Jaeger-LeCoultre

[The Queen and her watch: notice the slim bracelet on the wrist of the Monarch] On May 13th this year Jaeger LeCoultre was chosen as the timekeeper of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubillee. A short presentation and ceremony took place at Windsor Castle. The...  

absolutely fascinating. I find it so bizarre that JLC is not mentioned in the same breath as the other "big 3", surely it is more innovative and certainly has designed and manufactured more movements in more forms than all the other 3 put together. Bravo ... 

myself. Here is the crux that I cannot get my head around. For years, JLC movements were the base ebauche behind some of the big 3, and only because of the endless posturing on finishing did the big 3 reputation remain. The horological brains behind it la... 

Thank you, Andrew! Awesome photos and write up. Thank you for sharing! :) Best Blomman

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and it gives JLC just one more reason to shine in the horological universe. Though I doubt we'll ever see wristwatches using such small dials, I can foresee pendant watches, ring watches making occasional re-issues for those who don't want to "wear" a wri... 

qualified enough to work on the 101. There are some pieces at Boutiques, but otherwise, it is by order only. Something of an unsung heroine for the JLC line up. Must be one of the longest running series in near continuous production. Pre-dates Reverso and... 

Hi Andrew, Thank you for this very interesting read about a so much under rated marvel! I'd love to offer a 101 to my wife someday (and the extreme opposite Atmos Newson to myself). Best Dje

would go with the same choices! :) Andrew H

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for this very informative post. One gets to know so many new things everyday from this forum. I couldn't imagine that there is only one person with one set of tool making the balance spring and wheel for the Gyro2 and 101. The next time I get to see a 101... 

to light the difficulties with such a movement. And true, there is one person with the required skills. Hence production numbers being so low. I found it heartening that JLC still preserve so much of the skills required despite the cost. Thanks again Andr... 

for this galore of info on smallest movement ever Kudos to you and JLC Best regards Damjan

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my better half.... :) Andrew H

This is a major reason why I frequent PuristPro; the incredible wealth of knowledge and research. Thank you sir!

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I saw some of these movements at JLC and just imagining working on something this small gives me a headache. But it is marvelous. Don

were so small! Did marvel at the special spectacle attachments! Looked like the toy restoration guy out of Toy Story 2! Andrew H

Thank for your great post. Probably a very underrated movement amongst the all the powerhouses discussed here. Unbelievable how such a small piece can function. Although not for my wrist I'm very much in love with the Reverso 101. It really sets the case ... 

the work on the movement. The work on the movement was from Sylvain Golay's design when he produced a skeleton movement. Sylvain has since retired, but lives near by the manufacture. A character for all those who met him at JLC. Shows how 'old' skills can... 

Fantastic!!!

concealment were lauded rather than the necessity to wear the biggest and/or the brightest! Would love to find a pair at auction. Andrew H

The platinum cufflinks pictured in your post once belonged to me and were sold a few years ago to the JLC Heritage Gallery. The watch inside the cufflink was actually an unmarked caliber 104..... much rarer than the caliber 101 and only a fraction larger.... 

Nothing is better than the source! ;) Best, Nicolas

a picture of the caliber 104 movement inside the cufflinks another picture of the platinum cufflinks ...  

very well done in both text and images. I did not know that the same specialists work on the 101 as well as on the Gyrotourbillon. This stresses the fact that miniaturisation is an often overlooked complication. Again, thanks for taking the time to presen... 

watchmakers bench, you can see part of the Gyrotourbillon dial. He was working on both at the same time! Also on the bench is his own design of cover for the 101 movement as others did not fit over the special vice to hold the movement! It really is that ... 

Thanks Andrew - a great piece on one of my favorite movements. Amazing how rare they are in the used market. Have kept my eye out for the Reverso 101 - but have failed to see one yet. And those cufflinks are amazing. Where did you come across the cufflink... 

with the Curator. I was allowed to see designs/watches/movements. Fascinating stuff. Andrew H

I had the pleasure of seeing a pair of 101 cufflinks (possibly the same ones) in person a few years back. They're fantastic. Of course with a 101 movement inside how could they be anything else. Last year I almost bid on a platinum women's watch just for ... 

something out of the ordinary. Perhaps for 2014 for the 85th anniversary of the movement! Start lobbying now! Would take that long just to get a special edition of (say) 25 into the market because of the production possibilities on the movement!! Andrew H... 

The Cal 101 deserved such a post. I was thinking about working on it, you made it, in a brilliant way. And to include a picture of a modern Reverso displaying this movement should lead JLC to think about a non jewelled version, in an " Ultra Thin " case. ... 

and this being the Diamond jubilee - it seemed fitting to write to celebrate the watch and movement now. Thanks for the kind words and hope to see you soon. Andrew H

We sometimes let the small things slip by in awe of the next multi-axis/quintuple complication. The watchmakers behind the 101 and the production numbers are quite a revelation. The men's cuff links are very nice. With a good designer, and I'm afraid the ... 

an unsung hero(ine). Appreciate the kind words. Andrew H

Pity I cannot see behind the Queen's watch to see any writings or marks behind the casing. I have a feeling this was an early prototype model 101, EJ licensed to some other jeweler. I would love to compare to a watch I have here. This one has no markings ...