Br az i l i anl y r i ci s tandnov el i s tPaul oCoel hobei ng pr es ent ed wi t ht he v er yf i r s tAl chemi s tPen by Mont egr appaCEO Gi us eppeAqui l a.
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1945J aeger LeCoul t r eJ ewel l er ywat chwi t hcov er Thewr i s t wat c ht ookov eri nt hei nt er wary ear s . I tof f er edamaj oradv ant ageov ert hepoc k etwat c h: i tal l owedf as t erac c es st ot het i me. Buti tpos edat hor nypr obl em:mi ni at ur i z at i on. Thi si sbec aus et hes mal l ert hemec hani s m bec omes ,t hehar deri tbec omest oof f er pr ec i s i on,r el i abi l i t yandr es i s t anc e. TheDuopl anwat c hof f er edanor i gi nal s ol ut i on:byov er l ay i ngt hemov ement ’ sc omponent sont wo l ev el s ,i twasabl et or et ai nal ar gebal anc ewheel .I not herwor ds ,i tr ec onc i l edel eganc eandf i newat c hmak i ng. TheDuopl anwat c hes per f ec t l ys y mbol i s est hemar r i ageofel eganc eandt ec hni quei nt hes er v i c eofwomen. Thegl as spr ot ec t i ngt hec opper c ol our edAr t Dec odi ali ss hapedl i k eaRomanr oof t i l e,apar t i c ul ar i t ywhi c hear nedt hi swat c ht hename“ t ui l e”( Fr enc hf or“ t i l e” ) .Forev engr eat er aes t het i cpur i t y ,t hec r owni shi ddenbeneat ht hewat c h. Thi smodeli soneoft hev er yf i r s tt obes i gnedJ aeger LeCoul t r e,asi twas madeonl yoney earaf t ert hef us i onoft het wonamesLeCoul t r eandJ aeger . 1 1, 107J aeger LeCoul t r e403c al i br es ,oneofwhi c hpower s t hi swat c h,wer emanuf ac t ur edbet ween1927and1966–anannual r at eofl es st han300.
LeCoul t r e Cal i br e 7HP c r eat ed i nt he 1880s ,and whi c h equi pped enamel l ed wat c hes s etwi t h di amonds and pear l s ,gener al l ywor nar oundt henec k .The19t hc ent ur y s aw t he emer genc e oft he wr i s tbr ac el et .Cont r ar yt oa c ommonl yhel dbel i ef ,t hef i r s twr i s t wat c heswer ewor nby women,bef or ebei ngadopt edbymenwhohadmai nt ai ned al ongs t andi ng pr ef er enc ef ort he per c ei v ed mas c ul i ne el eganc eofpoc k et wat c hes . Thes l eev el es sRegenc yand Empi r es t y l edr es s esoft heper i odunc ov er edbot har ms andwr i s t s ,t husi nc i t i ngj ewel l er st oador nt hear east hus r ev eal ed.Some had t he i dea ofi nc or por at i ng a wat c h mec hani s mi ns i de.Thi smar k edt hebi r t hoft hef i r s twr i s t wor nwat c hes ,i ndi v i dual l yc r af t edt oor der ,andex c l us i v el y i ns pi r edbyaj ewel l er y or i ent edappr oac h. At t he t i me, t he mos tr ef i ned r ound c al i br es by J aeger LeCoul t r e hi dt he wi ndi ngc r own beneat ht he wat c h,s oast opr es er v et heper f ec tpur i t yoft hec i r c l e s hape.Fi r ml yat t ac hedt ot hepr ec eptofpr oduc ti nt egr i t y ac c or di ngt owhi c hamov ementmus tf ol l owt hec ont our sof t he c as e hous i ng i t ,t he Manuf ac t ur es oon bec ame a s pec i al i s tofs oc al l ed“ f or m”mov ement s ,meani ngal l t hos e wi t hs hapes ot hert han r ound.I n 1908,t he LeCoul t r e Cal i br e6EBmov ementdr ov es omeoft hef i r s tl adi es ’ wr i s t wat c hes .Thi ss quar e mec hani s m meas ur ed bar el yov er onec ent i met r eal ongeac hs i deandamer e1 . 5mm t hi c k . Thewat c hmak er soft heManuf ac t ur edi s pl ay edboundl es s c r eat i v i t y i n dev i s i ng r ec t angul ar ,“ t onneau” ( bar r el ) , baguet t eoral monds hapedmov ement s . Thebr and’ sdai nt y Ar tDec os t y l ewat c heswer eent i r el yi nt unewi t ht hes pi r i t off emi ni neemanc i pat i onc har ac t er i s i ngt heRoar i ng
T went i esandi nf us edwi t hadet er mi nat i ont obr eakf r eeof ex i s t i ng c onv ent i ons .I twas wi t hi nt hi sc ont ex tt hatt he Duopl an wat c h was i nt r oduc ed i n 1925.The LeCoul t r e Cal i br e 7BF Duopl an ef f ec t i v el yr ec onc i l ed t wo f ac t or s f or mer l yper c ei v edast wos wor nenemi esi nt hef i el dof wat c hmak i ng:mi ni at ur i s at i onandpr ec i s i on.I nt er pr et edi n c ount l es sdi f f er entway s ,f i t t edwi t hs at i norl eat hers t r aps , c r af t edi ns t eel orgol dands etwi t hdi amondsorr ubi es ,t he Duopl anwat c hc oul dbet r ans f or medatwi l li nt oabr ooc h wat c h ora “ s ec r et ”wat c h wi t has pec i alc ov er ,s oon bec omi ngt hev er ys y mbol off emi ni ni t y . Thewi ndi ngc r own wasev enhi ddenbeneat ht hec as et oast oens ur eper f ec t l y bal anc ed s moot h l i nes – wi t nes si n par t i c ul ar t he del i ght f ul l ygr ac ef ul ,el egants i l houet t esoft he s oc al l ed “ t ui l es ”( t i l e)v er s i ons .
Duopl anwasgr eat l yappr ec i at edamongwomenandpar t i c ul ar l yi nt heav ant gar dec i r c l esoft hei nt er warper i od, domi nat ed by f emal e aut hor ss uc h as Vi r gi ni a Wool f , Annemar i eSc hwar z enbac handSi monedeBeauv oi r . I n 1929,t he Manuf ac t ur er ev ol ut i oni s ed f emi ni ne wat c hmak i ng wi t h Cal i br e 10 1,whi c hr emai nst ot hi sdayt he wor l d’ ss mal l es tmec hani c almov ement . Af ai t hf ulc ompani ont oec l ec t i cf emi ni net as t es ,i tl endsi t s el ft oal lk i ndsof dar i ng i nt er pr et at i ons .I t sj ewel l er yv er s i onsenc i r c l et he dai nt i es twr i s t s ,s uc h as t hatofQueen El i z abet hI Iof Engl and on herc or onat i on day i n 1953.Cal i br e 10 1 c ont i nuest oi ns pi r et heHous edes i gner s ’ f i nes tc r eat i ons , s uc hast her ev er s i bl er i ngwat c hv er s i ons etwi t hdi amonds andemer al dsunv ei l edi n1998:as i mpl et ouc hs wi v el st he i nnerc as eoft her i ngt or ev eal t het i nydi al i ns i de.
Gemset t i ngt ec hni ques T r adi t i onalgems et t i ngi st het ec hni quet hathasennobl ed t hear tofor nament i nganobj ec twi t ht hehel pofpr ec i ous s t ones .Cont r ar yt o mec hani c algems et t i ng,wher et he wor k ermer el ypl ac est hegemsi ns eat i ngspr epar edby mac hi ni ngandt hendr awsbac kt hemat t erov ert hes t ones i n or dert o hol dt hem i n pl ac e,t he ex per tar t i s answho pr ac t i c et r adi t i onalgems et t i ng per s onal l ydet er mi ne t he numberofs t onesandt hei rpos i t i on,bef or eper f or mi ngt wo s epar at e dr i l l i ng oper at i ons : an ex t r emel y f i ne one ex c l us i v el yi nt endedt odef i net heex ac tpl ac i ngoft hegem, andas ec ondt oenl ar gei tt ot hes i z eofeac hgem.
Thi ss l ow,pai ns t ak i ngpr oc edur er equi r esl i t er al l ys c ul pt i ng t hemat er i al ,r epeat edl yc ut t i ngandr ec ut t i ngi nor dert o pr ogr es s i v el yf r eet hegr ai nofpr ec i ousmet alt hatwi l lhol d t hes t ones . Thi si sf ol l owedbyadel i c at eoper at i onr equi r i ng gr eatdex t er i t yt opr ec i s el yadj us tt hegem i ni t ss eat i ng. Thi ss k i l l edmanualc r af t s mans hi pl endseac hmodelan aur aofaut hent i cex c l us i v i t yev eni fs ev er aloft hes ame k i ndar epr oduc ed,s i nc enoneoft hem wi l lev erbeex ac t l y l i k eanot her . Thet al entoft heengr av er swi t hi nt heManuf ac t ur ei sal s o ex pr es s ed on c er t ai nc r eat i onsi n or dert o enhanc et he out l i nesandf ur t herac c ent uat et hebeaut yofawat c hby t he c ombi ned and ex per tus e oft he t wo t ec hni ques . Baguet t egems et t i ngi sdoneus i ngangul ar c utgems t ones – whet hers quar e,r ec t angul arort r apez es haped.The gems et t i ngf ol l owst hes ames t epsasout l i nedabov e,wi t h t henot abl eex c ept i onoft hec ons i der abl yl ongermanual pr epar at i onr equi r edbef or ei ns er t i ngeac hs t onewi t hi ni t s c hat onors eat i ng. Al ongs i de t he t i mehonour ed ex per t i s e of handc r af t ed gems et t i ng,J aeger LeCoul t r e hasdev el opedt wor emar k abl yi nv ent i v eand uni que t ec hni ques :s now s et t i ng and r oc k s et t i ng.Rev eal edbyt hegems et t er soft he Manuf ac t ur e,t hes et ec hni quesar eex er c i s i ng ev er i nc r eas i ng appealupon des i gner sand c l i ent s who appr ec i at e new f or ms of ex pr es s i oni nt hef i el dofj ewel l er y mak i ng.
Snowset t i ng
Fors now s et t i ng,t heonl ypoi ntofr ef er enc e oft hej ewel l er yar t i s ani st hepi ec ei t s el for t hemot i ft obes et : t hemot i fi sc r eat eddi r ec t l y ont hemat t er ,gui dedbyt het wi nmus esof r ef l ec t i onandc r eat i v i t y . I nt hi sdel i c at e ar t ,t he s l i ght es ts l i p oft he hand c an hav e di s as t r ous c ons equenc es . Thedi amondsar epl ac edoneaf t ert heot her , s i de by s i de, pl ay i ng wi t ht hei rv ar i ous di amet er st oent i r el yc ov ert hepr ec i ousmet al . Thegems et t er ’ swor ki sgr adual l yr ev eal ed ast hes t ones ,nes t l i ngc l os el yagai ns teac h ot her ,pr ogr es s i v el yc ov ert he ent i r e met al s ur f ac e.Thi s i nv ent i v e f r eedom r equi r es ex t r emes k i l l andmet i c ul ousc ar e.
Thi ss l ow,pai ns t ak i ngpr oc edur er equi r esl i t er al l ys c ul pt i ng t hemat er i al ,r epeat edl yc ut t i ngandr ec ut t i ngi nor dert o pr ogr es s i v el yf r eet hegr ai nofpr ec i ousmet alt hatwi l lhol d t hes t ones . Thi si sf ol l owedbyadel i c at eoper at i onr equi r i ng gr eatdex t er i t yt opr ec i s el yadj us tt hegem i ni t ss eat i ng. Thi ss k i l l edmanualc r af t s mans hi pl endseac hmodelan aur aofaut hent i cex c l us i v i t yev eni fs ev er aloft hes ame k i ndar epr oduc ed,s i nc enoneoft hem wi l lev erbeex ac t l y l i k eanot her .
I naddi t i ont ot hec ompl ex i t yoft het as kand t he t i me r equi r ed t o ac c ompl i s hi t ,t he s el ec t i on of di amonds i t s el fc al l s f or c ons i der abl e ex per t i s e, s i nc e t he t i ni es t di amet er smus tbeabl et omer ges eaml es s l y i nt ot hemos tdar i ngdes i gns .