The Amvox5 World Chronograph, the first timepiece in the Amvox collection associating the chronograph with worldtime functions, celebrates the fifth watch borne out of the shared values of two exceptional brands: absolute respect for the noblest traditions; and the tireless pursuit of perfection.

The Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux and the famous British sports car maker are fuelled by the same passion: a love of mechanical beauty be it of the automobile or horological type. Jaeger-LeCoultre is the only manufacturer to unite over 40 professions and skills under a single roof, from watchmakers and artisans who perpetuate and enrich the heritage passed on by former generations, to microtechnical engineers and cutting-edge technology specialists. “Striving for success is one of the cornerstones of our partnership. The fabulous accomplishments that have punctuated the history of our brands have led to decisive breakthroughs, both in watchmaking and in car manufacturing”, said Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert.

The shock wave generated by the introduction of the second Amvox model is still reverberating. The sheer scope of the change embodied by the Amvox2 Chronograph easily explains its massive impact on the watch industry. Based on a truly revolutionary concept, the world’s first vertical-trigger chronograph stemmed from a technical feat that swept the case sides clean of the pushers indispensable to traditional chronographs, thereby providing the designers of the Manufacture with the creative freedom to imagine models featuring lines of unprecedented purity. Like all inventions from the Manufacture, the device is distinguished by its extreme user-friendliness.

Simply pressing the sapphire crystal at 12 o’clock stops and starts the measurement, while resetting is done by the same operation on the lower part of the crystal, at 6 o’clock. Never before had the chronograph function been so easy, intuitive and ergonomic. Since the advent of the vertical-trigger chronograph, measuring short times has become a natural extension of the user’s hand movements. The ultimate driver’s watch in turn paved the way for the Amvox3 Tourbillon GMT with its two-fold mechanical heritage.

No more fumbling around looking for car keys or lugging chunky and unattractive key fobs around for owners of the new Aston Martin Rapide as Jaeger-LeCoultre has partnered with the car-maker to come out with this stylish AMVOX2 Transponder Rapide, a timepiece that does double-duty as a car key. Simply touch between the 8 and 9 to unlock, between the 3 and 4 to lock, or touch them both simultaneously to trigger the ‘find me’ feature where the headlamps light up for easy spotting.

The AMVOX2 Transponder Rapide is the result of over 18 months of research and engineering to miniaturize the car’s transponder key in order to fit it into and around the workings of a timepiece without sacrificing style, and it can be yours for just £21,850 (or about $33,800).

Source : luxist

The 2010 collections from Jaeger-LeCoultre stay true to the spirit of the brand:masterful mechanics inside, ergonomic comfort outside. This tradition is especially evident in an astronomical grande complication, the Extreme LAB 2, and a reinterpretation of the legendary Memovox.

The 2010 model to have won the heart of Stéphane Belmont, Director of Sales and Marketing at Jaeger-LeCoultre, is, without doubt, the Memovox which the Grande Maison is this year presenting in Master and Master Memovox International versions. Both these models commemorate a movement that originated in 1956. As Stéphane Belmont explains, “this is a fascinating watch in that hidden beneath its classically understated design is an alarm mechanism.You have to take time to observe it, to listen to the chimes to realise you are entering another dimension, be it part of the Master, Amvox or Classic range. Truly an icon of the brand, this movement is a fine example of our policy to integrate the very latest technologies whenever we present a new version of an established model. It can never be a question of superficial changes.”

Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire

And so this year Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates its emblematic alarm watch.” A rare example of a movement that is still in production more than fifty years after its creation, it has contributed to the success of such iconic round watches of the Master Control line as the Master Grand Réveil and the Memovox Deep Sea.

The Chronometrie 2009 was recently held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the watch museum in Le Locle. Only 16 watches entered the competition, of which two Jaeger-LeCoultre watches won. The winner was the Master Tourbillon, which gained on average .13 seconds a day, or less than 47.5 seconds a year and its rate did not vary more than .28 seconds a day. The Master Tourbillon uses a silicon escapement, which is more accurate than any other watch in this competition.

Here is a list of all the watches that were in the competition. I was surprised to see that AP decided not to enter their Jules Audemars with the AP escapement, which runs at 43,200 vph.

It’s not every day that a new mountain is charted and conquered, especially in such a fabled range as the majestic Himalaya in Nepal. However, this is just what has been accomplished by three intrepid mountaineers who received the support of prestigious Swiss watch manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. The party, consisting of Swiss climber Stephane Schaffter, 19-time Everest veteran Apa Sherpa, and Little Karim–another expert of mountains towering past the death zone–followed a meticulous ascent plan and successfully attained the challenging 6,589-meter peak, all while facing constant avalanche threats and a heavily snowed base camp. As a tribute to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s involvement with the adventure, the mountain has received the official title of “Antoine LeCoultre’s Peak”.

Jaeger-LeCoultre watches were worn by all three climbers, and gave a flawless performance. Interestingly, the timepieces selected to represent the house came from different eras: one of the men wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Chronometer from 1958, a classic three-handed wristwatch with an anti-magnetic stainless steel case and luminous hour and minute hands. Stephane Schaffter wore the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme LAB timepiece, a highly acclaimed and technically exclusive model with a tourbillon introduced in 2007. The Extreme LAB presents a medley of highly technical constructive and horological elements including a titanium case, a tourbillon cage in magnesium alloy, and a mechanism which has been designed to operate free of lubricant.

The third watch used during the ascent of Antoine LeCoultre’s Peak is a closely guarded secret of the house. According to a Jaeger-LeCoultre press statement, it is new model in the final stages of refinement and will be introduced in January, at the 2010 SIHH industry exhibition in Geneva.

Source: ViaLuxe

In an odd twist of luxury snobbery goes silly, Jaeger-LeCoultre actually named this clock the Atmos Birthday – to celebrate the 80th birthday of the (almost) perpetual, atmospheric movement of the Atmos clock line. The simple design and background spells out a series of “Atmos Birthday” words. Looking at the clock head-on you see the dial in mostly rhodium plated steel with parts of the back in mother-of-pearl (in blue or pink). The movement is hidden in the back.

In addition to the time, the Atmos Birthday has a month and moon phase indicator. The large balance wheel sits below as the entire complex contraption sits in a pedestal with a plate for custom engraving, inside of a crystal class case.

Although the Atmos movement is now over 80 years old (introduced in 1928), the movement still feels as modern as ever with its almost impossible petite power consumption, feeding off of slight changes in a rooms temperature. All hand made, and limited to just 8 pieces.

For the second time in as many months, an example of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s brilliant Gyrotourbillon 1 watch will be available for sale through a major auction house.  Right on the heels of Antiquorum Auctioneers, Sotheby’s Hong Kong will offer an example of this pioneering complication wristwatch with a dual-axis spherical tourbillon, equation of time, 8-day running autonomy with power reserve indication, and a retrograde perpetual calendar complication.

The timepiece is part of an important private collection which will make up approximately 40 pieces of nearly 200 exceptional lots featured.  This particular Gyrotoubillon watch bears the individual number of “11″, denoting its place in the limited edition series of 75 which Jaeger-LeCoultre established for this exclusive model.The pre-sale estimate has been set between $255,000 and $360,000 (USD).

Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled the platinum-cased Gyrotourbillon 1 in 2005 to great acclaim from the horological community.  A genuine advancement in tourbillon technology for wristwatches, its complex and unique dual-axis carriages represented a new high point in the quest to produce a tourbillon which would perform optimally within the wearing realities encountered by a wristwatch.  These include numerous positions other than vertical–the parameter which Abraham-Louis Breguet had to contend with in developing an invention that would counteract the effects of gravity on the escapements of pocket watches, mantle clocks, and other timekeepers in use during the late 18th century.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 1 and the subsequent Gyrotourbillon 2 both address the limitations of a conventional single-axis tourbillon in a timepiece for the wrist, while presenting a decidedly spectacular showpiece of haute horlogerie workmanship and cutting edge micro-mechanical engineering.

The Sotheby’s Hong Kong Important Watches Autumn 2009 auction will take place on October 7th at the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on October 7th.  The auction begins at 10:00 AM.  A series of pre-sale exhibitions will be held in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, and Taipei through the month of September.

Jaeger-LeCoultre is associating with Aston Martin for the official presentation of the Rapide four-door sports car at the Frankfurt Motorshow from September 15th to 27th 2009, by launching the AMVOX2 Transponder Rapide, the chronograph that will offer future owners of the latest Aston Martin the privilege of locking or unlocking their car by simply pressing on the sapphire watch crystal.While the Aston Martin Rapide follows on from the concept car presented by Aston Martin in 2006, embodying a functional and elegant design, the AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder heralds the second generation of the revolutionary creation that sealed the ties between the Grande Maison from the Vallée de Joux and the legendary British luxury sports car manufacturer. Released several months ago, it is the first mechanical watch developed with the ability to control access into a luxury sports car by means of a built-in micro transmitter system serves to lock and unlock the Aston Martin DBS car, while maintaining the key functions of the famous vertical-trigger mechanism equipping the pushpiece-free chronograph.

The future owners of the Rapide will now enjoy the same privilege with their sports car, thanks to a dedicated Jaeger-LeCoultre watch featuring an exclusive design.Open, Close, Find Me

Crafted exclusively for owners of the Aston Martin DBS and now for the Aston Martin Rapide, the AMVOX2 Transponder demonstrate the design and engineering collaboration between these two long-established companies; both leaders in their respective fields and partners since 2004.

The AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder incorporates a miniature transmitter system serving to lock and unlock Aston Martin Rapide, while maintaining the functions of the now famous vertical-trigger mechanism – the pushpiece-free chronograph. As the driver nears the car, all he need do is press the OPEN position on the watch glass (between 8 and 9 o’clock) in order to activate the door opening system, whereas doing the same thing on the CLOSE position between 3 and 4 o’clock will close the vehicle.By pressing simultaneously on the “OPEN” and “CLOSE” rectangles, the watch emits a signal recognised by the car as a “find me” function: the headlamps light up for several seconds, without unlocking the car, so as to enable the owner to find the car at a glance.

By integrating the transponder circuit into the body of the watch, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a timepiece that is entirely functional yet discreet, a masterpiece of miniaturisation and engineering that not only functions as a chronograph but as a key, making it the ultimate accessory for the ultimate sports car.

A titanium and pink gold case, a Rapide design

The AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder is issued in a version equipped with a verticaltrigger device that appears for the first time in a two-tone version: the base including the lugs and crown is entirely made of satin-brushed 18-carat pink gold, while the pivoting case is crafted in brushed grade 5 titanium.

The black dial of the AMVOX Rapide Transponder is adorned with a grille-type motif and bears rhodium-plated metallic numerals coated in the centre with a luminescent black substance. The movement operating indicator at 6 o’clock carries the Aston Martin wing emblem. The Rapide symbol, which is gilded as are the hands and hourmarkers, appears to be floating in the centre in a window revealing the ruthenium mainplate and bridges of the exquisitely refined movement.

The minute and hour chronograph counters are in aluminium, another first for this watch line.

The outer dial ring bearing the OPEN/CLOSE transponder indications provides a glimpse between 4 and 8 o’clock of the fascinating lever mechanism controlling the chronograph functions and featuring a break calliper design.

The fruit of pioneering research bridging innovative watchmaking and high technology

The miniaturisation of the transponder module, housed on the base, its wiring and its transmitter antenna have been completely redesigned from a watchmaking perspective, combining technical inventiveness with a subtle and elegant integration within the overall design. The research and development required over 18 months of dedicated work by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s engineers, as well as intense collaboration from Aston Martin.

While it is relatively easy to understand how to operate the AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder, actually making it represents a daunting challenge in both technical and design terms. In a first phase, the engineers focused on miniaturising each part of the transponder in order to reduce it to a size that could fit inside a watch case featuring a thickness and diameter ensuring optimal user-friendliness and comfort – while also meeting the technical and security specifications inherent to the car itself. The end result is a module weighing just a few grams and less than half the size of the same system inside the Rapide key.

Nonetheless, miniaturisation was just one of the stages in a global process that led researchers to entirely rethink the geometry and the wiring from a watchmaker’s perspective – a high-tech feat that called for 18 months of meticulous engineering work. Developers also had to take account of a major technical constraint. A mechanical watch acts like a Faraday’s cage that protects the movements from the influences of electrical fields that may adversely affect the rating precision. Therefore, in order to endow the timepiece with the reliability of Jaeger-LeCoultre movements and to enable the transponder to operate despite the neighbouring metal oscillating weight, an innovative antenna had to be created. The solution lay in placing the antenna as far as possible from the watch mechanism and the case, and lengthy research resulted in using the sapphire crystal as a medium. The antenna is metallised on the inside of the sapphire crystal in a shape following the curve of the inner bezel ring between 4 and 6 o’clock, and is connected at these strategic points to the locking control contact rectangles (OPEN and CLOSE).

Contrary to the chronograph vertical-trigger mechanism based on pivoting the entire case and bezel, activating and deactivating the AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder locking system does not involve any displacement of any part of the watch, occurring instead merely by making contact with the OPEN and CLOSE zones. This connection is facilitated by capacitive technology, which has the property of reacting to touches on a given surface.

Only Aston Martin dealerships will be able to authorise the timepiece to ‘read’ and communicate with the owner’s specific Rapide, ensuring that security and privacy are maintained at all times.

A resolutely high-tech integrated construction

The AMVOX 2 Rapide Transponder builds on the AMVOX2 Chronograph, first introduced in 2006. The Chronograph was a revolution in watchmaking, with a start, stop and reset mechanism operated by pushing on the sapphire crystal face of the watch; there are no push-buttons. The mechanism within the AMVOX2 is extraordinarily sophisticated, using 0.1mm diameter bearings to give mechanical feedback to the stop-start action using the dial.

A three-position cursor rounds off this revolutionary construction. Positioned on the side of the case at 9 o’clock, this selection device serves to lock either the whole set of chronograph controls or only the resetting device, thereby ensuring that the functions are not accidentally started, stopped or reset by the driver’s inadvertent hand or arm motions.

Equipped with Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 751E, the watch combines extraordinary mechanical innovation with the qualities of reliability and precision that are the hallmarks of all Jaeger-LeCoultre mechanisms. The 65-hour power reserve further increases the length of time during which the watch can be relied on to function with optimal accuracy. Meanwhile, a complex column-wheel (a defining feature in high-end chronographs) and an extremely sophisticated vertical coupling system guarantee the precision timing of the chronograph. The adjustment of the balance wheel’s inertia thanks to the presence of four screws on its felly or rim ensures the setting remains stable in all conditions. Finally, the rotor’s ball-bearing mechanism contains ceramic balls providing the valuable advantage of never needing lubrication, thus further enhancing the watch’s long-term reliability.

The AMVOX watch collection represents an extraordinary alliance between horological expertise, automobile performance and aesthetic refinement. Issued exclusively for Aston Martin owners, the AMVOX2 Rapide Transponder now joins the DBS model in bearing witness to the remarkable teamwork and research undertaken and pursued by both Aston Martin and Jaeger-LeCoultre  in exploring the interaction between contemporary watchmaking and high technology.

Jaeger-LeCoultre is proud to be serving as Official Sponsor of the ultra-glamorous 66th Venice International Film Festival, also known as the Mostra. Celebrities and devotees of both film-making and watchmaking will enjoy a chance to discover a range of stunning Haute Joaillerie watches inspired by the glittering world of movies.On this occasion, the famous Swiss fine watchmaking brand is unveiling a unique collection: Hybris Mechanica 55. This unique set of models forms the most amazing trilogy in watchmaking history, composed of three timepieces housing an incredible total of 55 complications.

The launch of this trilogy took place during an exceptional evening event held on September 8th. With Hybris Mechanica 55, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre once again displays its ability to combine the high demands of innovation with an expertise grounded in 176 years of tradition.The exceptional collection comprises three absolute horological masterpieces: the brand-new Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie, the Hybris Mechanica à Triptyque and the Hybris Mechanica Gyrotourbillon.

This landmark trilogy not only brings together the most complicated wristwatches ever created, but also provides a panoramic vision of the evolution of fine watchmaking and showcases the most remarkable achievements of the Grande Maison from the Vallée de Joux in the course of its long and rich history.In tribute to the values of these peerlessly rare and refined models, they will be delivered in an exclusive and suitably weighty safe featuring prestigious finishing and meeting the latest security standards.

On this occasion, the Manufacture is launching a website dedicated to Horological Excellence and entitled Hybris Mechanica.

Jaeger-LeCoultre and Tourneau together present the new Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm watch that will be exclusively sold only at Tourneau watch stores. Tourneau is the largest watch retail chain in the world and carries an impressive number of brands at their many locations internationally. The watch is a unique combination of world timer and mechanical alarm. The watch comes in two limited editions. 20 pieces in 18k rose gold and titanium, and another 50 pieces in all titanium.

The watch case is 46.3mm wide, which is common for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme line. The time is easy to read on the main dial with the left portion of the dial being reserved for the alarm time, while on the right is a date window. In addition to cities, the world time indicator features a few natural landmarks such as the Galapagos Islands and Scandola.

The crowns feature a special security lock while the watch itself is a shock absorption system for the movement. The watch is attached to a leather and fabric strap. Style of the watch is sporty and functional with a busy dial that is still legible enough. Look for the Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm watch at select Tourneau watch stores soon.