VIDEO: We meet the people responsible for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most complicated watches

Felix Scholz

Earlier this week we showed you a behind-the-scenes peek at how Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris is put together. Well, we kick it up a notch and have a look at some of the brand’s most complicated — and most beautiful — pieces, find out a little bit about how they’re made, and meet the talented artisans who make them. Central to this story is Christian Laurent, JLC’s master watchmaker, a man with a twinkle in his eye and a clear passion for his work. During my visit, Mr Laurent presented JLC’s high complications, running through the brand’s achievements — innovative watches like the Duomètre and the Gyrotourbillon — which clearly demonstrate Jaeger-LeCoultre’s high-end credentials. Speaking to him later, Mr Laurent expanded on the importance of humans in making those watches: “We don’t make hundreds of pieces; for high complications it’s always very limited numbers — only the human hand is capable of doing these things.”