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Every piece is thoroughly vetted by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s historical experts and fully serviced and restored by the specialised watchmakers of the Manufacture’s restoration workshop. Currently numbering 10 experts, the restoration team can go through the Manufacture’s archives and find the blueprint of every piece ever made, and in some cases also find original spare components. If there is no component to hand, there is a stock of some 6,000 swages or stamps that they can use to make an identical component from scratch. Because the Manufacture is fully integrated, the entire process can be carried out in-house. While the mechanical restoration may, in some cases, be significant, the intervention on the case and dial must be kept to a minimum, since too much work would alter the historical nature of the piece for collectors; therefore, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s acquisitions team seeks watches that are as close as possible to their original condition.
The second capsule collection will be unveiled in Los Angeles for collectors and Jaeger-LeCoultre enthusiasts to view at the Maison’s boutique on Rodeo Drive from 16 June until 21 June. Along with the newly restored watches offered for sale, visitors to the boutique will discover a display of pieces from the Manufacture’s archives that represent each of the 17 chapters in The Collectibles book, shining the spotlight on the pioneering spirit that has always driven La Grande Maison. They will also enjoy live demonstrations of the painstaking craft of polishing screws and the fascinating art of heat-blueing hands. These two crafts are among the dozens of skills employed in the Manufacture’s restoration workshop, breathing new life into decades-old pieces and enabling these timeless objects to be passed from one generation to the next.
The second capsule collection of The Collectibles programme will be available online through jaeger-lecoultre.com, as well as during the Los Angeles presentation.
