History of Jaeger-LeCoultre
In 1833 Antoine LeCoultre (1803-1881) founded a small workshop, which was to become the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. LeCoultre measured the micrometre (µm) for the first time; he created the world's most precise measuring instrument, the millionometer (a device capable of measuring to the nearest thousandths of a millimetre). He also created a revolutionary system that eliminated the need for keys to rewind and set watches. A push-piece activated a lever to change from one function to another.
Elie LeCoultre, Antoine's son understood that it was necessary to control all the different stages of manufacturing and assembly. In 1866 he transformed his workshop into a manufacture. Under one roof, his employees were to pool their know-how, enabling them to meet the most incredible challenges. In 1870 LeCoultre & Cie manufactured the components of complicated movements using mechanized processes. Within 30 years, thanks to the marriage of hand and machine, the Manufacture created more than 350 different calibers of which 128 were equipped with chronograph functions and 99 with repeater mechanisms. Today the original workshop has expanded into an all inclusive manufacturing facility, able to produce all components required for a Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece. Recently, construction has begun to expanded the workshop even further. Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to produce luxury timepieces that pass the test of time and are considered by connoisseurs to be among the very best in the world.
From 1902 and for the next 30 years, LeCoultre & Cie produced most of the movement blanks for Patek Philippe of Geneva. In 1903, the Parisian Edmond Jaeger challenged the Swiss to manufacture ultra-thin calibers of his own design. Jacques-David LeCoultre, grandson of Antoine undertook the challenge. Cartier, a client of Edmond Jaeger for several years signed an exclusive contract with the Parisian watchmaker in 1907 under which agreement Jaeger, LeCoultre & Cie crafted the watch creations of Cartier. Out of the two men's friendship was to emerge a collection of ultra-thin pocket watches, followed by others that would culminate in the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand. In 1907 the JLC Caliber 145 set the record for the thinnest movement at 1.38 mm.
The company has supplied measuring instruments, primarily dashboard instruments such as speedometers and fuel meters. The Jaeger instruments for automobiles were mostly used by the French automobile makers Citroën, Peugeot and Renault. Jaeger speedometers and tachometers were also supplied to British sports cars such as Triumph. Many Italian cars such as Ferrari also had Jaeger sourced automobile instrumentation.
