1 The watchmaker of excellence

1.1A unique vision of excellence

1.2The origins of La Grande Maison

Welcome

Get ready to enter a place where everyone strives for excellence, where hard work and continuous improvement drive the pursuit of precision and quality every day.

1.1 A unique vision of excellence

The JAEGER-LECOULTRE manifesto

Since 1833, in the Vallée de Joux, stands one of the most respected Swiss high watchmaking Manufactures: La Grande Maison. Inspired by the beauty and complexity of Nature, we capture its inherent rhythms in distinctive watchmaking complications.

Fueled by a relentless spirit of invention, we blend passion with centuries-old savoir-faire to give life to an unparalleled number of great masterpieces. Driven by the same inner fire, we share our passion for hand-crafted treasures and rare technical feats with the world.

Timeless, and always up with the times, we are the link between the past and the future. Our sophisticated elegance steadily reinvents style and refinement.

Our
manifesto

Going against the current and the desire for immediate recognition, we believe it takes:
Patience, to achieve precision,
Effort, to reach greatness,
Practice, for perfection to appear.

At Jaeger-LeCoultre
we believe in one thing:

It takes time
to reach excellence

1.2 The origins of La Grande Maison

The origin:
born in the Vallée de Joux

Jaeger-LeCoultre was born in the Vallée de Joux, in the Jura mountains of Switzerland. A remote land of great beauty and serenity, refuge to the French Huguenots who fled religious persecutions in the 16th century.

Among them was Pierre LeCoultre, the ancestor of Antoine LeCoultre. Confined indoors during the long winter months, these new settlers learned the watchmaking trade, eventually giving rise to the greatest high watchmaking creations.

Founded by Antoine LeCoultre

In 1833, Antoine LeCoultre transformed his family’s farm into a watchmaking atelier. Balancing intellect and imagination, obsessed with accuracy, he created the tools required to develop the smallest parts.

The great accuracy of his movements, achieved though the invention of instruments such as the Millionometer, is quickly recognized, leading him to supply some of the most renowned watchmaking brands with his calibers and earning the nickname of « the Watchmaker of Watchmakers ».

By 1877, the Manufacture was the most important company in the Vallée de Joux, hosting over 450 craftsmen under its roof, and was known to all as « La Grande Maison », the French for « The Big House ».

LeCoultre meets Jaeger

In 1903

A meeting between Edmond Jaeger, a Paris-based watchmaker for the French Navy, and Jacques-David LeCoultre changed the face of watchmaking forever.

In 1907

From this encounter was born the « Couteau » (knife in French) pocket watch housing the ultra-thin caliber designed by Jaeger and developped by the LeCoultre Manufacture, marking the start of a wonderful partnership.

In 1937

Sharing the same spirit of innovation and pursuit for precision, their collaboration over the years led to a formal merger of their companies, thus renaming the brand Jaeger-LeCoultre.

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