin LM – a regular class winner in international motorsport – contained instruments created by Jaeger-LeCoultre.<ref>{{Citation | url=http://www.astonmartin.com/the-company/partners/jaeger-lecoultre | title=Jaeger-LeCoultre | access-date=2013-05-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114110140/http://www.astonmartin.com/the-company/partners/jaeger-lecoultre | archive-date=2014-01-14 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 2011, the Responsible Jewellery Council announced that Jaeger-LeCoultre had obtained certification for its commitment to human rights and for meeting the ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC's Member Certification system.<ref>{{Citation|title=Jaeger Lecoultre Certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council|url=http://www.diamondne.ws/2011/10/19/jaeger-lecoultre-certified-by-the-responsible-jewellery-council/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208190022/http://www.diamondne.ws/2011/10/19/jaeger-lecoultre-certified-by-the-responsible-jewellery-council/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-02-08}}</ref>

In 2012, in partnership with the Italian luxury leathergoods brand [[Valextra]], Jaeger-LeCoultre began offering a two-tone version of its ladies’ Reverso watch.<ref>{{Citation| url=http://www.worldtempus.com/en/news/top-news/detail/article/1328540195-jaeger-lecoultre-a-reverso-for-st-valentines-day/| title=Jaeger-Lecoultre- A Reverso for St-Valentine's day| access-date=2012-02-06| archive-date=2012-02-11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211030712/http://www.worldtempus.com/en/news/top-news/detail/article/1328540195-jaeger-lecoultre-a-reverso-for-st-valentines-day| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Jaeger-LeCoultre and the ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'' have joined forces with [[UNESCO]]'s World Heritage Centre in support of the World Heritage Marine Programme. The partnership provides funding and media exposure for one of the World Heritage Committee's priority programmes, leading to the listing of new marine sites and protection measures for the 46 sites already listed. Each year, the programme as well as the sites are featured in print and online news articles by the International Herald Tribune, thus offering increased visibility to the partnership.<ref>{{Citation|title=Jaeger-LeCoultre|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/jaeger-lecoultre}}</ref>

In addition, the company partners with the [[Venice Film Festival]] to present the [[Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award]].

== See also ==

* [[List of watch manufacturers]] *''[[Manufacture d'horlogerie]]'' *[[Atmos clock]] *[[Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup]]

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Jaeger-LeCoultre}} *{{Official website|http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/}} *{{Citation | url = http://www.webcreation-industry.com/video_media/jaeger/jaeger%20lecoultre%20def.wmv | format = MS WMV | type = video | title = Jaeger-LeCoultre | publisher = Webcreation industry}}. *{{Citation | url = http://www.timeandwatches.com/p/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-history.html | title = History of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso| publisher = Time and Watches}}. *{{Citation | url = http://www.atmosadam.com/ | title = Photograph of Edmond Jaeger and Antoine LeCoultre | publisher = Atmos Adam}}. *{{Citation | url = http://www.tendancehorlogerie.com/histoire-jaeger-lecoultre/ | title = The history and calibers pictures of Jaeger-Lecoultre | publisher = Tendance horlogerie | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091212121212/http://www.tendancehorlogerie.com/histoire-jaeger-lecoultre | archive-date = 2009-12-12 }}. *{{Citation | url=http://www.richemont.com/press-centre/company-announcements.html?view=article&id=238/ | title=Richemont acquires Les Manufactures Horlogères SA and the outstanding 40 per cent of Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA | publisher=Richemont | access-date=2012-12-06 | archive-date=2017-10-25 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025075237/https://www.richemont.com/press-centre/company-announcements.html?view=article&id=238%2F | url-status=dead }}. {{Richemont}}

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[[Category:Watch manufacturing companies of Switzerland]] [[Category:Swiss watch brands]] [[Category:Clock manufacturing companies of Switzerland]] [[Category:Richemont brands]] [[Category:Luxury brands]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1833]] [[Category:Swiss companies established in 1833]] [[Category:Companies based in Vaud]]