Jaeger-LeCoultre

In 1833, Antoine LeCoultre (1803-1881) transformed his family's small barn in Le Sentier, Vallée de Joux, into a watchmaking atelier. He was obsessed with accuracy and created the tools required to develop the smallest parts for the most accurate calibres. In 1844, he invented the Millionomètre, the first instrument capable of measuring the micron. In 1866, Antoine and his son Elie established LeCoultre & Cie, the first full-fledged manufactory in the Vallée de Joux, known as the Grande Maison. By 1888, the Manufacture was the most important company in the region, employing 480 workers. In 1903, Frenchman Edmond Jaeger and Jacques-David LeCoultre met and began a collaboration fusing French style and Swiss technique; the company was renamed Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1937. The Reverso was created in 1931. Since 2000, the company has been a fully owned subsidiary of Richemont.