Le Sentier, Vallée de Joux, Switzerland
Jaeger-LeCoultre
VerifiedÉbauches and complete movements for its own watches and for other houses
History
From a valley workshop that made its name in precision measuring tools and fine ébauches, the firm became one of the most prolific suppliers of high-grade movements in Switzerland as well as a maker of complicated and ultra-thin watches under its own name.
Major innovations
- Ultra-thin automatic calibre 920 used by several leading houses
- Long series of very small and very thin movements, including the Calibre 101
Known markings
- 'Jaeger-LeCoultre'
- Earlier 'LeCoultre & Cie' markings
- Calibre number on the movement
Serial numbers
Movements supplied to other houses were often signed by the retailer or the client, so a movement's design origin and its dial signature may differ.
Collecting significance
Attribution matters: identifying a JLC-designed movement under another signature is a routine part of research on mid-century Swiss watches.
Photographs
Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Manufacturer heritage publications and specialist literature on the 920 family
- Which houses used which supplied calibres is documented unevenly.
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.