| History of Jaeger-LeCoultre Founded: 1833 Founding place: Le Sentier, Switzerland Founded by: Antoine LeCoultre Current headquarters: Le Sentier, Switzerland Owned by: Richmont Group Official name: Jaeger-LeCoultre  |
The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre starts in the 19th century when Antoine LeCoultre (1803-1881) invented a machine to cut watch pinions from steel. In 1833 he founded a small watchmaking workshop in Le Sentier, a village that was more or less founded by his ancestors in 1612. They built a church which marked the founding of Le Sentier, a plot of land in the Vallée de Joux which was acquired by Pierre LeCoultre (circa 1530 – circa 1600). He was a French Huguenot who fled to Geneva from Lisy-sur-Ourcq, France, to escape religious persecution. In Geneva he obtained the status of “inhabitant” in 1558.
It was 1844 when founder Antoine LeCoultre invented the world’s most precise measuring instrument at the time, the Millionomètre. Three years later he created a keyless system to rewind and set watches. He was awarded a gold medal in 1851 for his work on timepiece precision and mechanization at the first Universal Exhibition in London. In 1866, Antoine and his son Elie LeCoultre (1842-1917) established the Vallée de Joux’s first full-fledged manufacture. It was named LeCoultre & Cie. and employed around 500 people.
In 1903 there is a Paris-based watchmaker who works for to the French Navy. His name is Edmond Jaeger and invented an ultra-thin movement. Somehow he wasn’t able to produce it himself and therefor he challenges Swiss manufacturers to develop and produce that ultra-thin movement he had invented.
Antoine LeCoultre’s grandson Jacques-David LeCoultre was responsible for production at LeCoultre & Cie. And he accepts Jaeger’s challenge. He develops a collection of ultra-thin pocket watches, including the thinnest one in the world in 1907.
Years later, in 1937, the collaboration between Jaeger and LeCoultre leads to the company being officially renamed Jaeger-LeCoultre. But, from 1932 to approximately 1985, due to the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act, their watches for the American market were sold in cases produced in North America. This was under the name LeCoultre, by the company Vacheron-LeCoultre, which was a subsidiary of Longines-Wittnauer. After 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre was adopted uniformly worldwide.
The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre:
1803 – Birth of Antoine LeCoultre
1833 – Antoine LeCoultre starts a workshop in Le Sentier
1844 – Invents the Millionomètre
1847 – Creates keyless system to rewind and set watches
1851 – Receives a gold medal for his work
1866 – Establishes LeCoultre & Cie. with son Elie
1903 – Edmond Jaeger challenges Swiss watch makers
? – Jacques-David LeCoultre accepts the challenge
1907 – Jacques-David LeCoultre creates the thinnest watch in the world
1937 – Collaboration leads to the founding of Jaeger-LeCoultre
1985 – Jaeger-LeCoultre is uniformly worldwide adapted
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