Jaeger-Lecoultre: The Watchmaker's Watchmaker

Description: Unlock the secrets of the manufacture that the world's greatest watchmakers rely on.
For nearly two centuries, deep within the snow-capped Jura Mountains, a single building in the village of Le Sentier has been the silent engine of Swiss horology. Known by connoisseurs as "The Watchmaker's Watchmaker," Jaeger-LeCoultre has not only pioneered the most complex mechanical objects ever conceived but has also supplied the movements found inside the dials of icons like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin.

In this definitive history, Dr. Cornelis van Houte takes you on a chronological journey from the manufacture's 16th-century roots to its modern-day summit of Haute Horlogerie. Explore the technical brilliance and artistic mastery that define the Grande Maison:

• The Legend of the Reverso: Discover the polo-field origins of the world's most famous Art Deco reversible watch.

• The Impossible Calibre 101: Learn the secrets of the world's smallest mechanical movement-a marvel weighing barely one gram, comprised of 98 parts smaller than a fingernail.

• The Clock That Lives on Air: Step inside the physics of the Atmos, a near-perpetual motion clock so efficient that 60 million of them would consume less energy than a single lightbulb.

• Engineering at the Limit: Go behind the scenes of the Hybris Mechanica and the Gyrotourbillon-masterpieces featuring over 1,000 components and four functional faces.

• The Artisans of the Métiers Rares: Meet the rare masters of Grand Feu enamelling and freehand engraving who transform machines into miniature works of art.

Dr. Cornelis van Houte