Amanico provides an insightful tour of Jaeger-LeCoultre's newly consolidated "Atelier des Métiers Rares" workshop. His report details how JLC has brought together its artistic crafts—enameling, guilloché, engraving, skeleton work, and gem-setting—under one roof, enhancing collaboration and visitor experience. The post highlights the intricate skills involved in these rare crafts.
2016 saw many changes at the Manufacture. Among them, a very important one is certainly the fact that Jaeger Lecoultre decided to gather all the artistic skills under the same roof and place, in the same building than the Spécialités Horlogères Workshop, some floors below.
Before, each atelier ( workshop ) worked separately, and you had to walk through the innumerable and endless corridors to see all of them. It is not only a good change for the visitor, but also, and most of all, for these artists who work there. Indeed, now, they can work together on some common projects, exchange, discuss, and be a source of inspiration for each other, the atelier being organized by speciality, each having its own place divided by some glass walls.
Now, the visitor is welcomed in an anteroom, where his eyes will immediately fall on a huge round wooden table, with a big round screen at the center. Via an astute system, the screen communicates with each of the artisans working in the workshop, and we can follow the progression of his work " à la demande ", without physically disturbing him.
The anteroom:
Indeed, this giant screen allows you to see in all the details the microscopic work, with a reserve: Imagine you have the pleasure to see the enameler painting a dial, reproducing a Van Gogh piece of Art. On the giant screen, it seems easy to do, but you are just forgetting that he is working on a 30, 31 or 32 mm dial, and you don't realize all the skill which is required to achieve such a work of Art, in terms of precision. You loose a bit the reality of the proportions, the difficulty of the challenge.
This anteroom doesn't prevent a visit, you still can physically see the artist in action, and how tough is his work. For example, I met the enameler and saw him painting " his " dial. When you have the proportions under your eyes, you still wonder how he does to achieve that... Magic, as I am short in words to describe what you are feeling in front of such a spectacle.
What are the specialities housed in the Atelier des Métiers Rares ( Rare Crafts Workshop )?
Enameling, Guilloché, Engraving and Skeleton Work, and Gem setting.
Here are working eleven gem setters, seven enamelers, five engravers, one person dedicated to guilloché, 3 for chamfering and one polisher.
-> Enameling:
Painting, cloisonné, champlevé, here, they know all the technics of enameling, the grand feu enameling, to be precise. Here is what I found to describe their work, and to give you an idea of the toughness of their job:
" The artisans work with a gold case featuring a 0, 4 mm recess coated with three layers of white enamel. The motif is then designed using enamel fragments colored by metal oxidized crushed to powder and mixed with oil. Firing in a kiln heated to 800°C solidifies the matter on its base.
This Grand Feu enameling technique endows the models thus adorned with exceptional purity and longevity. Six to ten layers of transparent protective enamel are then applied to the dial that is carefully sanded and polished to achieve a shiny, finely glazed appearance. Each piece is fired between 17 and 22 ( !!! ) times during the vitrification process. "
Some pictures I could take of the enameling:
Some dials... The Chinese zodiacal signs is mounted in a watch which is owned by one of our lucky fellows. The Einstein is a test, if I remember correctly.
-> Guilloché:
That is a well known dare I say historical skill which is dearly appreciated by watch lovers. The guilloché gives an artistic dimension to our beloved dials. Here I am speaking of the hand made guilloché, not the industrial one. Two guilloché dials, and a Gyrotourbillon cage...
A picture of the machine used for the guilloché. When it is all about Tradition...
-> Engraving and skeleton work:
Here, there is no other limit than the imagination of the owner and his wallet, as everything can be achieved, in the respect of the morality and the manufacture values.
As you can see, the possibilities are vast. I specially love the one on the left of the 207 Spider Club.
An engraving of the Reverso Mucha, before being enameled, which illustrates how good it is to work in the same room.
The owner can also meet the engraver, to discuss with him and to precise what kind of decoration he desires. I have been told that it happened, not only for the pleasure of the owner, but also for the engraver. They are quite proud to show their work and to collaborate with the owner.
-> Gem Setting:
Milling, drilling, housing the precious gems in the case, dial or bezel, sometimes in the bracelet, you have to experience that live, to understand that it is not given to everyone to do that.
Here, it is not about the tools, they are old, traditional, all the merit has to be given to the gem setter. With these tools...
The " magician " gives birth to that, a technique called snow setting.
Among other creations... Have a look at the Reverso Neva:
Can you imagine the amount of time required to achieve that? I would not have such a patience nor the predisposition to do it.
Of course, I could not miss the visit of this new rare crafts workshop, which was the main reason of my venue to the Manufacture. This is the kind of universe, gathering this sum of talents, which distinguishes a true Manufacture from the others.
A last detail which is worth being added: As in some other workshops, Jaeger Lecoultre decided to put together apprentices and masters in order to transmit the knowledge between generations. Smart and wise.
If you ever visit the Manufacture, ask your guide to show you this workshop. The Spécialités Horlogères is a dream, this atelier is complementing it.
Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,
Best.
Nicolas
