Jaeger-LeCoultre - Yearbook Three
An eagerly anticipated treat for collectors and connoisseurs of fine watchmaking, this publication is designed to be leafed through, read and savoured like an invitation to enter the universe of a brand that is open to the world. It is imbued with a unique philosophy: that of sharing a passion and of turning towards horizons illuminated by culture, dreams and beauty. I
t admirably expresses a distinctive vision by means of images and photography reflecting the spirit of the Manufacture. And last but not least, it provides abundant food for thought through articles written by well-known authors who tell the story of Jaeger-LeCoultre and guide watchmaking into uncharted contemplative territory.
This third edition is full of superlatives, featuring exceptional creations embodying major technical feats; arts that share with mechanics the same majestic sense of accomplishment; and human adventures that foster excellence and the ability to sublimate the moment at hand. Yearbook 3 casts the spotlight on nature, on music, on film-making, on watchmaking… In a word, on time in the most absolute sense of the term.
As readers browse through the pages, they journey from the infinitely small to the infinitely large. They celebrate the 80th anniversary of Calibre 101, still the smallest mechanical movement ever made. They probe the secrets of the Hybris Mechanica 55 trilogy uniting 55 complications within three wristwatches. They discover the incredible instrumentation of the 1300 parts housed within the latest release, the Hybris Mechanica a Grande Sonnerie, which reinvents the rarest of all horological complications that has the astonishing capability of playing the entire Big Ben chime…
This yearbook also whisks readers from the Joux Valley to the Venice lagoon, where they find themselves swept up into the magic of movies at the International Film Festival known as the Mostra and officially partnered by Jaeger-LeCoultre. A perfect opportunity to bring together two major talents from the respective worlds of photography and cinema, Marcel Hartmann and Diane Kruger, in creating a fairytale stage-setting for Calibre 101.
And also to pay tribute to the close ties between Venice and Federico Fellini, to whom the Jeu de Paume Museum is devoting a retrospective. This formidable array of human, mechanical, artistic and historical masterpieces have made an indelible imprint on our collective memory and live on in a sphere beyond time. Yearbook Three is available in English and French versions from all Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques or at www.jaeger-lecoultre.com as of December 1st 2009.