Jaeger-LeCoultre opens Atelier d'Antoine, a gateway into the world of watchmaking

Jaeger-LeCoultre has announced the opening of the new Atelier d'Antoine at its Manufacture in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Two educational programs, the Discovery Workshop and the Manufacture Tour, will offer visitors an insight into the world of watchmaking through expert lectures and instruction.

Atelier de Antoine offers academic programs

　Jaeger-LeCoultre has been making watches in the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland since its founding in 1833. It still produces watches at its manufacture in Le Sentier. The newly opened Atelier d'Antoine is located within this historic manufacture. Named after the company's founder, Antoine LeCoultre, Atelier d'Antoine aims to introduce the world of watchmaking to as many people as possible, from watch enthusiasts to novices, and offers two types of programs: a "Discovery Workshop" and a "Manufacture Tour."

　The Discovery Workshop, led by instructors and specialist technicians, allows visitors to learn about the structure and workings of movements, the various technical and artistic techniques involved in watchmaking, and the process leading up to the completion of a watch. The Manufacture tour focuses on areas such as Jaeger-LeCoultre's expertise and traditions, and provides guided explanations about the brand's history and manufacturing processes.

Another attraction of the Discovery Workshop is that you can experience the craftsmen's work using models that are larger than the actual clocks.

During the tour of the manufacture, you can see how the watches are actually assembled and the process of setting diamonds into the cases.

　The first series of these two programs, which began in September, is themed around "Sound in Watchmaking." The Discovery Workshop will cover the mechanisms by which time is expressed by sound and the difference between repeaters and grand sonneries, while the Manufacture Tour will focus on the latest models equipped with minute repeater mechanisms and teach about the mechanisms that make the sound and the traditions of minute repeaters.

　In the future, the brand plans to launch a "Master Class" program, where participants can experience traditional watchmaking and the artistic decoration of cases and dials under the guidance of watchmakers and craftsmen. The content of programs that have already begun may also change. There is a fee for these programs, and participants must register in advance. Registration will begin in late December on Jaeger-LeCoultre's official website. In the future, the brand plans to offer online programs and open atelier branches in flagship boutiques around the world. We look forward to future developments.