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What happens inside Jaeger-LeCoultre’s factory? Gerard Nijenbrinks’s 2019 photo report follows a visit through the Le Sentier manufacture, from stamping and CNC machining to hand finishing, decorative crafts and the Heritage Gallery. It offers a visual account of how varied watchmaking work fits together—not current information about public tours.
What the 2019 photo report shows
Fratello published Gerard Nijenbrinks’s account of the visit on October 28, 2019. Its sequence moves through production departments and then into decorative crafts and the Heritage Gallery, using photographs to convey the breadth and scale of the premises. The report describes that particular visit; it does not establish what a visitor would see on a tour today. Read the photo report at Fratello.
Nijenbrinks acknowledges the limits of a photo account: “We understand that a review of a visit isn’t half as good as visiting the manufacture yourself. Just like a review of a watch is never as good as owning it and reviewing it yourself.”
From stamped parts to machined bridges
Blanking and cutting
The group begins at the manufacture in Le Sentier, welcomed in the Maison d’Antoine lounge. The report then shows blanking and cutting: components are stamped from material, and the author says Jaeger-LeCoultre makes the tools it needs for this work and stores them in automated stocks.
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- Excellent condition - Minimal signs of wear consistent with pre-owned use.
- Wrist Size (in): 8.25 Case Height (mm): 17.50 Case Width (mm): 52.50
- Comes with Box,Instructions
- This item is pre-owned and may show light signs of wear. Please refer to the condition and photos.
- Comes with a myGemma Certificate Of Authenticity.
CNC production and hand finishing
The next stop is CNC production, where the report shows base plates and bridges being made. Hand finishing follows as a distinct stage after automated machining. The contrast makes clear that automation and manual skill coexist in the production sequence; it does not mean every component or watch receives an identical set of operations.
Adjusting springs and fitting small components
The itinerary continues through work on cylindrical, spherical and semi-spherical balance springs, followed by milling and finishing operations and the turning of small parts. The report also shows assembly-related tasks, including placing bearing jewels and pallet stones. Together, these stops trace work from component manufacture toward the precise fitting of parts.
Decorative work at the Atelier des Métiers Rares
At the Atelier des Métiers Rares, the visit turns from production operations to decorative crafts. Nijenbrinks names diamond setting, surface engraving, guillochage and micro-painting. The report also records a presentation of high-complication watches and a lunch before the group’s final stop.
What the Heritage Gallery contained in the report
The photo report describes the Heritage Gallery as bringing together archives, a museum collection presenting Jaeger-LeCoultre calibres and a selection of Atmos clocks, plus a workshop for vintage-watch repair and restoration. That is the author’s account of the gallery during the 2019 visit, not confirmation of its present inventory or public access.
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- Excellent condition - Minimal signs of wear consistent with pre-owned use.
- Wrist Size (in): 7.00 Case Height (mm): 17.70 Case Width (mm): 52.80
- Comes with Box,Instructions
- This item is pre-owned and may show light signs of wear. Please refer to the condition and photos.
- Comes with a myGemma Certificate Of Authenticity.
Does this tell you how to visit the factory now?
No. The report is a record of one visit, not a current visitor guide, and it does not establish whether the manufacture is open to the general public, or provide booking arrangements, prices or opening hours. Anyone hoping to visit should confirm current arrangements directly with Jaeger-LeCoultre. The brand’s later September 2026 announcement of the “Valley of Inventions” exhibition in Shanghai discusses the Vallée de Joux’s influence on its watchmaking culture, but does not provide evidence of factory-tour access in Le Sentier.
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