PERFECTING TIME

With its unique Atelier d'Antoine programme and an assembly of artisans, Jaeger-LeCoultre shows how it takes watchcraft into the next level.

- BRANDON CHIA

It is hard to imagine how a small barn-turned-watchmaking studio in the secluded Vallée de Joux in Switzerland could produce some of the world's most elegant and complex movements such as the Reverso, the Calibre 101 and the myriad of celestial complications.

And Jaeger-LeCoultre's journey into the annals of horology has led the Marque to capture the title "Watchmaker of Watchmakers", an accolade that is earned after decades of exceptional craftsmanship, high precision performance and boundary-breaking creativity-all achieved by the watchmaker extraordinaire and the 1,400 calibres it has created since the Maison's inception in 1833.

Founder Antoine LeCoultre was a visionary obsessed with accuracy, dedicating his life to creating tools vital in making the smallest parts for the most precise calibres. This drive for horological perfection propelled him to bring every aspect of watchmaking and its specialists under one roof, which was unheard of then.

Whether he knew it or not, this unification has served the brand well almost two centuries later with the addition of decorative artisans such as enamellers, engravers and gem setters housed within a single manufacture. This proximity has allowed the unique ensemble of craftsmen to work together seamlessly and creatively.

The Maison is also one of the few watchmakers in the world capable of developing, producing and decorating all its luxury timepieces in its own workshops.

Of course, the crafting behind these wrist-sized masterpieces are not meant to be secreted away as JaegerLeCoultre is passionate and generous about sharing its watchmaking prowess with collectors and enthusiasts around the globe through the Atelier d'Antoine initiative.

The Universe Of WATCHMAKING