MINUTE REPEATER CALIBRES

Antoine LeCoultre’s first genuine invention was related to music boxes. These precious objects, able to reproduce a tune as many times as desired, were all the rage among the European aristocracy. Production of these works of art began in the Vallee de Joux in 1790, initiated by a brand of the LeCoultre family. In 1810, Antoine and his father created their first music box components, particularly the small teeth that made the notes sound.

In 1825, Antoine created the comb or ‘peigne’, the single-bodied keyboard carved from the same metal plate. Not only did this innovation improve the quality of the sound, but the instrument no longer went out of tune. The developments and inventions from music box instruments made way for the even greater complexity of producing chiming minute repeater watches.

Since producing its first minute repeater watch in 1870, Jaeger-LeCoultre has developed more than 200 chiming Swiss watch calibres, producing some 100 minute repeaters before the year 1900. It has mastered all forms, from relatively simple alarms to the most complex of all, the Grande Sonnerie and Westminster chimes, earning it the title of “The Sound Maker.”

Although the structure of chiming minute repeater watch mechanisms has remained essentially unchanged since the early 19th century, Jaeger-LeCoultre has constantly worked to improve both the mechanical efficiency of its movements and the clarity and beauty of the sound being produced.