What happens when you stop looking at watches through a display case and actually step inside the places where some of the most important watches in history were created? For this special episode of ON TIME, Lex and CJ sit down in Germany at the end of Time to Drive Europe to unpack one of their biggest watch trips yet, including visits to Jaeger-LeCoultre and Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps. The journey begins at JLC, a manufacture often called the “watchmaker’s watchmaker.” With more than 1,300 calibers developed throughout its history, Jaeger-LeCoultre movements have powered watches from some of the biggest names in watchmaking, including Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. Lex and CJ explore that history, what they saw inside the manufacture and museum, the resurgence of the Reverso, and the new watch Lex couldn’t leave Europe without.
From the hidden history behind JLC movements to modern high watchmaking, collector value, new releases, unexpected pickups and whether these watches actually deserve a place in your collection, this episode is a look at watch culture from inside the manufactures themselves. And after late nights, early mornings, driving across Europe and experiencing it all alongside fellow collectors, Lex and CJ reflect on why Time to Drive is about the people, friendships and experiences collecting creates along the way.
Watch the full episode of ON TIME and subscribe to 0260 for more stories from the people, brands and collectors shaping watch culture.
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