Re: HM QEII receives diamond watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre Archived Message
Posted by Rachel in IN  on June 5, 2012, 12:34 pm, in reply to "Re: HM QEII receives diamond watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre"
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: I did not understand what they were saying
: about the smallest watch in the world.
Just some general information that may add to the discussion.
In the early part of my career, I worked on a magazine devoted exclusively to clocks and watches. It was fascinating (I can see the fascination with clocks now!), and I got to learn a lot about horological matters through the editorial articles.
The watch itself (the face and bracelet) is a whole different consideration from the watch works or watch movement (internal mechanism). The watch may not be the smallest in the world, but the watch works in this case apparently are.
"The white gold watch is set with baguette diamonds and is powered by the smallest mechanical watch movement in the world, the JLC Calibre 101. First built in 1929, the Calibre 101 is so small that its 98 tiny parts only weigh one gram and its assembly is a specialised process that only three watchmakers in the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture can master."
Also, it is quite common to see ad listings in these horological magazines for e.g. "Cartier watch with Patek Philippe movement" or "Tiffany watch with Jaeger-LeCoultre movement." Many of the finer jewelry firms did not care to get into the watch works business (and who would, given that there are already undisputed masters willing to sell their works!), but certainly wanted to offer their clients beautiful or precious watches. So they would design the watches and buy the works from these master houses.
Otherwise, I'm kind of with Boris, it's a bit of self-promotion on Jaeger-LeCoultre's part, and kind of clunky in design to boot. But the real value of the watch, no doubt, is in the scarcity of the tiny watch works which can only be produced by a very few people and by hand using special instruments.
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