Jaeger-LeCoultre: Tales in the pursuit of precision

Jaeger-LeCoultre has revealed more than just new models that exemplify its quest for precision, but the very journey for perfection that the maison has undertaken

Since its establishment in 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre has always been in the pursuit of precision. The maison’s quest has been captured in The Precision Maker exhibition. The story of intellectual rigour and technical ingenuity that it takes to achieve precision will be divided into four chapters.

The opening chapter – The Precision of Production – tells the origin story of how founder Antoine LeCoultre translated his obsession with precision into inventions that laid the foundations for the modern watchmaking industry. From cutting-edge technologies to meticulous hand-craftsmanship, it shows how his spirit has driven the maison for almost two centuries.

Next, The Precision of Chronometry spotlights milestones in the development of chronometer-certified timepieces, from 19th century pocket watches to modern creations made and certified under the rigorous 1000-Hour Control protocol.

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

Finally, 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 that compromise that regular flow. This last chapter in the exhibition shows why the chronograph is the most challenging complication in terms of precision and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s solution to it. It is the Duometre mechanism that was introduced in 2007, a chronograph that has subsequently been united with other complications and released as a collection in its own right.

At Watches and Wonders 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced 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.

Following its debut in Geneva, The Precision Maker exhibition will travel to Dubai in May 2024 and Beijing in September 2024.

The Precision Maker exhibition isn’t the only thing Jaeger-LeCoultre is doing to tell its story. The maison’s Made of Makers programme has some surprises in store.

The first is a commissioning of two Michelin-starred Chef Himanshu Saini to create The Precision Atelier, a new gastronomic experience dedicated to the science of ingredients.

The new experience invites visitors to sample four savoury bites paired with beverages to showcase Chef Saini’s unique fusion of flavour and science, achived by precise blending and artistic presentations.

The other new venture under Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Made of Makers programme is by Roy Wang, a Chinese street light-painter. He has created a one stop motion video and three experimental photographs embodying the precision of fine watchmaking expressed through light.

Just as the quest for precision never stops, neither does the storytelling that surrounds it.

Also see: Watches and Wonders 2024: The skinny on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reimagined ultra thin perpetual calendar