Jaeger-LeCoultre

time2tic
311

• Show profile
• Show other posts

100% in house ... but how much is 100%

has not much sense.
I would think that in the case of the polaris, JLC probably does not manufacture the plexi of the watch.
However, JLC is one of the few brands that integrates the design and production of all main components of the watch in-house. The calibre is certainly designed and manufactured mostly in-house, but, I would think that the mainspring is purchased from a supplier.

The strap is most likely not in-house. (no rubber plantation in vallee de joux or alligator farms for straps either

Teh amazing thing with the "grande maison" is their capacity to integrate an industrial process and the relevant equipment when it makes sense to ensure high quality of hte final product.

right now, silicium parts that are appearing in very high end pieces of the brand are produced by an entity that is far closer to a research lab than a normal industrial factory. I would not be surprised to see this process under the roof of JLC a decade down the road if silicium parts perform the way everybody expects them to.

vertical integration in watchmaking is a choice that does have good and bad sides. There is a huge number of suppliers for pretty much every single part constituting watches. vertical integration, depending on brands go from not integrated at all (when one simply outsources entirely themanufacturing of the watch to someone else) to pretty much fully integrated such as JLC and a few others, where, only small portion of the watch are outsourced to third party.