Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has presented an exhibition in Hong Kong, China, dedicated to its The Collectibles programme — an initiative that recovers, authenticates, and restores historic timepieces from the manufacture's archives. Among the highlighted pieces is a 1949 Triple Calendar featuring day-of-week and month indicators in Portuguese.
Launched in 2023 as part of the celebrations marking the manufacture's 190th anniversary, the programme brings together 17 emblematic models produced between 1925 and 1974. The selection includes watches from the Duoplan, Reverso, Memovox, Futurematic, Geophysic, and Memovox Polaris families, representing the brand's technical and aesthetic evolution over five decades.
Each piece undergoes an assessment in which Jaeger-LeCoultre evaluates originality, state of preservation, mechanical integrity, rarity, and historical significance. The restoration process seeks to preserve original components and the patina acquired over time, limiting interventions on the case and dial. Where necessary, certain parts are reconstructed by hand by specialist watchmakers.
Jaeger-LeCoultre operates a dedicated restoration workshop staffed by a team of ten watchmakers with access to the brand's historical archives and reserves of original components. Timepieces made available through the programme are accompanied by an extract from the manufacture's archives and a copy of The Collectibles book, dedicated to the selected models.
The Hong Kong exhibition brings together 16 watches, divided between eight historic examples from the mid-twentieth century and eight contemporary interpretations inspired by models from the past. The presentation is organised around four themes: Duoplan, Reverso, Memovox, and Precision. The event also includes the programme's seventh capsule collection, whose ten pieces became available for acquisition on 13 October.
Among the watches on display are the 1955 Duoplan Chain, the 1949 Duoplan Tubogas, the 1931 Reverso Cordonnet, the 1958 Futurematic E502, and the Memovox Parking from the same year. During the exhibition, the brand's watchmakers demonstrate restoration techniques, including the manual bluing of hands and the polishing of pivots, while specialists participate in sessions dedicated to horology and collecting.
The 1949 Triple Calendar stands out for the personalisation of its discs, which display the days of the week and the months in Portuguese. Fitted with an 18-carat rose gold case, the watch illustrates the manner in which the manufacture adapted its products to different markets and audiences. The Triple Calendar calibre, developed in 1942, was one of the first complications produced in series by the brand, enabling the simultaneous display of the day, date, and month on a mechanical watch.
The exhibition also marks the world premiere of the Calibre 101 Chain, a contemporary interpretation of the jewellery-watch concept. The model features a rigid bracelet in 18-carat rose gold, decorated with 158 diamonds and black HyCeram elements. At its heart is the Calibre 101, a movement first presented in 1929, composed of 98 components and weighing approximately one gram. Through The Collectibles programme, Jaeger-LeCoultre aims to preserve its watchmaking heritage and bring historic pieces closer to new generations of collectors.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=555996
