Comments:
La Grande Maison, the new book about Jaeger-LeCoultre and its author.
Dear Jaeger-LeCoultre collectors and admirers,
The bibliography about la Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre was certainly a bit short so far and it is consequently with a great pleasure that we can discover now or very soon a new book about our beloved Manufacture.
We?ve already heard of this book several times in the last two years and before we all begin the awaited reading, we also have an opportunity to share some of the author?s thoughts about this book, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre and about High Horology.
Indeed we?ve had the opportunity to ask the author Dr Franco Cologni a few questions, in behalf of the PuristS community.
Dr Franco Cologni (picture Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre)
Dr Franco Cologni is not just the author of ?The Story of the Grande Maison?, but one of the main actors of the Horology Culture landscape. He has acted on all fields during the last 30 booming years of High Horology. As a journalist or a ?keeper of the values?, as an industrialist or a champion of Horology Arts preservation, his action has imprinted significantly the High Horology world.
Please take the time to read what comes next, as it comes from a man who is among those few who have done so much to bring back to life and light the High Horology! Then your reading of the book will enlighten you also more about the vision of this man about Horology.
You?ll find the full press release of the book launch on our News Central section:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/473728/message/1162056536/The+story+of+the+Grande+Maison%2C+the+new+book+to+discover+more+about+Jaeger-LeCoultre.
The book is really a superb work from the photographers and they really went beyond watches and offer us their art.
I?ve not read it yet but I?ve had the opportunity to glimpse its content and I?m glad to announce it as a very pleasant book. I?m keen to begin the in-depth reading of many chapters.
We will travel around the world and the time, we will see La Grande Maison as insiders and as outsiders,
I wish you a good reading and invite you to share your reactions.
Dje
And to complement the book, some thoughts of the author for you:
JB: Dr Cologni, may I ask you what sparked your interest and your decision to write a book about Jaeger-LeCoultre?
FC: There are three cultural values that I consider fundamental and that attract my professional interest in a brand and/or its products in the field of fine watchmaking, jewellery or luxury: legitimacy, authenticity and originality.
In other words, a documented history; the capacity to manufacture fine products or artistically crafted products that show their difference compared to other products; and the existence of research and development showing a real capability of technical innovations and aesthetic creations.
Jaeger-LeCoultre epitomises all three values: one need only recall the story of Edmond Jaeger and Jacques-David LeCoultre, two of the greatest talents in Haute Horlogerie . If you wish to find these three values today, just go and visit the brand works at Le Sentier in the Vallee de Roux.
JB: This book comes 15 years after the book ?Reverse, The Living Legend? was published in 1991. What do you think has changed that justifies a new book?
FC: The ?Reverso?, as indicated by the title, is a book about one single watch model, just like the ?Tank? of Cartier that I wrote a long time ago. But the Reverso watch has also considerably changed since 1991.
This new essay on Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has a significant subtitle ?The Story of the Grande Maison?, is about the whole history of the brand from its origins through to the present time: a history that was shaped not only by its founders but also by a lot of men and women who worked and have been working there every day. They have devoted their efforts, their patience and above all their passion to creating timepieces of excellent quality, while pursuing technical innovation and aesthetic beauty in a constant quest for perfection.
JB: What is the objective and message of this new book?
FC: The objective is to explore culture, to promote inventiveness, to supply professional information and to talk about real facts and events rather than just ?words?.
As to the message, it concerns a presentation of the brand and of the Manufacture Jaeger LeCoultre: yesterday, today and... tomorrow. It evokes this unique ?location? which, just like for Bordeaux wine or Champagne, represents a fertile soil for creating some great vintages.
It tells the story of a company that is also a community composed of original human, professional, cultural and ethical talents.
And finally, it highlights the genuine ?icons? that this company has created and continuously updated and which have set out to conquer the whole world, from Europe to the Americas, and from Asia Pacific to Japan and China.
The chapters of the book mark the times and places of this story.
JB: I can only imagine that writing a book of this kind is a difficult task. You need to address very different audiences and expectations. Is there a specific audience you mainly intended the book for? If so, what was the reasoning behind this?
FC: This book is dedicated to a wide range of readers: to collectors (?the Purists?) who will find in it a clear and useful reference work to assist them in their research and choices; to fine watch lovers who can thus read the unpublished story of one of the greatest protagonists of Haute Horlogerie; and, finally, to all those who love beautiful things which make life more pleasant.
JB: The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is a long-established company on the Haute Horlogerie stage. However, its image and position are rapidly changing while becoming increasingly acknowledged by watch collectors and consumers. While I have no doubt about viewing Jaeger-LeCoultre as a company dealing in Haute Horlogerie, may I ask when in your opinion a brand may be thus considered?
FC: To be an Haute Horlogerie brand implies belonging to a culture and philosophy based on knowledge and savoir-faire that allows it to draw from the past to build the present and to project itself into the future.
But this is not enough. You need to defend, support and develop the DNA of the brand through inventiveness, creativity and imagination. This means refusing all sorts of slavish imitations as well as technical or aesthetic trivializations.
This applies to Swiss horology as well as to all countries with a strong watchmaking culture, such as England, Germany and France.
Within this context, we must underline the revival of German Haute Horlogerie based on the above-mentioned values. Similar but timid initiatives following the same code of conduct are now occurring in France.
The best of Jaeger-LeCoultre under work:
JB: Years ago you were a strong champion and advocate of the Swiss Made reference. You are now the chairman of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. May I ask you about your hopes and concerns for the coming years in the world of Haute Horlogerie?
FC: Haute Horlogerie is one of the strongest expressions of human genius. For this reason, a watchmaking culture available to everybody must be continuously developed and supported. It has to be focused mainly on real products, since the watch, like all other products, must first of all meet the buyer's requirements.
From the buyer's point of view, the political, commercial or financial contingencies of the manufacturer are not taken into account.
On the other hand, Haute Horlogerie watches are not exclusively designed to target a lucky few. If this were the case, it would be useless to develop and support the Fine Watchmaking culture while the vast majority of collectors would see in it a lifestyle from which they are totally excluded.
JB: Please let me congratulate you on the new internet site of your foundation. The richness of this site makes it a reference for anybody interested in learning about watches, in a very lively way. Internet seems to have become a very strong media for the watch community, after some initial years of doubt and suspicion. May I ask you what role you see for internet on the watch market? And what role you expect the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie website to play on the internet landscape?
FC: Thank you for appreciating the new website of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, which is independent from the brands but depends on the products.
It is through this innovative approach and by keeping itself as free as possible that it serve as a unifying force: it will federate lovers of Haute Horlogerie, it will federate designers, manufacturers and sellers among themselves; and finally it will have to federate clients and manufacturers in order to avoid mutual misunderstandings.
We believe that internet is the best developing means of communication. This is why we chose it for the Fondation right from the start.
The enduring success of the website depends on our capability to make it as lively and fast developing as possible thanks to its interactivity. In addition, we have also chosen to launch via the internet our monthly Haute Horlogerie news magazine, which will be appearing within the next few weeks.
Finally, we rely a lot on our website to increase the interest in the watchmaking crafts and to foster as many professional vocations as possible.
JB: Coming back to Jaeger-LeCoultre, may I ask you how and where you see this company within the competitive world of watch brands?
FC: The various models manufactured by Jaeger-LeCoultre, from both technical and aesthetic standpoints, comply with precise and authentic genetic codes in line with modernity.
The DNA of every single model is that of the brand which, building upon the past, has become a major element in its synthesis. Jaeger-LeCoultre has evolved from a single model to a variety of models to the point of becoming a full-fledged brand.
JB: The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre has long been seen as primarily a high-end manufacturer?s Manufacture, while having a very unique historical position in being so. With this past as a foundation, how do you feel ? and why ? about Jaeger-LeCoultre now aggressively building more of a watch brand?
FC: Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre is not only a high-end manufacturer; it is a brand.
The proof is that until recently we used to speak of the Reverso watch and not of Jaeger-LeCoultre; today we speak of Jaeger-LeCoultre as a brand offering various models in which mechanical sophistication is integrated with aesthetics both inside and outside of each watch produced by this brand.
Jaeger-LeCoultre today is also a brand in that it is now responsible for the whole product cycle, from manufacturing through to distribution, communication and customer service.
JB: As a final question, Dr Cologni, may I ask you what the essence of horology is for you?
FC: The essence of horology is not only the increasingly accurate measurement of time, but its aesthetic interpretation and therefore a representation of beauty which, as you know, is eternal.
It is one of the most distinctive expressions of the evolution of human genius.
I wish to thank Dr Franco Cologni for answering our questions and Mr Jerome Lambert and Mrs Isabelle Gervais from La Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre for their kind assistance.
The bibliography about la Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre was certainly a bit short so far and it is consequently with a great pleasure that we can discover now or very soon a new book about our beloved Manufacture.
We?ve already heard of this book several times in the last two years and before we all begin the awaited reading, we also have an opportunity to share some of the author?s thoughts about this book, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre and about High Horology.
Indeed we?ve had the opportunity to ask the author Dr Franco Cologni a few questions, in behalf of the PuristS community.
Dr Franco Cologni (picture Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre)
Dr Franco Cologni is not just the author of ?The Story of the Grande Maison?, but one of the main actors of the Horology Culture landscape. He has acted on all fields during the last 30 booming years of High Horology. As a journalist or a ?keeper of the values?, as an industrialist or a champion of Horology Arts preservation, his action has imprinted significantly the High Horology world.
Please take the time to read what comes next, as it comes from a man who is among those few who have done so much to bring back to life and light the High Horology! Then your reading of the book will enlighten you also more about the vision of this man about Horology.
You?ll find the full press release of the book launch on our News Central section:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/473728/message/1162056536/The+story+of+the+Grande+Maison%2C+the+new+book+to+discover+more+about+Jaeger-LeCoultre.
The book is really a superb work from the photographers and they really went beyond watches and offer us their art.
I?ve not read it yet but I?ve had the opportunity to glimpse its content and I?m glad to announce it as a very pleasant book. I?m keen to begin the in-depth reading of many chapters.
We will travel around the world and the time, we will see La Grande Maison as insiders and as outsiders,
I wish you a good reading and invite you to share your reactions.
Dje
And to complement the book, some thoughts of the author for you:
JB: Dr Cologni, may I ask you what sparked your interest and your decision to write a book about Jaeger-LeCoultre?
FC: There are three cultural values that I consider fundamental and that attract my professional interest in a brand and/or its products in the field of fine watchmaking, jewellery or luxury: legitimacy, authenticity and originality.
In other words, a documented history; the capacity to manufacture fine products or artistically crafted products that show their difference compared to other products; and the existence of research and development showing a real capability of technical innovations and aesthetic creations.
Jaeger-LeCoultre epitomises all three values: one need only recall the story of Edmond Jaeger and Jacques-David LeCoultre, two of the greatest talents in Haute Horlogerie . If you wish to find these three values today, just go and visit the brand works at Le Sentier in the Vallee de Roux.
JB: This book comes 15 years after the book ?Reverse, The Living Legend? was published in 1991. What do you think has changed that justifies a new book?
FC: The ?Reverso?, as indicated by the title, is a book about one single watch model, just like the ?Tank? of Cartier that I wrote a long time ago. But the Reverso watch has also considerably changed since 1991.
This new essay on Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has a significant subtitle ?The Story of the Grande Maison?, is about the whole history of the brand from its origins through to the present time: a history that was shaped not only by its founders but also by a lot of men and women who worked and have been working there every day. They have devoted their efforts, their patience and above all their passion to creating timepieces of excellent quality, while pursuing technical innovation and aesthetic beauty in a constant quest for perfection.
JB: What is the objective and message of this new book?
FC: The objective is to explore culture, to promote inventiveness, to supply professional information and to talk about real facts and events rather than just ?words?.
As to the message, it concerns a presentation of the brand and of the Manufacture Jaeger LeCoultre: yesterday, today and... tomorrow. It evokes this unique ?location? which, just like for Bordeaux wine or Champagne, represents a fertile soil for creating some great vintages.
It tells the story of a company that is also a community composed of original human, professional, cultural and ethical talents.
And finally, it highlights the genuine ?icons? that this company has created and continuously updated and which have set out to conquer the whole world, from Europe to the Americas, and from Asia Pacific to Japan and China.
The chapters of the book mark the times and places of this story.
JB: I can only imagine that writing a book of this kind is a difficult task. You need to address very different audiences and expectations. Is there a specific audience you mainly intended the book for? If so, what was the reasoning behind this?
FC: This book is dedicated to a wide range of readers: to collectors (?the Purists?) who will find in it a clear and useful reference work to assist them in their research and choices; to fine watch lovers who can thus read the unpublished story of one of the greatest protagonists of Haute Horlogerie; and, finally, to all those who love beautiful things which make life more pleasant.
JB: The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is a long-established company on the Haute Horlogerie stage. However, its image and position are rapidly changing while becoming increasingly acknowledged by watch collectors and consumers. While I have no doubt about viewing Jaeger-LeCoultre as a company dealing in Haute Horlogerie, may I ask when in your opinion a brand may be thus considered?
FC: To be an Haute Horlogerie brand implies belonging to a culture and philosophy based on knowledge and savoir-faire that allows it to draw from the past to build the present and to project itself into the future.
But this is not enough. You need to defend, support and develop the DNA of the brand through inventiveness, creativity and imagination. This means refusing all sorts of slavish imitations as well as technical or aesthetic trivializations.
This applies to Swiss horology as well as to all countries with a strong watchmaking culture, such as England, Germany and France.
Within this context, we must underline the revival of German Haute Horlogerie based on the above-mentioned values. Similar but timid initiatives following the same code of conduct are now occurring in France.
The best of Jaeger-LeCoultre under work:
JB: Years ago you were a strong champion and advocate of the Swiss Made reference. You are now the chairman of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. May I ask you about your hopes and concerns for the coming years in the world of Haute Horlogerie?
FC: Haute Horlogerie is one of the strongest expressions of human genius. For this reason, a watchmaking culture available to everybody must be continuously developed and supported. It has to be focused mainly on real products, since the watch, like all other products, must first of all meet the buyer's requirements.
From the buyer's point of view, the political, commercial or financial contingencies of the manufacturer are not taken into account.
On the other hand, Haute Horlogerie watches are not exclusively designed to target a lucky few. If this were the case, it would be useless to develop and support the Fine Watchmaking culture while the vast majority of collectors would see in it a lifestyle from which they are totally excluded.
JB: Please let me congratulate you on the new internet site of your foundation. The richness of this site makes it a reference for anybody interested in learning about watches, in a very lively way. Internet seems to have become a very strong media for the watch community, after some initial years of doubt and suspicion. May I ask you what role you see for internet on the watch market? And what role you expect the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie website to play on the internet landscape?
FC: Thank you for appreciating the new website of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, which is independent from the brands but depends on the products.
It is through this innovative approach and by keeping itself as free as possible that it serve as a unifying force: it will federate lovers of Haute Horlogerie, it will federate designers, manufacturers and sellers among themselves; and finally it will have to federate clients and manufacturers in order to avoid mutual misunderstandings.
We believe that internet is the best developing means of communication. This is why we chose it for the Fondation right from the start.
The enduring success of the website depends on our capability to make it as lively and fast developing as possible thanks to its interactivity. In addition, we have also chosen to launch via the internet our monthly Haute Horlogerie news magazine, which will be appearing within the next few weeks.
Finally, we rely a lot on our website to increase the interest in the watchmaking crafts and to foster as many professional vocations as possible.
JB: Coming back to Jaeger-LeCoultre, may I ask you how and where you see this company within the competitive world of watch brands?
FC: The various models manufactured by Jaeger-LeCoultre, from both technical and aesthetic standpoints, comply with precise and authentic genetic codes in line with modernity.
The DNA of every single model is that of the brand which, building upon the past, has become a major element in its synthesis. Jaeger-LeCoultre has evolved from a single model to a variety of models to the point of becoming a full-fledged brand.
JB: The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre has long been seen as primarily a high-end manufacturer?s Manufacture, while having a very unique historical position in being so. With this past as a foundation, how do you feel ? and why ? about Jaeger-LeCoultre now aggressively building more of a watch brand?
FC: Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre is not only a high-end manufacturer; it is a brand.
The proof is that until recently we used to speak of the Reverso watch and not of Jaeger-LeCoultre; today we speak of Jaeger-LeCoultre as a brand offering various models in which mechanical sophistication is integrated with aesthetics both inside and outside of each watch produced by this brand.
Jaeger-LeCoultre today is also a brand in that it is now responsible for the whole product cycle, from manufacturing through to distribution, communication and customer service.
JB: As a final question, Dr Cologni, may I ask you what the essence of horology is for you?
FC: The essence of horology is not only the increasingly accurate measurement of time, but its aesthetic interpretation and therefore a representation of beauty which, as you know, is eternal.
It is one of the most distinctive expressions of the evolution of human genius.
I wish to thank Dr Franco Cologni for answering our questions and Mr Jerome Lambert and Mrs Isabelle Gervais from La Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre for their kind assistance.
Re: La Grande Maison, the new book about Jaeger-LeCoultre and its author.
Always a pleasure
So thank you Mr Lambert for sharing your pleasure with us.
Welcome,
Thank you again for your support.
We're always happy to know more about the past and the future of la Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Best regards
Dje
Thank you again for your support.
We're always happy to know more about the past and the future of la Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Best regards
Dje
It's a mere 7,5 weeks to Christmas and ...
the book is not available in Germany at the moment anyhow - my dealer couldn't even tell me when it will be delivered just now. So I guess it comes down to not much more than 4 weeks of withstanding the temptation to flip it open. Hope that I will make that 
By the way: do you know where to get the Portraits of the manufacture book that was discussed here and announced by MJLC on it's homepage? I could not get proper information from MJLC nor my book or watch-dealer.
Christian
By the way: do you know where to get the Portraits of the manufacture book that was discussed here and announced by MJLC on it's homepage? I could not get proper information from MJLC nor my book or watch-dealer.
Christian
The "Portraits de Manufacture" book
Hi Christian,
The "Portraits de Manufacture" book was issued by MJLC and the Musee de l'Elysee in Lausanne.
The book is quite nice indeed (but is obviously not about watches).
I don't know if the Musee de l'Elysee has some? I think you'll have a hard time to get one except through MJLC.
Try with them and please let me know.
Cheers
Dje
The "Portraits de Manufacture" book was issued by MJLC and the Musee de l'Elysee in Lausanne.
The book is quite nice indeed (but is obviously not about watches).
I don't know if the Musee de l'Elysee has some? I think you'll have a hard time to get one except through MJLC.
Try with them and please let me know.
Cheers
Dje
Thanks Jerome!
I just send a mail to a contact I have with MJLC and let you know!
Christian
Christian
Merry Christmas!
Got a call from my bookseller yesterday. La Grande Maison has arrived! Just in time for Christmas!
Will collect it tomorrow. Temptation to open it cut down to 4 Days.
Merry Christmas to everybody on this forum!
Christian
Will collect it tomorrow. Temptation to open it cut down to 4 Days.
Merry Christmas to everybody on this forum!
Christian
Very interesting, Jerome. Thank you. Can't wait to receive that call from my bookstore. nt
nt
If anything, it will convince our spouse we are buying something great. Heh heh.
And hopefully they will be converted to watchaholicsm or at least give us the green light without much explaining and persuading on our part. 
Ruckdee
Ruckdee
Thank you, Dr. Cologni, JB, JL, etc.,...
I look forward to being able to read, and then re-read the book, to gain a more complete understanding of the brand.
-Dean
-Dean
Re: Thank you, Dr. Cologni, JB, JL, etc.,...
What watch is that featured in the montage--amazing!!!!!????
The montage is an Atmos Regulateur Moonphases...
Hi,
The montage is an Atmos Regulateur Moonphases that was shown two years ago and probably outsold fastly as it didn't appear in any catalogue (I just have it featured in a SIHH 2004 new models booklet).
It is very close to the current Atmos regulateur Transparente (current JLC catalogue), which unfortunately has a simpler decorated moonphase indicator and a larger cabinet.
Cheers
Dje
The montage is an Atmos Regulateur Moonphases that was shown two years ago and probably outsold fastly as it didn't appear in any catalogue (I just have it featured in a SIHH 2004 new models booklet).
It is very close to the current Atmos regulateur Transparente (current JLC catalogue), which unfortunately has a simpler decorated moonphase indicator and a larger cabinet.
Cheers
Dje
Thank you, Dr. Cologni, for your insightful words, and thanks to JB, JL, and
the entire MJLC team.
The legacy you carry on is a great one, and your efforts thus far do justice to it.
TM
The legacy you carry on is a great one, and your efforts thus far do justice to it.
TM
Thank you Thomas...
Hi Thomas,
Their efforts are indeed very prolific and I have like many others here great hopes for the coming years again...
Take care
Dje
Their efforts are indeed very prolific and I have like many others here great hopes for the coming years again...
Take care
Dje