Jaeger-LeCoultre, a manufacture with 179 years of expertise, was the in the first to be established Vallee de Joux, Switzerland. From its very origins, the workshop has played a huge role in the history of watchmaking. Their most recent release, haute joaillerie Montre Extraordinaire La Rose wristwatch, teaches us that the history of wristwatches is actually a history of women’s watches.
Over the centuries, women have transformed the aesthetics of watches and introduced new ways in which they were worn. The first watches for women appeared in the 16th century, evolving from spring powered clocks into delicate mechanisms used to measure time. In the early days of watchmaking, watches were made exclusively for women and there was no such a thing as a wristwatch. First timepieces for men appeared in the 17th century, and they were classic pocket watches, worn on the long chain or in a pocket. Women’s watches remained more like decorative jewelry, all the way into the 20th century, designed as delicate pendants, fastened to clothing or worn on a chain around the neck.
1998 Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 ring watch
The first wristwatches, originally called Wristlets, were also designed exclusively for women while gentlemen insisted on using a pocket watch, which was considered way more masculine than flaunting their wristwatches. The first wristwatch for men was Cartier’s Santos wristwatch, designed in 1904 for Louis Cartier’s friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, an early aviation pioneer from Brazil. However, it was not until the World War I that wristwatches finally became popular among men. Men soldiers in the WWI first started attaching a pocket watch to their wrist by a leather strap, which importantly improved the popularity of wrist watches among men.
1933 Jaeger-LeCoultre Duoplan
Inspired by the rich history of ladies’ watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre has launched La Montre Extraordinaire La Rose in 2007. This year, the brand introduces gorgeous diamond-set version of this piece, sparkling in the glow of more than 14 carats of diamonds. The piece is inspired by the 19th century tradition of secret watches, sculpted in white gold and embellished with most delicate gem setting technique: snow-setting. This practice results in gorgeous frosted effect, which is on this watch achieved by arranging a total of 1420 diamonds, all individually cut and fitted side by side.
1954 Jaeger-LeCoultre Ladies' watch
The watch utilizes exceptional manually-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 846, and it is presented on a soft satin strap.
The photo gallery within this article presents some of the most beautiful vintage watches for women created by Jaeger-LeCoultre. The photos perfectly illustrate brand's expertise in “form” movements and jewellery-oriented decorative techniques.
Author: Marina Milojevic
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Jaeger-LeCoultre collections
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