Is Jaeger-LeCoultre the next impostor to pretend having the most complicated wrist watch>

Apr 22, 2007,11:48 AM
 

of the world? It seems so according to the article in the Express France:

A 350 000 €, la nouvelle montre Reverso Grande Complication à triptyque de Jaeger-LeCoultre équivaut au prix d'un bel appartement parisien. Sa mise au point par 14 personnes pendant cinq ans, 20 000 heures de travail en recherche et développement, ses différents composants, plus de 800 pièces renfermées dans un boîtier de quelques centimètres carrés, et toutes ses 18 singularités mécaniques, trois cadrans animés par un seul et même mouvement, tourbillon en titane, quantième perpétuel… justifient un tel prix et en font la montre la plus compliquée du monde. Hier, c'était une autre grande maison qui repoussait les frontières du possible en horlogerie. Demain, ce sera une autre manufacture qui éditera un nouveau garde-temps d'exception, dont l'innovation dans le mécanisme sera considérée comme un miracle par les amateurs de montres dites «à grandes complications».

Ridiculous. 18 complications but as far as I can see no grand Sonnerie or chronograph, not even a single one. 800 pieces inside.

Far away from the Piguet/Muller/Gerber grand complication watch, which is still the most complicated of the world (with over 1100 parts vide Guinness Book of Records 2006 page 134).

I hate these jokers who just pretend anything to get the attention of the press. If you go against them they pretend not having said so to the press, but that the press has possibly concluded by themselves.

Let in the clowns.

Lord Arran

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It's Complicated

 
 By: yesjb : April 22nd, 2007-12:17
Since there are no quotes or attributions to any specific individual, its impossible to ascertain, whether this claim comes directly from JLC, or from the fevered mind of a media person whose aim may not be to relate the exact facts but to create an impre... 

What? You think a reporter got it wrong?

 
 By: mkvc : April 22nd, 2007-16:27
Impossible! Seriously, it's pretty much an unknown event for a non-specialist reporter to get a technical matter right. I would be astonished if JLC had actually claimed that their watch was the most complicated in the world; more likely the reporter thou... 

quite possible that what you write is true and it happened before. But I cannot>

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 22nd, 2007-17:52
be quiet when it comes to such statements, too much has been invested in time and effort, noticeably by Paul Gerber Zurich, to let such statements pass without comment. Warm regards Lord Arran

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, but...

 
 By: Jos. : April 22nd, 2007-20:30
...has the FM/Piguet/Gerber watch ever been in regular production? The article you're quoting would still be a canard but IMHO there's some ground to only let regular production watches qualify for the title. Jos.

To the best of my knowledge the claim was not for the most complicated series watch of the

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 22nd, 2007-23:30
world, but THE MOST COMPLICATED WRIST WATCH OF THE WORLD, period. Hence, even if there is only one (and maybe particularly because there is only one) the watch I have commissioned over 15 years is and at present remains the most complicated wrist watch of...  

I certainly didn't want to detract from your watch...

 
 By: Jos. : April 23rd, 2007-02:01
... which is an undisputable masterpiece, hasn't been equalled to date. And as I said, the article is a canard whichever way you look at this. And finally, I have to say that the position of most manufactures in matters like this is extremely hypocritical... 

OK Lord Arran...

 
 By: watchlune : April 22nd, 2007-22:40

Lord Arran....could we please see a pic of your beauty..??

 
 By: Andy : April 23rd, 2007-04:07
It sounds fantastic from the descriptions and I'm sure just as beautiful to look at. Yours, Andy.

As written in the next missive. Open the link, read and scroll down>

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 23rd, 2007-06:29
and when you are down at the 1st page click the next topic until you reach page number 5. Everything is properly described the what the where the way and the how from beginning to the end. Thank you for your interest and warm regards Lord Arran

I have answered a few question on the JLC forum which will hopefully end this discussion>

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 24th, 2007-00:14
Please look at the message. The link: www.watchprosite.com Thank you and warm regards to all Lord Arran

Well, Lord Arran,

 
 By: HerrK : April 24th, 2007-11:04
to me it looks like it was you who started this thread accusing MJLC of pretending to have build the most complicated wristwatch in the world which instead would be your PMG. Until now you have neither proved that MJLC made such a claim nor that your PMG ... 

this is absurd

 
 By: ei8htohms : April 24th, 2007-15:52
Hello All, There is one point of contention in all of this, "Did JLC themselves claim that the Trytique is the most complicated watch in the world, or was that simply a journalist taking liberties with the information provided him?" Of this we are uncerta... 

Thank you Mr. Davis, Mr. Forster and Mr. Birken. As to Mr. Davis I am grateful>

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 24th, 2007-21:37
that an expert like you and learned watch maker put the things straight. I did not want to be a Don Quichote anymore and fight against wind mills, making a lot of wind just for the fun of it. Thank you also for explaining how we should look at the watches... 

Grande complication

 
 By: nickd : April 25th, 2007-04:08

Again thank you for effectively end the discussion Mr. Davis. Some people have now taken>

 
 By: Lord_Arran : April 26th, 2007-21:15
an unimportant position in the rear. Great to have a knowledgeable expert around. Warm regards Lord Arran

I don't like the definition of the Guiness book

 
 By: origami : April 24th, 2007-23:29
Hello all, When I read the Guinness Book certificate, it says : "In term of the number of individual parts, the most complicated wristwatch [...]" So, this means that if I take a simple watch, and put inside it 1300 small parts (I would take small screws,... 

Historical note

 
 By: nickd : April 25th, 2007-03:23
In 1904, L.Leroy et Cie produced what was then the world's most complicated watch. The ebauche and the majority of the complications were actually built by Charles Piguet of Sentier (I don't know if he's related to the Louis Elysee Piguet who built the or... 

Book suggestion...

 
 By: nickd : April 25th, 2007-05:03
Lord Arran, As you speak French, you may find the book by Yves Droz et Joseph Florès on the Leroy ( Leroy 01 : La Montre la plus Compliquée du Monde ). It was originally published by the AFAHA, but I belive it's now out of print. You may be able to find i...