As noted in an earlier post, Jaeger-LeCoultre in Le Sentier has re-designed the workflow and physical department spaces for several of its major manufacturing departments and plans to expand its already extensive historical displays.
One of the most impressive reconfigured departments is the firm’s Rare Crafts Atelier, where eleven gem setters, seven enamellers, five engravers, a guilloché specialist, three artisans dedicated to chamfering, as well as a polisher, exert their skills. In total, the new space unites more than thirty artisans. The floor’s central area, enclosed by glass, includes an impressive multi-media visual display that transmits a close-up look at the work of any of several artists as he or she works on a dial or case.
During a recent visit to the always impressive Le Sentier facility, where 1,300 people design and manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre’s timepieces, I watched within the Rare Crafts Atelier as the new visual display system projected an image, at forty times the real size, of a dial being painted by enameller Yoan Descollonges, who was adding color to a stunning enamel dial depicting the famed Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Visiting his bench minutes later we saw the actual dial, which, despite its finalized appearance (to my eye) is actually a practice palette.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s enameled dials have become a primary example of the brand’s focus on traditional artistic dial renderings ever since Miklos Merczel re-founded the company’s enameling workshops in the 1990s. Janek Deleskiewicz, the Maison’s Artistic and Design Director, continues to pursue the full range of traditional artisanal watchmaking at the Rare Crafts Atelier. Among his most recent additions to the department are three early 20th century hand-operated rose engine engraving machines used to create richly detailed patterned dials.
We spoke to Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Daniel Riedo about his company’s newly configured artisanal crafts workshop. In the post below he discusses why the change was made and how well it’s working. Riedo also discusses updates at the much-revered historical collection on the manufacture’s top floor and tells us more about this year’s focus on the Reverso collection.
Can you tell us about the recent updates at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Le Sentier headquarters?
The updates are all part of what we do to show our customers how we work at the manufacture and what we do to restore pieces even if they are more than fifty years old. We had four different workshops for these four métiers d’arts, and I think when we put these four together they can all find new ways to re-interpret their ideas. Since we’ve joined the artists together it feels as if they are already coming up with new ideas. Before the move many we’re apprehensive, but now they are open about how they can work together. We will see new ideas, especially for the dials.
Can you offer an example?
We are working with placing lightly colored enamel on top of guilloché. This creates a variety of reflection, just based on the purity of the light. When you look at these dials you see certain colors, and then with the light and reflection you see more. One day we will have to raze the old small workshop (where enamellers used to be located) because we’ll need to expand the manufacture. Soon, we will also move the apprentices within the manufacture.
We have also moved the Grand Complications workshop. This fixes the anomaly that we had final assembly in a clean room, but not for the high-complications, which were in a traditional high-floor space. They now have more open space and more light.
In the past few years we have modified the final assembly workshops with certain teams dedicated to certain product segments. This means we have more autonomous teams there with less overall management and more independent teamwork. Each team is twelve to fifteen people, and the entire workshop is organized this way. As with métier d’arts department, in a few months we will also move the Atmos facility. Finally, we will update the historical collection. I don’t like to say museum because it’s not open to the public (though by arrangement visits can be made) and that will be re-opened later this year.
You’ve also expanded your facility in Porrentruy, correct?
We expanded a second production area in Porrentruy (three hours away from main offices in Le Sentier) next to the watchmaking school. We have a strong connection to the CEJEF watchmaking school. We opened a new workshop there, expanding from the ten watchmakers we had when we opened it ten years ago. With only a few calibers being made there it could be boring for the watchmakers, so we now have fifty watchmakers there.
Altogether there we have twelve autonomous teams to assemble movements, and we just opened a micro-mechanic workshop there, in association with the watchmaking school. Since we now have more calibers being made there, the workshops are more attractive to the students, so we can get the best ones. Some will join there and some will join us here in the Valley De Joux. We also have some watchmakers sent to the United States from the Valley De Joux for our after-sales service. We like to keep it interesting for them.
Why was the focus on Reverso this year more than simply an anniversary celebration?
Reverso is the main icon for our brand, for sure. It is the oldest collection we have and it was uninterrupted as a collection for eighty-five years, which is astonishing. Some collections are re-established from the past, but they were likely not in production. But that is not the case for Reverso. However, the collection has changed this year.
We had many Reversos over the years, and many sizes. It was time to re-establish the codes of Reverso, which is like what we did with the Classic collection. We asked ourselves ‘what is Reverso?” This is what this simplification represents. We’re now offering small, medium or large, a mono-face or duo-face collection. It’s also very simple for the customers to see it all. We used to have many different sizes and dial styles and different styles of hands because there were evolutions and side projects. Now, our side projects are dedicated to the feminine universe, which means one size strictly dedicated to ladies. Reverso One is not just a reduced size of the men’s watch. They are thinner and clearly feminine and not with the same case as the Reverso Classic.
Can you tell us about new complicated watches replica?
We have also introduced some complications we are very proud of, particularly the Gyrotourbillon 4, which we have worked on many years to make a very complicated piece but with a more wearable size. We now have the technology for more precise components as well, making ultra-thin watches replica, so these aspects come together with this dressier version of the Gyrotourbillon. If you look carefully at the new Gyro 4 you’ll see that it’s not just the size, but also there is almost no more cage. The tourbillon is almost floating.
We have also introduced some new pieces in the Master collection and in October we introduced the Geophysic. It’s funny but last year someone in the press asked about seeing more Reversos, and this year with fifty new Reversos, they are asking about seeing more Masters. We have six main product lines, which means we cannot focus on all of them every year. The number of novelties is not something we want to expand. We have to keep a balance between creativity and what the market needs. We want to be more focused, more cautious about the novelties. Still we introduced fifty new watches replica and six new calibers this year. That’s the reality this year.
Is Jaeger-LeCoultre offering a wider range of customized timepieces?
We think that luxury will be more exclusive in the future, with personalization. You don’t have to change the watch face, so you can have something classic on top and have something more fun on the other side. This is part of the demand we hear from many customers, which means more limited editions for certain dials. The personalized dials (on the new Reverso Atelier) will change every year or two. It’s part of the development that keeps this entire collection alive. The idea of the Reverso is that you can reverse the watch. You can engrave or personal it with an emblem or initials, but with the Duetto, with two dials, that was not the case.
How extensive is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s focus on ladies’ timepieces?
In terms of volume, not turnover, ladies watches replica are about forty-five percent of our business. We always had a segment with ladies watches replica in Reverso, but five years ago when we introduced the Rendez-Vous line we found a big demand, and it continues to expand—with double-digit growth. We hope that with the Reverso One now, and with the personalization with the Louboutin dials, we will reach a fifty percent balance. Those Louboutin dials were a buzz for us at SIHH definitely. It’s just a part of the Atelier Reverso however, not the final target. The message is exclusivity and personalization of Atelier Reverso. Again, this is a limited edition by time, not numbers, available for a year or eighteen months.