ThePurists trip 2004
Jaeger-LeCoultre

by Jaw
(c) November 2004

PuristS trip to MJLC
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Part 20 - We perlaged our own base plate.

(This coach served us daily throughout our trip, including Geneva pickup and dismissal - Here we rode the bus to the Manufacture on the 29th. morning - sadly, our last day of the trip)

(Stefanie Smithuis explained all the movement decorative work done in MJLC, she stressed that despite being non functional, MJLC took movement decorative work seriously)

(A good demonstration and guidance on how we should perlage our base plate. This particular helpful teacher can perlaged both sides of the plate perfectly in 2 to 3 minutes - I can perlage one side, badly, in 20 minutes, and I ended up with tired eyes and blurring vision )

(Daniel Liu, closely watched by Stefanie Smithuis)

(Full concentration, with an eyedrop or two, perhaps?)

(Michael seemed more relaxed?)

(This is my badly perlaged base plate, we got to bring our plate home)

Jaw

Part 21 - Screwing the regulating screw into the Balance Wheel

(Our job is tougher than it looks, the screw is hardly visible, and our job was to pick up the screw, and screw at least one screw into any of the 4 threaded slots of the balance wheel)

(Marie did it)

(So did Michael, his surgeon training obviously helped)

Fortunately, all of us completed the work successfully.

Jaw

Part 22 - Inserting the jewels into the Pallet Fork

(Our next mission was to insert the nearly visible jewel into the almost invisible Pallet Fork )

(Stefanie Smithuis gave a brief overview of our mission)

(Jerome Berder did it)

(So did Daniel Liu and everyone else.

(A curious toilet sign near the department, anyone care to interprete )

Jaw

Part 23 - Metal heat treatment and bluing of screws and hands

Jaeger-LeCoultre mastered the skills of heat treating the metals for many years.

Solid gold movements, for example were used by Jaeger-LeCoultre in wristwatch since 1991.

In the age of mass production chemical blue screw, Jaeger-LeCoultre are one of the FEW manufacturers who still insists on the more troublesome heated blue screws and hands.

Heated blue screws suppliers are getting impossible to find and even if one could, it would be expensive as the yield is extremely low. Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to do it under the same roof to maintain consistent quality and better production yield:

(Stefanie Smithuis explained how different temperature affects the screw colour, screws and hands to be blued must be better polished and heating temperature must be carefully controlled - screws must be removed from the heater before reaching the right colour as residual heat will still change the colour a little after removal from heater)

(This machine uses oil to heat the screws till they are blue)

(Only a limited number of screws and hands can be heated in this small container of oil at any one time)

(The Oil container was then carefully heated with temperature and progress monitored visually)

(The final products, the most beautiful blue screws)

Jaw

Part 24 - 1000 hours Control Test

It is no secret the Jaeger-LeCoultre 1000 hours control test is costly, not just the equipments and labour needed for the comprehensive test - but also the time needed, which slows down the delivery cycle.

For our previous brief discussion, please refer to http://www.network54.com/Forum/thread?forumid=234648&messageid=1052748253

Below are some of the processes viewed (This room is generally off-limit to non testing staff and public)

And the close visual inspection too:

LAST PHOTO:

(The View from the 1000 Hours Control Room)

Jaw

Part 25 - continuing the 29th morning tour

(MJLC is dead seriour about watch reliability and quality, here the pallet fork in escapement is tested for assembled angle and tolerances.

The Ease of regulating the Variable Inertia Balance Wheel as used in Autotractor (and Master 8 Days QP for example) was discussed in the Autotractor thread here http://www.network54.com/Forum/thread?forumid=234648&messageid=1078680164 previously. Manel Guerin again demonstrated to ThePuristS how easy it was to regulate the movement.

(A perfect demonstration, Manel told Marie she chose the right watch to wear!)

(We also visited the Manual Wind movement assembly division, shown here is the Reverso Grande GMT being assembled)

LAST PHOTO:

(The amazing Reverso Grande GMT)

Jaw

Part26 - 29th October Lunch hosted by Jean-Marc Keller

(CEO Jerome Lambert met his VIP guest over lunch at the restaurant, he didn't forget to greet us)

Even though CEO Jerome Lambert had an important lunch meeting that day, he made the effort to greet us at the restaurant. This is another restaurant famous for the Valee-de-Joux Perch Fish. In my personal opinion, the desert here is to die for!

(Couldn't resist a shot just before I boarded the coach for the Lunch)

(The tables arrangement)

(Jerome Berder, Carl Fafilek, Damine Lim & Dino Pozzato)

(Jean-Marc Keller with Andy McEwan)

(The lovely Linda looked a little shy here)

(Jean-Marc Keller, Andy McEwan & Marie Beng)

(Michael Haribowo, Elena Fafilek & Sylvain Golay)

(Suitbert Walter, Mitch Katz & Jean-Marc Keller)

(Tim Howes & Daniel Liu, The table at the behind - right is where Jerome and his guest were seating)

(The fantastic Valee-de-Joux view outside the restaurant complemented the charming Marie well)

THE LAST PHOTO

(Benedicte Ferlet worked very hard for the logistic of this trip with Simone Prevalet, all PuristS should remember this ever helpful and friendly lady, the fact that she is really lovely is of course, beside the point )

Jaw

Part 27 - JLC distribution Policy and Gyrotourbillon appreciation

(Jeam-Marc Keller led the presentation and the discussion)

Jaeger-LeCoultre's Jean-Marc Keller demonstrated JLC's transparency by presenting and discussing JLC's distribution policy, open to ThePuristS for the first time.

(Back to school again , and this bunch is an inquisitive lot)

The presentation was detailed and the discussion was insightful. This is the first time I noticed the "public" (although only PuristS ) were treated to information normally privy only to JLC insiders.

(Michael Haribowo & Dino Pozzato)

(I took photos of the slide, but chose to show only one here)

(Some of the publication covers at the Conference Room)

We were then treated to an amazing Gyrotourbillon presentation by Stephane Belmont and the only watchmaker other than Eric who can fully assemble the Gyrotourbillon (Eric is away on holiday), Mr. Jacquet Coulet.

(Stephane gave good insight into the Gyrotourbillon, and we had a very active discussion)

(Marie and Andrew Hildreth did a side by side comparison between Andrew's 1993 Reverso Tourbillon and the Gyrotourbillon)

(Internal tests have shown Gyrotourbillon to be extremely accurate, perhaps could be recorded as the most accurate mechanical watch. current practical test are showing inaccuracy of less than 2 seconds a day - A fantastic achievement. Shown are 2 of the test results being passed around.

THE LAST PHOTO

(Jacques Coulet & Marie Beng, with the Gyrotourbillon)

Jaw

Part 28 and the Final Part - Cert presentation and Farewell Champagne...

It was an emotional moment as all of us reckoned that this was coming to an end. CEO Jerome Lambert, Nicola Baretzki, Jean-Marc Keller, Simone Prevalet, Sylvain Golay and Linda were all there to send us off.

(Its time to pop the champagne)

(Jaeger-LeCoultre Internaitonal Director Nicola Baretzki and CEO Jerome Lambert)

(Of course, everyone still got to try the JLC watches they wanted)

Certificate Presentation, we are not exactly watchmaker, but we are now officially qualified to mess a few things up

(This is how the certificate looked like, I am glad ALL 17 of us passed)

Receiving the Diploma

(Jean-Marc Keller, Nicola Baretzki, Sylvain Golay & CEO Jerome Lambert ready to present the Diploma)

(Tim Lake)

(Lawrence Cohen)

(Andy McEwan)

(Elena Fafilek)

(Mitch Katz)

(Tim Howes)

(Dino Pozzato)

(Marie Beng)

(Suitbert Walter)

(Michael Haribowo)

(Daniel Liu)

(Carl Fafilek)

(Andrew Hildreth)

(Damien Lim)

(Jerome Berder)

(A farewell gift to all of us. A real JLC Polo shirt, a leather watch pouch, Press kits of Gyrotourbillon and AMVOX-1, WatchTime JLC special, and the fantastic book Theory of Horology. - It is interesting to note that you don't need to enter a contest here to win the WatchTime nor the AMVOX-1 Press Kit - Can I urge anyone of the 17 to reproduce the AMVOX-1 press kits text here in full? before I find time to post my article on the watch Thanks!)

Note: The Jerome Berder received the French version, Suitbert Walter the German version and the rest, the English Version.

CEO Jerome Lambert think the best marketing strategy is to educate the public, and this particular aspect should be obvious in years to come. He believes strongly that anyone who seriously knows about watches will see the great value of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches and hence the decision to include the very good WOSTEP "The Theory of Horology" and not a single JLC catalogue - although all the 17 are free to collect one from the manufacture.

I understand the 2 charming ladies received an extra JLC scarves, and with such unusual interest and concentration from the 2, I think they fully deserved the extra.

And I leave you last with a group photo

Still reminiscing about the trip, Thank you Jaeger-LeCoultre and the whole wonderful staff of 900+, Thank you to the 16 PuristS for your support.

This has been great!
Jaw