Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
Self-taught watchmaker and prolific inventor Antoine LeCoultre is one of the greatest personalities in the history of watchmaking. Technological innovations stretching back to 1844—keyless winding systems, shockproof watchcases, the production of miniature components—revolutionized the profession and set standards for the industry. With Parisian stopwatch-maker Edmond Jaeger, he furnished prestigious houses like Vacheron Constantin, Patek Phillipe, and Cartier with movements that made innovative watch design possible. Today Jaeger-LeCoultre preserves its legacy of craftsmanship and is a principal player in precision technologies and design. Using previously unpublished archival material and new photography, Jaeger-LeCoultre traces the history of their historic manufacturer. A catalogue raisonné of the company's famous movement designs and timepieces, including the Reverso and the Atmos, make this an essential reference for all watch collectors.

Rating : - Eye candy for JLC freaks
If you're looking at the Amazon entry for this book, you probably own, or are thinking about owning, a JLC watch, or two, or three, or...

This is a big, beautiful coffee table book with great photos, images of old LeCoultre advertising, lots of modern artwork. There is ample history of the manufacture in the Vallee de Joux, the development of JLC's innovative timepieces (like the Reverso, the Futurematic, the Ultra Thin, the ATMOS clock) and calibres. I was a bit put off by the fact that the original Master Control series watches seem to get short shrift, while there is big glitzy photo spread of the current Master Control lineup (which appeals to me somewhat less, as it follows the current trend toward bigger, heavier, bling-ier watches). But then, this is pretty much a JLC puff piece, so the marketing guys no doubt wanted to showcase what is now on offer, not recently discontinued models.

All in all, it's one of those books you can open and read, or just thumb through to gaze at pictures and photos, over and over again. IF you're catching the JLC bug or already have a bad case of it, that is.