With the market for vintage watches projected to outpace new stock by 2033, it’s little wonder why an increasing number of venerable old houses are getting in on the action. Within Richemont’s enormous umbrella, the latest brand to make said leap is Jaeger-LeCoultre – one of the Swiss watch industry’s most historic manufactures, responsible for producing some 1,250 mechanical movements over the past 200 years.
Among a host of other 190th anniversary celebrations, the brand has just announced ‘The Collectibles’: its first ever vintage watch program, aimed squarely at collectors interested in historic Jaeger-LeCoultre references, who desire the peace of mind which comes courtesy of buying direct from the brand.
The move is an intriguing one, aligning with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s broader strategy to recontextualise its offerings (both vintage and modern) at the pointy end of the market. To begin: The Collectibles will launch with an initial selection of 12 timepieces, all of which have been “vetted” and “fully serviced” by the brand’s dedicated restoration workshop.
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In no particular order: these include a rare ‘Jaeger’ Reverso with the then-seldom-seen small seconds display (already sold); a Shark Deep Sea (the first Jaeger-LeCoultre model to incorporate a chronograph); and a classic 36mm Geomatic – the least pricy of the bunch.
To accompany the online launch of these first dozen ‘Collectibles,’ Jaeger-LeCoultre is simultaneously launching a book of the same name. Bundled with purchases of any of the brand’s authenticated vintage watches, the title details the heritage of 19 of the brand’s “most important” watches, manufactured during the 20th century. Wherever possible, along with a copy of The Collectibles, clients will also take delivery of their new watch with all of its original packaging and accessories. Crucially, every purchase vetted by the restoration team is offered with an archival extract: verifying fine-print details like case and movement serials; and the date when the relevant piece was produced.
This new initiative at Jaeger-LeCoultre means the Maison now joins Cartier and Vacheron Constantin (both Richemont stablemates) as a purveyor of its own vintage watches – with the explosion of interest in examples offered by those brands signalling the likely trajectory of ‘The Collectibles’ in near future. Granted, there is a premium associated with any historic watches which have been vetted and repaired by their original brand; yet in the specific case of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the brand’s restorers have made it a point to carry out as little “intervention” as possible – in the interest of preserving each watch’s original condition.
“To me, few makers have such an interesting back catalogue of shapes and complications,” says Justin Hast, Editor/Publisher of The Watch Annual. “While this isn’t a commercial move, I do think it will add a great deal to the brand’s building efforts as the ‘Grande Maison.'”
